Amid increased pressure to demonstrate impact in rapid cycles, researchers are renewing efforts to align insights with organizational targets and metrics. But what happens when our work illuminates significant disjunctures between users/customers and their social worlds on the one hand, and organizational processes and strategies on the other? Whether we’re tasked with so-called “tactical”, “mid-range”, or “strategic” projects, ethnographers frequently identify strong evidence for shifting internal assumptions. In this case, our impact may depend less on hitting targets than on catalyzing organizational learning and change.
In this workshop, Robin shares a model you can use to identify where in an organization you can drive the most impact. We will discuss the critical capabilities to learn (and unlearn!) that leaders and executives need to navigate uncertainty, how researchers can use insights to help build this capacity for organizational learning, and the impact we can make when we help an organization become more visible to itself.
Speaker
For more than 25 years, Robin Beers has worked at the intersection of organizational psychology, digital design and research, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to catalyze transformation for organizations, their employees, and their customers. Robin holds a doctorate in organizational psychology and a Master’s in African American Studies, and has spent a career in senior leadership roles at Wells Fargo and Workday.
