#110 - Decisions, Not Data: Why Research needs Organizational Readiness with Erika Hall

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

One of the most revered names in research and design, Erika Hall, Co-founder of Mule Design, joins us on this podcast to challenge the role of research as we know it.

In this episode, she shares deep insights into the challenges of navigating research in complexity, and, on the backbone of systems thinking, offers thought-provoking perspectives addressing the growing tensions between investor-driven narratives and evidence-based practices.

She brings forth some hard truths on how organizations cherry-pick data to justify decisions; and uses this to help us understand why a genuine research mindset is one where you’re comfortable being proven wrong.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that organizations need to embrace curiosity, to stay grounded and relevant. As the author of ‘Just Enough Research’, Erika, has been a revered design consultant, specializing in asking the hard questions to find the right answers.

She takes this episode to show that speed does not equate to better decision-making, emphasizing the need for organizations to focus on thoughtful alignment and genuine learning.

She explores themes such as the performative nature of modern business practices, the disconnect between financial storytelling and real-world impact, the difference between delegation and democratization, and how organizations can navigate all this in an interconnected ecosystem.

Tune in and learn how to ask the right questions and build an organization that’s based on evidence. Key Highlights

👉 Organizations need to embrace research as an anti-authoritarian practice that fosters curiosity and challenges assumptions.

👉 Speed in decision-making is often performative. Slower, thoughtful preparation can lead to better outcomes and long-term agility.

👉 Modularity and decentralization in organizations require clarity in decision-making and alignment. Delegation of tasks is not the same as true democratization of power.

👉 Financial narratives often drive organizational behaviors, leading to misaligned incentives and decision-making that prioritizes appearances over reality.

👉 Systems thinking and psychological safety are crucial for fostering functional, adaptive teams that can navigate complexity and uncertainty effectively.

👉 Organizations should prioritize incremental improvements and long-term value creation over chasing trends and disruptive innovation for its own sake.

Topics /chapters

(00:00) Decisions, Not Data: Why Research needs Organizational Readiness - intro

(00:43) Introducing Erika

(01:50) Evolution of Research

(08:06) Impact of Portfolios, Modularity, and Ecosystemic Approach on Research

(13:04) Organizational Structure, Coherence, and Control

(18:39) The right approach for building capabilities

(26:06) Pillars of designing a research-backed organization

(32:05) Functioning in complexity with coherence

(42:47) Researching an Ecosystem of Interactions

(49:38) Synthetic User Interviews

(53:31) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions

Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/hall-erika

Episode recorded on Nov 22, 2024

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