Your team members are set in their research ways. How can you guide them towards a compromise?

In my view, active dialogue is the way to go. Before teaching the team how to work, students and young researchers should be taught and trained on how to listen to other ideas, follow what is logical, and recognize their biases. Your biased brain can be your first obstacle. This, for sure, requires assertive and motivating leadership. The golden rule is that all team members deserve to be listened to, and all ideas should be discussed. When an idea is steadily supported and cannot be proven wrong, it is worth trying.

To guide team members set in their research ways towards a compromise, start by facilitating an open discussion where everyone can present their viewpoints and rationales. Focus on common goals and the overall project objectives to find areas of agreement. Encourage the exploration of hybrid approaches that integrate elements from different methodologies. Provide evidence or case studies demonstrating the benefits of compromise. Foster a collaborative environment where team members feel valued and heard. By focusing on shared goals and offering constructive solutions, you can help guide your team towards a workable compromise.

By demonstrating real-world examples of how innovative techniques can improve data quality and insights, teams can appreciate the benefits of adaptation. Conducting open discussions and pilot studies can help smoothly transition towards a hybrid approach blending traditional and modern methodologies. For instance, in a recent proposal, our team encountered challenges integrating qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze customer behavior. Through collaborative efforts, we successfully developed a hybrid approach that seamlessly integrated both qualitative and quantitative data, enhancing our insights and leading to a more comprehensive research outcome.

In MedTech projects, determining the ideal target customer, especially for pricing and purchase discussions—whether it's a clinical department head, hospital administrator, biomed or purchase manager—can be challenging due to organizational constraints. Conducting 1-2 qualitative pilot interviews is invaluable in clarifying the target audience before expanding to a larger sample. Incorporating this practice into our daily workflow ensures more precise outcomes that align closely with project objectives.

Of course personal bias is a big hurdle to handle the research project. However, an open dialogue will surely be able to open the difference between them. Once the team is ready to admit to resolve, every particle on earth will contribute.

To help your team agree on research methods, start by having an open discussion where everyone shares their ideas and listens to others. Focus on common goals to unify the team. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, and aim to combine the best aspects to create a stronger plan. Address conflicts calmly and use facts to support decisions, ensuring a clear and fair decision-making process, like voting or reaching a consensus. Document the agreed approach and any compromises made, then regularly review progress and make adjustments as needed. This method promote collaboration, values everyone’s input, and leads to better team outcomes.

The biggest skill a researcher needs to have is the ability to unlearn and relearn. Conflict situations arise when there is a negative bias towards learning. Brainstorming sessions followed by presentation of positive evidence for a research method is a useful way to develop an understanding of newer ideas. Also, respectful discussion on the outcomes to be derived from the study would help make a decision

Todo lo mencionado tiene gran importancia, y, en particular, tratar de provocar la apertura mental hacia aspectos no directamente relacionados a oa investigación sino más bien a la busqueda de lo intangible de la energía creativa ( meditación, ontología del lenguaje, neurociencias, literatura)