Research stakeholders can't ignore

How do you make research impossible to ignore – even for stakeholders who don't see its value? In this interview, Kelsey Thomson, Lead Product Researcher at Octopus Deploy, shares her practical playbook for communicating research across every level of an organization, from engineers and PMs to VPs and board members.

What you'll learn in this UX interview:
- Why bite-sized, ongoing communication beats waiting for the formal readout.
- How to use emerging insights mid-project – and why caveats are your friend.
- The "quiz" technique for winning over skeptical or adversarial stakeholder
- Why assumption mapping is one of the most effective proof points in research.
- How to get buy-in from sales and CSM teams when you need access to their customers.
- Why the best move is to do the research on the people you're trying to influence.

We'll explore how researchers can bring stakeholders along on the journey, tailor their communication style to different audiences, and connect their work to the things that actually motivate the people they need on side. Perfect for UX researchers, research managers, and product teams looking to make research land – not just get delivered.

Key takeaway: The best researchers don't just do the work – they make sure the right people understand it, at the right time, in the right way.

Chapters:
0:00 - Introducing Kelsey Thomson
0:26 - How do you communicate research across your organization?
2:54 - How do you get buy-in from stakeholders who are skeptical about research?
7:17 - How do you get buy-in from sales and CSM teams to access customers?
11:29 - What mistakes do researchers make when sharing their work?
13:24 - Any advice for researchers trying to have more influence?

Transcript