We make decisions all the time. We decide what to eat, where to shop, how we want to live our lives and how we want to run our businesses. But is it always better to be in charge when we’re making decisions? Or are we better off giving someone else the wheel?

In a recent video from TED.com, Baba Shiv, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business discusses why it can benefit us to take the passengers seat and let the experts make the calls. Whether it means trusting a financial advisor with your retirement planning or relying on a doctor for the very best treatment, you want a positive outcome. The same idea applies to research. You want the best results and the most valuable insights for your company. So instead of relying on your own knowledge, give yourself some peace of mind and let the experts take the wheel. With years of experience, proven techniques and methodologies, you will rest assured that the experts in the driver’s seat will provide a positive and beneficial outcome.

Watch the full video below and ask yourself the question: Is it time for you to let go of the wheel?

~ Marilyn Weiss

President & Founding Partner

Recently I stumbled upon a thought-provoking piece in The New Yorker that really got me thinking about the different types of problems we face in the world. The excerpt below is a portion from the article that piqued my interest and forced me to ask the question, “what kinds of problems does qualitative research solve?”

Excerpt: “In 1973, two social scientists, Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber, defined a class of problems they called “wicked problems.” Wicked problems are messy, ill-defined, more complex than we fully grasp, and open to multiple interpretations based on one’s point of view. They are problems such as poverty, obesity, where to put a new highway—or how to make sure that people have adequate health care.They are the opposite of “tame problems,” which can be crisply defined, completely understood, and fixed through technical solutions. Tame problems are not necessarily simple—they include putting a man on the moon or devising a cure for diabetes. They are, however, solvable. Solutions to tame problems either work or they don’t.”

At Sivo Insights it isn’t our goal to solve the “wicked” problems like world peace or hunger. It is our job however to help solve the “tame” problems through keen observation and creative techniques. So what does a “tame” problem look like? Perhaps it’s uncovering how shoppers navigate a store shelf? Or maybe it’s evaluating packaging design, identifying the target consumer for a product, or determining the how users navigate your website? The one thing that all of these issues have in common is that they are 100% solvable, tamable problems. It simply works or it doesn’t. Our job as qualitative researchers is to find the solution that does work. From Communication Checks, In-Store Research, Shop-Alongs to Product Concept Testing, we provide real solutions to some of the most complex “tame” problems. As long as you can define the problem we will find the answers.

~Marilyn Weiss

President & Founding Partner

Click here to read the full article: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/06/something-wicked-this-way-comes.html

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the meaning of insight. It’s one of those words that we see and hear all the time, but there’s so much more to it than simply uncovering helpful facts or data. At the core it’s really more about relating with and understanding the consumer on a deeper level to comprehend accurate and intuitive information. With flexible interaction methods, we engage the consumer and discover the unexpected. So how do you reach this level of understanding and develop the ability to unveil such valuable insights? One of my favorite pieces by Rainer Maria Rilke, “For the Sake of a Single Verse,” helps put this in perspective.

In the piece Rilke details what it takes to create a great verse, explaining that poems are not merely an expression of emotions but rather the accumulation of life experiences.

“For the sake of a single poem, you must see many cities, many people and things, you must understand animals, must feel how birds fly, and know the gesture which small flowers make when they open in the morning.”

Just as Rilke describes the need for a variety of life experiences and understanding for the sake of a single verse, at Sivo Insights we need that same experience and understanding for the sake of a single insight. As a former ICU nurse I have been exposed to all kinds of people and situations, from the sweetest moments to the darkest sorrows. But it’s because of those kinds of experiences that we are able to connect and understand people in a relatable light.

At Sivo Insights we are not fearful of asking the difficult questions for the sake of a single insight. Through a combination of our experiences, careful thought and creativity, we are able to uncover and bring those valuable insights to you. Just as one powerful line of a poem can change the way you view the world, we believe that even one groundbreaking insight can open the window to a world of limitless possibility.

~Marilyn Weiss

President & Founding Partner

At Sivo Insights we listen for a living. It is through the art of listening that we are able to better understand your brand and what consumers really want in a world filled with noise.

From writing, audio, video and online media, the premium on careful and accurate listening has simply disappeared. Now more than ever it’s becoming harder to pay attention to the quiet, subtle and understated. That is why it is imperative that we learn how to slow down and become conscious listeners.

Recently I came across a great video titled “5 ways to listen better,” by Julian Treasure. Julian explains listening filters, listening positions and the meaning of conscious listening.

He also shares a simple acronym called RASA. The word rasa means filled with essence in Sanskrit. The acronym breaks down 4 easy steps to help you become a more conscious listener:

Receive

Appreciate

Summarize

Ask

Listening is what we do best, but there is always room for improvement. Check out the video below and hear if you find something that inspires you too.

~Marilyn Weiss

President & Founding Partner