Discovering the multifaceted lives of insights professionals
Editor’s note: Nancy Cox is the founder of Research Story Consulting and former CPG corporate researcher. Her work and play include words, sketchpads, cooking (not baking) and the occasional sock puppet
What a playful three years writing the Quirk’s Work and Play column! The simple goal was to uncover the multidimensional lives of our colleagues. A role reversal for researchers to be the interviewee and share their passions and hobbies.
What a fascinating range! Researchers move: run marathons, ride tandem bikes, juggle and joggle, survive randori, box, Spartan race, skateboard, compete in roller derby, travel with a monkey, lead mini trampoline classes, play hockey and race on a top speed/land speed motorcycle.
Researchers make: build a teardrop trailer, embroider, create multimedia art, collage in three-dimensions, blog, write industry haiku, photograph ethnographic stories, design hats, cook Thanksgiving dinner for over 60 people in Mexico City.
Researchers appear on stage: acti professionally, take improv classes, win on $100,000 Pyramid, drum. Researchers are indie pop vinyl collectors, kayak fishers, on-demand delivery drivers, non-profit organizers/leaders, chess players, drone flyers and serial dabblers in many hobbies. (If you want to learn more about any of these plays, all columns are available under keyword: work and play.)
Beyond giving readers a peek into their “other lives,” each generously shared how their play has influenced their work. In that spirit of sharing, here’s what I’ve learned from each of the column’s standard three questions.
What is the play in your life?
This purposively very open-ended question revealed two themes and a surprising “tell.” Theme one, no researcher is one-dimensional – no one has just one play to balance their work life. But to give richness and depth to a two-minute read column, the article focuses on one play. How do I know which play to focus on? I wait for revealing tells – fast talking, lit-up face, more gestures. Then I know. Here is the playful spark that fuels an engaging column.
A tell that I didn’t expect is when a researcher gets up and dashes away off screen. What just happened? What happened is the excitement to show me an artifact of the play. It may be a tool, something created, a framed photo, an award. We never outgrow show and tell! I’ve learned to add a show and tell probe to add energy if needed (a researcher may not be having a great day on interview day). And to recognize that a runaway researcher is a good sign!
Theme two, people love to talk about what brings them joy. The details and anecdotes spill out. A good reminder to include a question that sparks joy in our surveys or IDIs. Even in challenging topics, is there a question that might reveal some joy with a story of being supported, overcoming or future hopes?
How has your play influenced your research work?
It was tempting to start with a double-barreled, right-to-the point question “What is the play in your life and how do is influence your work?” But when I trialed some question approaches with interviewees, I found that double-barreled approach did not honor each question. If the first question about play holds joy, the second question about influence holds reflection. The interviewee experiences and processes each question differently.
Sometimes an interviewee starts off with a double-barreled answer – they see the questions in advance – stating, “My play is X, and it influences my work this way.” The play can get set aside. Diligent researchers get right to work. I listen then I nudge with simple probes about the play, so the play leads the story. Double-barreled answers require the same separation as double-barreled questions.
Once separated, this second question is critical to the column in places – the body copy and the headline. Just like researchers have more than one play, play has more than one influence on work. The column was purposively designed to allow three to five paragraphs answering this question so readers can explore this influence multiplicity.
But the brief headline forces a choice, what influence to highlight? My headline rule is to highlight a unique influence that has NOT appeared in a previous column headline. Why? Because the headline says at a glance, “here’s something you have not already read.” Yes, it’s accurate (the interviewee always approves the headline) but it is not comprehensive. The headline is an invitation to read more vs. a thorough summary.
Writer tip: if you’re reporting on something regularly, craft a headline formula to streamline work for both you and your readers. For my headline, I fill in two blanks in the headline each month – the play and the unique influence. Examples: mini trampoline and moving to the front; drumming and reliability. Occasionally, I throw in a third element such as: chess, open knowledge and human behavior or game shows, the pivot and the pass. Because when you create the formula, you can tweak the formula. But not too often because a formula headline is a promise to your reader. You’ve promised to streamline their scanning providing both recognition (here’s that column I enjoy) and newsiness (the latest play/unique influence).
What would you tell readers who want to know more about your area of play?
Column readers have likely picked up on three themes of advice: you can learn almost anything from the internet (although ultimately you will have to do-it-yourself); you can explore a new play in budget-friendly ways and play connects us to a community. The community aspect was a bit surprising, and it manifests in various ways. Community ranges from simply observing the community of fellow Chicagoans while on a run or as immersive as leading a non-profit organization.
In that spirit of community, I want to share my advice to those who want the play of writing a regular column. Yes, it can be play! Two keys are question consistency and keeping a “pantry.” Just like having a consistent headline formula, having the same three questions streamlined interviewing. No need to write a new discussion guide each time customized to the play or the researcher. I also believe this consistency reassures future interviewees as they know the exact questions in advance. By nature, and experience, researchers are choosy about questions.
Column consistency also rewards readers. Readers know in exchange for the few minutes of reading, they will learn three things – the intriguing play of a colleague, lessons from the play that they might also be able to apply to their research work and practical tips if they want to explore that play themselves.
I cannot emphasize enough the need to create a “pantry” of columns written ahead of publication date. A monthly commitment seems easy, but that monthly deadline defies the space/time continuum and comes faster each month. Working with Quirk’s Editor Emily Koenig, we made sure to have least three columns ready to publish including proofreading and formatting before we launched. I typically have two to six months of columns in the pantry although one time I got down to one. The panic equivalent of two people snowed in with only enough coffee for one cup!
If you’re curious about how to be featured in the column – that’s super simple. Contact nancy@researchstoryconsulting.com, subject line: Work and Play. Your research community is eager to read all about your work and play!