Evidence, Not Ego: The Art of Influencing Without Authority
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Key Learnings
- How to frame evidence in a way that aligns with leadership priorities.
- Methods to influence decisions without formal authority or hierarchy.
- Techniques to co-create insights and foster stakeholder buy-in.
Speakers
Speaker: Jen Blatz
Profession: Principal UX Researcher
Workplace: BECU Boeing Employee CU
Description
As UX research matures, generating insight is no longer the hardest part. What is? Getting decision-makers to act on the research. Too often, researchers assume that presenting the facts will automatically drive change. In reality, leaders filter, ignore or even resist evidence if it challenges their identity, priorities or assumptions. Ouch. This talk equips UX professionals with tactical strategies to influence without authority. Attendees will learn how to frame findings in leadership language, create mini-confidence loops through experiments and make stakeholders co-owners of insights. This is all accomplished while leveraging cognitive biases like confirmation bias and loss aversion. Through relatable case stories and practical frameworks, Jen Blatz demonstrates how researchers can move beyond ego-driven persuasion to evidence-based influence. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to get research noticed, understood, and applied. This finally transforming the way they impact their organizations. This session is ideal for mid-to-senior UX researchers, designers and strategists looking to increase the workplace effectiveness, without having “management” authority over teams or stakeholders.