What do you do if your team members struggle with research analysis and synthesis tasks?

I see struggles with analysis and synthesis as a chance for the team members to grow, and it helps the team overall. I'll provide targeted training and connect those who are learning with experienced researchers for mentorship. Importantly, creating a culture where people can celebrate effort and improvement, not just the final results will be a good idea. This builds the kind of supportive environment where people feel comfortable learning.

It's crucial to offer support and guidance for improvement. Begin by providing additional training or workshops focused on analysis techniques and synthesis methods. Clear frameworks and templates can streamline the process, while one-on-one coaching offers personalized assistance. Encouraging collaboration and peer feedback fosters a supportive learning environment. Regular reviews and constructive feedback help track progress. By providing targeted support, training, and opportunities for collaboration, team members can strengthen their research analysis and synthesis skills and contribute more effectively to the team's success.

Another strategy is to organize regular 'research retrospectives' where team members discuss past projects and extract lessons learned. This promotes knowledge sharing and allows team members to reflect on their analytical methods and outcomes in a structured manner. I recommend integrating diverse disciplines to capture a broader range of perspectives, challenge conventional thinking and refine methodologies. This practice turns every project into a collective opportunity to sharpen the team's analytical skills.

Streamline the methods, "How much work do we need to until the findings are usable?" "Are there steps that can be removed without significantly impacting the process?" "Are there steps that can be merged?" In relation to your project roadmap, "How much time do we have? How scrappy do we go?" "What kind of deliverable are we looking at? Do I have samples to show?" Make the process a give-give. "How does this exercise help everyone in their job?" "What can I in return?" "How can I leverage their domain experience?" That last part is a teacher's tip; with adults, always assume that they have valuable experiences to share. It sounds like it's more complicated, but when we focus on the people, we structure our intervention better.

For members struggling with synthesis and analysis, the most important is to break down the method in simple steps : 1/ classify observations found during the research by themes that seem coherent to the subject studied to make information easier to compare and read across (what are the main actions performed by the user ? on which touchpoint ? What are the main painpoints encountered ? in which context?) 2/ then, understand the different perceptions that might have been expressed by users during the research to better understand the dynamics and the differences 3/ once the dynamics is identified, you can then see per group of users what are the reasons that explain their negative or positive perceptions to understand user's feelings.

Sometimes when digging in long and deep research synthesis and analysis, we can lose track of the main work we have to accomplish during a research : validate or invalidate research hypothesis. So if the team members struggle with analysis, remind them that the most important for their user research to be valuable is to bring an answer to the research hypothesis they listed at first. Personally, when I get caught up in the mass of informations collected and I feel lost, I get back to my research goals and the research hypothesis I am trying to validate or invalidate with the research. After all the research and methods are tools to help us choose the best audience, define the best user journey and eventually build a useful product