How can you effectively communicate research results to senior management?

1 Know your audience

Before you present your research results, you need to understand who you are talking to and what they care about. Senior management may have different levels of familiarity with UX research, different goals and objectives, and different preferences for how they receive information. You can do some research on your audience by asking them questions, looking at their previous feedback, or consulting with other stakeholders who know them well. Based on your research, you can tailor your message, tone, and format to suit their needs and expectations.

2 Focus on the impact

One of the most important things to communicate to senior management is the impact of your research results on the business and the user. You need to show them how your findings relate to their strategic goals, how they affect the key metrics and outcomes they care about, and how they inform the decisions and actions they need to take. You can use stories, scenarios, and examples to illustrate the impact of your research results, and avoid getting into too much detail or jargon that may confuse or distract them.

3 Use clear and concise language

When you communicate your research results to senior management, you need to use clear and concise language that conveys your main points and recommendations without ambiguity or confusion. You need to avoid using acronyms, technical terms, or complex sentences that may not be familiar or understandable to your audience. You also need to use consistent and accurate terminology that matches the language of your organization and your industry. You can use simple and direct words, short and active sentences, and headings and subheadings to organize and highlight your information.

4 Choose the right format and medium

Another key aspect of communicating your research results to senior management is choosing the right format and medium for your presentation. You need to consider the time, attention, and context of your audience, and select the most appropriate and effective way to deliver your message. You can use different formats and mediums, such as slides, reports, dashboards, videos, or prototypes, depending on the purpose, scope, and depth of your research results. You also need to consider the best way to share your presentation, such as in person, online, or asynchronously, depending on the availability, location, and preference of your audience.

6 Follow up and measure the outcomes

The last step of communicating your research results to senior management is to follow up and measure the outcomes of your presentation. You need to check if your audience understood and accepted your research results, if they implemented or planned to implement your recommendations, and if they achieved or expected to achieve the desired outcomes. You can follow up with your audience by sending a summary, asking for feedback, or scheduling a meeting. You can also measure the outcomes of your presentation by tracking the progress, impact, and results of your recommendations, and reporting back to your audience.