SPONSORED CONTENT
Mark Wirthlin
President, Heart+Mind Strategies
801-440-8432
How can strategists bridge the gap between insights and action?
The biggest beef many clients have with their research partners is that study results often fail to answer “so what?” Not surprising, since a lot of us were trained as careful, precise researchers. And answering “so what?” is outside our comfort zone.
I come from a research family. As a young man, I had the opportunity to view the power of answering “so what?” at the highest level of government when my dad was President Ronald Reagan’s chief strategist. Decision-making happened at lightning speed and a smart team of Ph.D. statisticians knew they had to be both fast and right.
This is when I first learned about the importance of the strategist, who conducts a kind of alchemy that turns facts into strategic gold. This does not mean altering facts but it does mean developing the ability to think beyond the facts. A big survey with lots of points of analysis results in literally thousands of bits of data. Deciding which bits make a difference in solving the problem at hand is a valuable skill increasingly required of researchers.
In our company we feel it’s important to first honor the skills that ensure the quality and reliability of our research – but then to also ask our teams to step out on the ledge and become sharp strategists.
We call this the strategist imperative and it’s underpinned by four Cs:
Chops: This is having the gravitas to advise clients well and includes a strong grasp of business and of the client’s business specifically. It’s having the diplomatic skills to understand how client personalities can impact decision-making. This skill set comes from hard-won experience, formal education or a combination of the two.
Courage: Going out on the ledge takes personal courage and we work to support young, talented people who want to take the risk. We also celebrate the courage that makes our established strategists so valuable to the company.
Creativity: The strategist’s alchemy comes from applying creativity to the intersection of research insights and broader business knowledge. Skilled strategists meld findings into a story that will be understood by the non-researchers at the top of client organizations.
Conviction: This comes from working hard to identify the right guidance for the client and then making a strong case for the recommendation. Willingness to have a strong perspective and make a smart case for it elevates strategists to the role of trusted advisor.
For more about the “Strategist Imperative,” look for announcements of our November Quirk’s Webinar.