Sylver Consulting

We’re back with another highlight from the The Global Leadership Network Summit! Paul Sagraves, our Design Researcher, is continuing the series of notable moments with his favorite quote from the conference: “Don't ask, 'What is my legacy?'; ask, 'Who is my legacy?'" -Dan Owolabi “I really like this quote because it illustrates that we are remembered by the impact that we have on the people closest to us, not by materialistic success. It has helped me refocus my purpose and redefine success, especially when it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing myself to others.” -Paul What do you think about today’s quote? Share your thoughts below! #GLS24 #inspiration #quotes #sylverconsulting

???????? Blindly Trusting Your Stakeholders! Their assumptions could be derailing your projects... Assumptions shape every aspect of a research initiative, from study scope and methods to data analysis and how findings are presented. If your assumptions turn out to be right—all is good! If your assumptions turn out to be wrong, well… that is when the trouble looms. ?????? ?????????????? ????: ????’?? ???????? ???? ?????????? ?????????????????????? ???????? ??????????. Your stakeholders are not trying to mislead you or the project. Often, they just haven’t paused to recognize or question the assumptions they’re presenting as facts. This is where you come in, researcher. You turn off the autopilot and force conversations on key assumptions driving the project.?Why? Because every erroneous assumption has the potential to ruin a product, even an entire brand. ? So, at Sylver Consulting, we make it our mission to parse the assumptions from the facts in our projects. We’ve found four methods to be particularly helpful at keeping projects on the rails. 1. ?????????????? ???? ?????????? ????????????????. In most cases, companies are referencing previous research—whether primary or secondary—to inform where they want to start their inquiry. Getting your hands on this data will help you understand how they arrived at those decisions and what they currently understand to be “documented truth.” 2. ?????????????????????? ????????????????????. We gather insights through one-on-one interviews or an "Assumptions" exercise at kickoff. The goal: Uncover each individual’s perspective on why they think the research we’re starting is important and learn what they already know versus what they feel they need to know to be successful in the future. 3. ?????????????????????? ??????????????. We write on Post-it notes every individual assumption being made about the initiative & then map each assumption to a 2x2 map. The y-axis shows how crucial an assumption is to the initiative's success, ranging from critical to less important. The x-axis reflects the team's confidence in the assumption, from uncertain to extremely sure. We design our research to target critical assumptions where stakeholders have low confidence in their accuracy. (This is particularly helpful in initiatives designed to develop new offerings). 4. ?????????????? ????????????????. As extra insurance, we also include regular debriefs into project schedules, especially as data is being collected. We use these debriefs to track how stakeholder assumptions are evolving throughout an initiative.? Challenging assumptions isn’t about proving stakeholders wrong—it’s about making sure your research leads to sound, strategic decisions. When you actively identify & test assumptions, you reduce risk and set the foundation for impactful insights. How do you address assumptions in research??Share YOUR best practices in the comments below! #Stakeholders #Assumptions #KickoffCall #LeadingThroughFreefall

"Should" is not a strategy; it's a plague. It's become increasingly easy to fall into the trap of assumptions or, as we like to call it, the “Plague of “Should.’” Many organizations suffer from this plague, causing them to base plans on expectations rather than a clear understanding of the market or long-term organizational goals. Symptoms can vary but often include: ? A disconnect between the business and its customers. ? Organizational malaise and a lack of clear direction. ? Difficulty articulating a clear and simple business goal. Are you or someone you know getting too confident about a solution before fully understanding the problem? Early intervention is important, so be sure to consult the following treatment plan (blog) by our very own Peter Bürgi in the comments below. *???????? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????????????????????, ?? ????-?????????????????? ???? ????????-???????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????????????? ????????????, ?????? ???? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ????????????????????. ???????? ?????????????????? ?????????????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ?????????????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????? ???? ???????? ????????????????????????. Schedule a meeting with Sylver Consulting today to find out if treatment is right for you, or comment “I’M READY” below if you’d rather have someone reach out to you. Let’s get back to productive research and STOP “should-ing” ourselves permanently.

