π Reader,
There was a time in my career when I was teaching at the police academy.
When I was teaching new police officers (and detectives), we used a system for evaluating how well officers understood what they were being taught.
Some officers could recite what they learned, while others could use what they learned to piece together entire criminal cases.
(if you've heard of Bloom's Taxonomy, you know what I am talking about)
Sound familiar? The same hierarchy should exist in how stakeholders engage with customer research.
And this is exactly where the controversial "democratization" programs should live.
Just like in law enforcement, where not every officer needs to be a master detective, not all stakeholders need to be research experts. But knowing where they stand? That's critical intelligence.
Let me break down what I call the Customer Insights Taxonomy.
Level 1: The Beat Cop (Remembering)β
β’ Can identify that research exists
β’ Knows where to find the evidence
β’ Recalls basic facts
Level 2: The Patrol Sergeant (Understanding)β
β’ Explains why findings matter
β’ Gets the context behind customer behavior
β’ Connects dots between data points
Level 3: The Detective (Applying)β
β’ Uses research to drive decisions
β’ Links findings to business challenges
β’ Brings evidence into team discussions
Level 4: The Crime Analyst (Analyzing)β
β’ Spots patterns across multiple sources
β’ Identifies trending issues
β’ Creates frameworks for organizing insights
Level 5: The Internal Affairs (Evaluating)β
β’ Questions research validity
β’ Spots potential biases
β’ Validates findings with additional evidence
Level 6: The Chief Inspector (Creating)β
β’ Designs innovative solutions based on research
β’ Drives research-inspired innovation
β’ Measures impact on customer outcomes
π¨ Here's the real crime: Most organizations don't know where their stakeholders fall on this ladder.
How to crack this case:
1) Run a Stakeholder Assessment
- Use evaluation methods for each level
- Document current capabilities
- Identify skill gaps
2) Build Your Evidence
- Track how research is used in decisions
- Monitor the quality of research-driven solutions
- Document progress over time
3) Train Your Force
- Design targeted interventions
- Focus on next-level skills
- Facilitate hands-on learning
Here's a quick test: Take your last research study. Can your stakeholders:
- Remember the key findings?
- Understand why they matter?
- Apply them to current challenges?
- Analyze patterns within the data?
- Evaluate the validity?
- Create innovative solutions?
If not, you've got work to do.
Remember: Just like in detective work, it's not about making everyone a master investigator. It's about ensuring each person can effectively use the evidence at their disposal to solve the right problems.
Stay frosty,
/ari
Real Quick...
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