Getting to the “So What?”: How Management Consulting Practices Can Transform Your Approach to Research
Summary
As the first-ever user researcher at McKinsey, Megan Blocker pioneered the practice of UXR at the firm, establishing and growing the team to more than 50 researchers, data analysts, and data scientists. But “growing up” as a user researcher in management consulting meant she was unburdened by many of the expectations researchers face in more traditional contexts - instead, she was able to combine the best of management consulting with research and design practices to break barriers for how and where research was applied. In her talk at Advancing Research, she’ll share how she applied core management consulting practices to her research work and how those same practices can help you succeed from study to study as well as when scaling research across your organization.
Key Insights
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The principle of putting the most important message, or the 'so what', right upfront is a deeply ingrained practice in management consulting and critical for influence.
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Consultants come equipped with a 'brash willingness' to challenge power and take bold stances on what should come next, a practice user researchers should adopt.
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User researchers often stop at insights, but should assert provocative, inspiring recommendations that advocate for specific directions.
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Consultants rely on a broad variety of data including expert interviews and secondary sources, not just user data; researchers should likewise expand their data sources.
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Focusing relentlessly on outcomes and defining measurable midterm indicators enables teams to innovate faster and track real progress.
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Reusable, road-tested frameworks from consulting serve as a treasure trove that can accelerate communication and amplify research impact.
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McKinsey’s culture includes an 'obligation to dissent' that pushes individuals not just to notice problems but to act on opportunities to improve.
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Dynamic, frequently changing teams and a decentralized yet committee-driven structure force consultants to master stakeholder navigation and coalition building.
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Embedded researchers have an advantage over consultants in experiencing the long-term impact of recommendations and can use this to deepen outcome-oriented research.
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Proactively reaching out to organizational leaders about upcoming big decisions positions researchers as trusted advisors rather than mere data providers.
Notable Quotes
"But what’s the so what? Get to the point and don’t make me wait."
"Without adoption, value is zero."
"If you see a problem or opportunity, you should do something about it."
"User researchers stop at findings and insights, but often do not advocate for a direction."
"We can all become experts at stuff if we work hard enough – sometimes you have to fake it till you make it."
"Put the most important message right up front no matter what the format."
"Bringing in expert interviews and secondary data gives you an outsider’s perspective to challenge the status quo."
"Hoard and reuse your jewels. Those proven frameworks can amplify every hour of your work."
"Teams are better at solving problems and coming up with innovative ideas than solo practitioners."
"Establish yourself as a trusted expert advisor whose work drives meaningful positive change."
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