When I first started at RIVA seven and a half years ago, one of the things I remember from my first few weeks with Naomi post-hiring was hearing this piece of advice.
In nearly all industries, there has been an unprecedented shift to doing things the fast and easy way. And along the way, people and empathy get lost.
In an industry like qualitative market research, people are what matter the most. Our whole purpose is to discover why people do the things they do, choose to buy the things they do, and support the things they do. It’s important to remember that humans and what life means for them are what matter here.
An example:
It’s easy for Clients who are new to the qualitative research sphere or who want things done a certain way to push for cutting things such as the rapport building stage or shortening ground rules delivery. However, as researchers it’s important for us to maintain a firm position on what truly matters: our respondents and getting data for the client.
It’s difficult to accomplish everything in a research group because of limited time and too many questions but short-changing your rapport stage – like the emotional handshake – can lead to challenges that make it harder for you to get deep below those initial top-of-mind thoughts. Without getting to know people – and letting them get to know you – you miss out on building a relationship that allows for emotional connection – even if your topic isn’t that “heavy.”
A non-research example:
In today’s world, it’s easy to spot examples of companies, industries, governments, and everyday people choosing the path of least resistance – even at the cost of others. Whether that’s by using sub-standard ingredients, cheap labor, or unethical practices, we’ve all seen, read, heard, or been told about a company cutting corners at the expense of their consumers.
I think an old example of this can be seen in the automative industry where machines replaced workers and companies also moved production to overseas facilities. Both moves saved the companies money, but to the detriment of workers who lost jobs and towns that lost a stronghold of their economy.
Then you often have society pushing people a certain way – even if it’s not what’s best for them. There have been many instances of this within just the first weeks of the year.
As humans, it’s important to remember that we are a collective. Our survival and success lie in our strengths and ability to see each other as a community.
In Summary:
Through every interaction, project, conversation, and daily action, we as humans, as well as researchers, owe it to each other to hold ourselves to doing what is right, even if it’s not the path of least resistance. In research, it’s particularly important to remember that we have a responsibility to our clients, our respondents, and ourselves to follow through on our code of ethics to ensure our industry holds onto what matters most: humans.
Written by: Brittany Mohammed, Qualitative Training & Research Specialist