Happy 1-Year Consulting Anniversary to our Social Media and Marketing Associate Consultant, Santana Wright! ?? Santana makes up one-third of our incredible social media team, supporting strategy and composing copy for our various platforms. She loves to brainstorm new ideas for larger campaigns, fusing her passions for writing and psychology to create meaningful content and avoid the pitfall of simply "posting for the algorithm" at all costs. Santana’s background ranges from performing arts to business management. She studied Musical Theatre at Columbia College Chicago before discovering her passion for marketing and pivoting to freelance work. She holds a certificate in digital marketing from Google and one in behavior analysis from the Emotional Intelligence Academy (in cooperation with Machester University). When she’s not working or studying, Santana enjoys all forms of the arts, from concerts to films to plays. She also loves chess, reading, and writing music in her spare time. "??????????????—????'???? ???? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ????????, ?????????????? ???? ?????????????? ????????????’?? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ????????????. ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ????????????????????, ????????????????????, ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ??????!" -?????????????? ???????????? Cheers to your first year collaborating with Sylver Consulting, Santana! Here’s to countless more ahead! ???? #SylverSquad #SeniorPortraits

A new exciting, educational video is coming soon! ?? We interviewed Brianna Sylver and Peter Bürgi last month to dive deep into the topic of #ProjectScoping. Curious to learn more? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel or LinkedIn page to stay up-to-date on our latest content. ??: https://lnkd.in/gtuQqXdR

Happy First Work Anniversary to our Design Researcher, Briel Kobak, PhD! ?? Briel joined Sylver in 2024 after working as a UX Researcher with a focus on medical devices. Prior to that, she earned a PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago where she studied rural retirement and aging. For fun, Briel enjoys researching all the different ways to fold butter into pie dough, biscuits, and other baked goods. When the weather is nice, she is also likely to be out running or walking on the lake. "??????????—???????? ????????, ?????????????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????? ??????????????, ???????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????????? ?????? ????????????????????, ?????????? ?????? ???? ???????????????????? ???????? ???? ???????? ????????. ??'?? ???????????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????’?? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????!" -?????????????? ???????????? Cheers to your first year at Sylver Consulting, Briel! Here’s to countless more ahead! ???? #WorkAnniversary #SylverSquad #SeniorPortraits

We celebrated #NationalStrawberryDay ?? during our Work-Together-Day last week. Our team enjoyed a homemade vanilla rosé dessert dip brought in by our Event Coordinator, Robyn. YUM! ?? How does your team celebrate National Days? #WorkCulture #TreatYoSelf

Happy Work Anniversary to our Senior Director, Peter Bürgi! This past weekend, he has officially been a valuable member of the Sylver family for 5 years! ?? Peter excavated pre-Incan tombs in Perú as part of his PhD research in Anthropology at the University of Chicago. His background includes working as Vice President at Research International/TNS and at Beall Research, Inc. If he had a tattoo, it would be: “小籠包,” the traditional Chinese characters for “soup dumpling.” When Peter is not working hard towards innovation goals, he can be found in the kitchen looking for saffron. We are so grateful to have such an incredible team that includes talented people like Peter, and we look forward to seeing his future ahead. Cheers to your 5 Year Anniversary at Sylver Consulting! Here’s to countless more ahead! #WorkAnniversary #SylverSquad

Creativity without structure is chaos. Structure without creativity is stagnation. Innovation needs both.

Even NASA isn’t immune to this common mistake! You’d think an organization known for rocket science would have problem-solving down to… well, a science. It turns out that that organization is as vulnerable to the word and energy of “should” as the rest of us. Curious to know how that simple word almost stunted that org’s productivity and collaboration? Read this share from our Founder, Brianna Sylver, to find out ??