All Change at the MRS Conference
March 20 2008
'No seminal papers headed for a learned journal, nothing on methodology or media (except of course the Internet), and no ball or cocktail party. Instead, interaction, debate, discussion...' DRNO's Special Correspondent Phyllis Vangelder pinches herself but it's no dream, it's Conference 2008.
Research at the Riverbank
If you came to the Riverbank Park Plaza on the Albert Embankment expecting to find a conference on the Brighton or Birmingham, or even Barbican model, you were in for a disappointment. There were no seminal papers which would eventually find their way into a learned journal or set of archival papers, nothing on methodology or media (except of course on the Internet), and on the social side no ball or cocktail party. In their stead were interaction, debate, discussion, vox pop videos and participatory workshops (and a lively party at the Dali Universe Exhibition sponsored by Illuminas, at which my spies tell me delegates were more interested in talking among themselves than looking at the artworks).
As Crispin Beale, Royal Mail Group, Chairman of the Programme Team wrote, 'this year's conference is not about sitting back and listening, it's about participating'. The conference attracted a young audience, many of them first-timers, and day-delegates. Several organisations sent multiple delegates: COI and Royal Mail had 19 each (admittedly both organisations fielded important speakers); PriceWaterhouse Coopers sent seven. With the theme, 'The great debate: changing business through better customer understanding', the conference was essentially about the
business context of market research, bringing on board people from the world of business and client organisations who use research.
There were interactive communication keypads at all the sessions, not only for voting on issues (not representative samples!), but for texting ideas, opinions and questions to the chairman. So there was no problem if you wanted to criticise but remain anonymous - during the sessions, a rolling display of comments, questions, brickbats and praise demonstrated delegates' willingness to be involved and indeed, their pleasure at being allowed to do so.
The programme was divided into 'Floodlight' and 'Spotlight' sessions, the former covering some of the major themes of today's business world, the latter providing more intimacy and exploration of issues.
Radar, Not Research
The conference opened with a keynote address by Allan Leighton, Chairman of the Royal Mail Group, entitled
How is research really perceived in the boardroom? This is a subject that market researchers have agonised about for a couple of decades. In 1994 the Research Development Foundation held a special seminar 'Research: backroom or boardroom?', looking at the status of market research in the business arena. It appears that this issue has not gone away.
Leighton stated unequivocally that those organisations which use research have a competitive edge over those who don't. Taking his quirky headings from a 19th century publication,
The First Book of Psychology, and arguing that leading a satisfying life and running a successful company were analogous, he applied the book's homilies to the world of business.
- Miss the tunnel at the end of the light. Allan Leighton's point here was that you don't stay in the tunnel: you move straight to the light. 'Companies don't die, people kill them', with complacency and complexity the biggest killers, both resulting from faulty radar.
- Listen to the river. Radar points two ways - it listens to your people and listens to your customers and it is research, on a regular basis, which provides this information. He suggested that 'research' should change its name to 'radar'; this is its essential contribution to business. Radar can alert a business to problematic issues, and then the leaders of the business must decide.
- Find the jewel in the toad's head. In every toad there's something beautiful, says Leighton. People want to do good work and there are always good people in bad companies. Also, every organisation needs its 'Spartans', the people who go out and influence others.
- Create the will and the rhythm. This is about momentum. If companies are on a roll, it means they are making good decisions and have confidence in what they are doing.
- Avoid the funeral of a living corpse. This is about having fun and enjoying work. Great companies have a cult - a culture which you don't see and you can't copy, but it's definitely there.
So Allan Leigthon's highlighted words were radar, rhythm and rivers - radar, showing the reason for what works and what doesn't, rhythm for retaining momentum and rivers, about listening.
Phyllis Vangelder's second Conference article is also published today - see
www.mrweb.com/drno/news8115.htm . More items will appear next week.
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.
