What are the activation steps needed to develop high business impact?

We develop a plan based on organizational assessment (link to Org Assessment above). Then we work with you on key activation steps such as:

Engagement model, using Cambiar’s Management Contract process

Researchers often complain that they are brought in too late and are treated as order-takers, while decision-makers criticize research for delivering data dumps or for not delivering insights that solve business problems. We help you bridge this gap.

Cambiar’s Management Contract provides a framework for developing an operating agreement between the Research Department and senior management (C-level).

We help you design, build support for, and implement a formal agreement to improve how you operate and engage with the business and to enhance the strategic relevance and business impact of research. We partner with you to work through the thorny issues.

To learn more, contact Ian Lewis.

INFO SHEET: ENGAGEMENT MODEL

Building the right structure and team

Researchers must become change agents and consultants; who are proactive and future-focused; who understand the business; who integrate knowledge and leverage new research modalities; who discover insights that drive business impact; who tell compelling stories; who take a stand and inspire action. Research departments will increasingly incorporate talent from a wider range of backgrounds, with more management consultants and strategic planners in leadership roles, and with specialists such as anthropologists, social media experts, web analytics experts, and more.

We conduct 360s and Birkman evaluation to understand and profile your current team, and for input to determine the structure, staff and training you need to develop a high business impact department.

To learn more, contact Ian Lewis.

Sourcing optimization and partnership development

To achieve a high business impact department, it’s crucial to determine which activities are best conducted by the Research Department and which are best conducted by research partners – focusing internal resources on activities that drive business impact.

Only then can the optimum sourcing plan be developed – identifying the right partnering relationships; the right research and consulting companies; getting the right individuals on your business to help drive business impact; and negotiating contracts that are tough and yet provide incentive for partners to commit to your business.

We work with you to develop the optimal sourcing plan for your department.

To learn more, contact Ian Lewis.

Business impact measurement

Business impact for the Research Department must be measured and communicated on an ongoing basis – to management and to researchers. Discussing business impact with the department on an ongoing basis keeps the focus on impact.

We believe in measurement based on ongoing documentation by researchers and from client feedback. We don’t believe that a true ROI calculation is usually feasible – successful business impact often has many “owners”, and it is challenging to isolate and gain agreement to ROI quantification of research impact.

We work with you to implement a customized measurement process.

To learn more, contact Ian Lewis.