How can you demonstrate your ability to turn research insights into actionable recommendations?

One thing I found helpful in my approach to address identified pain points and achieve measurable outcomes, is to methodically map the current state of the customer journey, measure inefficiencies through value stream mapping, and engage stakeholders and customers for insights. Benchmark against industry best practices and future trends to define a targeted future state. The disparity between current and future states becomes your Objective Key Results (OKRs). Before presenting insights, succinctly define the user need or pain point, validate it, and frame it as a problem statement. This clear methodology establishes context and scope for impactful research insights and recommendations.

Defining the problem is important. It ensures research is focused and relevant. I've found that a well-articulated problem statement enhances the clarity of the research.

First I don't assume that I know what the Problem is. I spend time with customers, and let them talk and talk and talk. I use the Kanban 5 why's. To quote David Sandler. "The problem they bring you is never the Real Problem.". For example no customer asked for the computer mouse, they probably said I need a faster easier way to move the curser. An Engineer would develop faster cursor keys.... a Product Manager would think what is the underlying desire..... Customer complaints are a good source of underlying desires once you get below the surface to the real desire. Get out there an amongst them, help install your product with Real Customers - End Users. That's where the gold is.

There are 3 key aspects to problem framing 1 - what is the problem - informs the product goal 2 - why is it relevant - informs the value 3 - how is it solved today - informs the positioning Often times, teams will over-emphasize on #1 and miss the bigger picture that should inform the broader strategy

Stress the role of data in problem definition. Mention that data analytics, user feedback, and market research are valuable sources for understanding and framing the problem accurately.

Explaining the methodology is best for credibility. Detailing how participants were chosen and data was synthesized helps to justify the research.

Combining multiple research methods, such as quantitative and qualitative, can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the problem.

Leverage AI for efficient customer sentiment analysis, providing a comprehensive view of user feedback to prioritize product development. Use predictive analytics to forecast market trends and consumer behaviors, validating and refining insights. Align these strategies with business goals and user needs for targeted, effective product evolution.

Con la metodología SPIN, las preguntas tienen que seguir este orden: - Situación. Son preguntas abiertas para tener una primera visión del cliente. - Problema. Aquí tenemos que aislar concretamente el problema detectado. - Implicación. Vamos a ver en qué afecta a tu cliente. - Necesidad de solución. Enfocamos al cliente en la necesidad de solucionar ese problema

Methodical research is critical for capturing valuable data. A particular framework is not a thumb rule but shall be applied as per the target of the research. And to analyse, the product manager must gain proper statistical understanding to break it down and run the hypothesis.

Define a crystal clear business case for the research work you have down! Ensure the work results in a profitable way either for the organisation or entity! Turn those insights to possible action items along with key deliverables from respective stakeholders Then understand the use case for the action items noted and start planning for the deliverables with respect to timelines

In my experience, combining research and key insights isn't just about data; it's about storytelling with that data. The insights we gather, be it qualitative or quantitative, need to spark actionable hypotheses. It's all about focusing on what our audience needs to understand from the research, and then forming hypotheses that fuel actionable strategies based on the insights we collected.

Highlighting key insights in research is as crucial as in a machine learning workflow. Just as ML seeks to extract meaningful patterns, a research project should similarly prioritize and communicate its findings to create a useful insight

Provide actionable recommendations based on your research. Describe specific steps or strategies that can be taken to leverage these insights effectively and drive positive outcomes.

I find visual data summaries of research findings and quotes from SMEs to be the most effective ways for highlighting the key insights. They also serve as useful ingredients for infographics.

Transforming research insights into actionable recommendations requires product managers to maintain a sharp focus on problem-solving. Key to this process is articulating underlying assumptions or hypotheses, as research often serves to validate or invalidate these beliefs. It's about identifying the minimum viable actions that progressively steer the product towards its end goal, ensuring each step is aligned with the broader product vision and strategy.

Providing actionable recommendations is the culmination of good research, ensuring that the insights gained are effectively aligned and integrated into the product's development

Mi recomendación es preparar una batería de preguntas para cada una de las fases, y así cuando estemos con nuestro cliente será más fácil utilizarlas. Para esto, podemos crear un formulario online o alguna herramienta que nos permita centrarnos en el cliente

Sharing of research insights based on a proven methodology such as DMAIC ( Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control: Lean Six Sigma Process) would lead to viable recommendations. Adherence to this framework would add value significantly in making the entire research process more structured and the insights concrete, substantially supported with appropriate data. Initiating by most importantly defining the prevalent scenario / existing bottlenecks & subsequently measuring the relevant KPI's, analysing the root causes, formulating actionable measures for improvement and controlling recommended changes to implement and streamline the processes. The data driven framework of DMAIC would overall enhance the effectiveness of research insights.

In my experience, the best way to present recommendations is by offering a clear, step-by-step action plan. It turns theory into practice. I’ve learned to be open to feedback on my recommendations. Adaptability is key – what works on paper might need tweaking in the real world.

1. Gather the insights from all the sources - structured(online, portal etc), unstructured(survey, calls, meetings, user sessions etc) and semi structured(if any) 2. Try to categorise and cluster the data at high level based on their concurrency or them belonging to same/similar characteristics 3. Define the categories based on their classification and identify the underlying pain points 4. Have a feedback loop with the users on the problems reported and try to get any first hand insights related to mentioned problems 5. Provide actionable recommendations

This is something which I am currently working on. Before we start a research, 1) Understand the problem statement and how this problem arised? Root Cause analysis is very much needed otherwise your problem statement is incomplete. So Background of how and why of problem is very much needed to understand the possible solutions. 2) Then do comprehensive research on internal and external sources based on the type of problem. If its customer centric try the customer source, if its business centric understands the current system and competitor analysis 3) Structure the findings and try draw the parallels on where we stand currently- and what extra we need to do to reach our goal 4) Those steps to reach our goal is our final insight 3)

Ten en cuenta que cada cliente es un mundo, y que no puedes dar por sentado nada. Lo que para un cliente es importante, para otro puede ser una nimiedad. Por eso, cuando entres a un cliente, entra como un libro en blanco, dispuesto a entender su mundo

Always make sure you understand the trade offs and risks associated with it. For every opportunity you say Yes to, you are saying No to a billion others and creating another problem elsewhere.

I think you need to consider the business goal versus the business case the most because you want to give a productive perspective and engage with whoever your end audience is in an impactful way. Check in with your boss on what is being said in those bigger strategy conversations and get their input and direction on what are objectively important things to research or consider. That way, you spend time on what will bring the business the most value so you can continue to build over time.