Leadership

Re-Establishing an Engaged UX Research Team

This is the story of how I led a strategic effort to rebuild the UX Research team after major organizational changes, fostering a renewed sense of purpose, cohesion, and alignment with business objectives.

Key Takeaways

  • Successfully led the UX Research team through a period of uncertainty, re-establishing the team’s identity and practices through a collaborative charter that aligned the team’s goals and values.

  • Improved the strategic alignment of research efforts with business objectives by revamping the research roadmap and focusing on outcomes that influence product decisions.

  • Strengthened the team’s credibility and impact through hands-on coaching, resulting in more focused research outputs and continued demand for UX insights.

Background

Rebuilding Identity After Organizational Disruption

The UX Research team underwent significant disruption due to major organizational changes, including strategic shifts and the restructuring of crucial partner teams. These changes left many team members uncertain about the future direction of the team. The loss of long-standing relationships, coupled with unclear priorities, left the team wondering what was next.

I saw the need to re-establish the team’s identity, build cohesion, and create a shared vision for how we could continue to deliver impactful insights in this new environment.

Actions Taken

Driving Alignment and Improving Research Practices

Establishing a Clear Team Identity with a Collaborative Charter

My first step was to bring the team together through a team charter workshop. I created a virtual whiteboard where we could collectively align around key topics, including:

  1. Defining success for our team and the impact we aim to deliver.

  2. Clarifying the types of work we would focus on and the work we would avoid.

  3. Setting clear expectations for commitment to each other and how we engage with partners.

  4. Identifying areas for growth and improvement.

During the workshop, I facilitated open discussions to ensure every team member had a voice. Established team members were paired with newer ones to promote collaboration, and together, we created a cohesive team charter. This charter provided a clear sense of direction and a renewed identity that everyone felt committed to.

Revamping the Research Roadmap to Connect Insights to Business Outcomes

To increase the relevance of our research to product decisions, I worked with the team to re-imagine our research roadmap. We shifted from simply delivering insights to focusing on the critical outcomes of each research effort. I drafted example descriptions for research projects that included a brief overview and expected impacts, then coached team members on how to articulate the value of their work.

I conducted 1:1 sessions with each team member, helping them refine their learning agendas and connect their research efforts to business outcomes.

We developed a research roadmap package for senior leadership review, where each team member presented their research agenda and expected impact. This process empowered the team to clearly and succinctly communicate the value of their work to leadership and partners, raising the visibility of the team’s contribution.

Improving Research Output Through Collaborative Review and Coaching

I also guided the team to deliver insights with clear implications and next steps. I personally reviewed research findings with each team member, offering feedback and asking probing questions to ensure the significance of each finding was fully explored. Through working sessions, I coached them on how to present actionable insights with necessary follow-up steps.

Team members appreciated the hands-on coaching and felt it strengthened their ability to deliver impactful research outputs. By the end of the process, each team member took full ownership of their work, producing more focused and actionable research reports.

Results

Renewed Cohesion, Clear Impact, and Stronger Credibility

Creation of a Jointly Owned Team Charter

The team charter fostered a renewed sense of purpose, clarity, and identity. Team members began self-organizing into collaborative units, driving greater engagement and a shared commitment to results.

Increased Visibility and Strategic Alignment

The new research roadmap elevated the visibility of the team’s contribution within the organization. Senior leadership gained a clearer understanding of the impact of UX research, which allowed for more effective project prioritization.

Strengthened Credibility with Partner Teams

Research reports that clearly identified implications and next steps enhanced the team’s credibility. This was evidenced by increased demand for our insights from partner teams, who recognized the actionable value we were delivering.