To bridge the gap between insight and action, CX leaders must rethink how they share customer research. The goal is to move beyond static research outputs (the raw data and findings) to a shared understanding (the collective insight, empathy, and alignment) that inspires change. This is where the research workshop comes in; a facilitated, collaborative session designed to help stakeholders not just see the data, but internalize it, empathize with the customer, and apply the insights to their work. Effective stakeholder engagement is not a one-off event; it's a process that requires a structured plan (1). A research workshop is a powerful tool within that plan, designed to turn passive recipients of information into active participants in the discovery process.
Before you can solve a problem, you need to agree on what the problem is. The first type of research workshop focuses on building a shared understanding of the customer and their experience. This is particularly crucial when working with a diverse group of stakeholders who may have different levels of exposure to customer research.
One powerful technique for this is the Interactive Gallery Walk. Instead of presenting a slide deck, you turn a room into an immersive data exhibit. Print out key artifacts from your research—powerful customer quotes, key findings, personas, journey maps, and photos from field studies—and post them on the walls. Invite stakeholders to walk through the “gallery,” absorb the information at their own pace, and jot down their thoughts on sticky notes. You can use prompts like, “What surprises you?” or “What questions does this raise?” to guide their reflection. After 20-30 minutes of individual exploration, bringing the group together to discuss their takeaways transforms a passive data dump into an active, collaborative experience that sparks curiosity and fosters a shared understanding of the customer’s world.
Data can tell you what is happening, but it often fails to convey the emotional reality of the customer’s experience. The Empathy Workshop is designed to help stakeholders connect with the human beings behind the data points and develop a genuine sense of empathy for their struggles and motivations.
A classic method for this is Insight Discovery through Affinity Diagramming. Here, you give participants a set of raw data points; typically 50-60 individual customer quotes or observations, each on its own sticky note. The group then works together to cluster related notes, discussing the connections and patterns they see. As themes emerge, they label each cluster with a short phrase that captures its essence, such as “Anxiety about hidden fees” or “Frustration with long wait times.” This bottom-up process is incredibly powerful because the stakeholders discover the insights for themselves. They are not being told the conclusions; they are arriving at them through their own collaborative analysis. This builds a much deeper level of trust and conviction in the research findings. The facilitator's role here is crucial, not to lead the group to a predetermined outcome, but to guide their process of discovery and ensure that all voices are heard (2).
The final, and most critical, step is to translate this newfound understanding and empathy into concrete action. The Application Workshop is focused on bridging the gap between insight and execution.
One effective technique is Assumption Comparison. Before revealing the research findings, ask the participants to articulate their existing beliefs about the customer. You can ask questions like, “What do you believe is our customers’ biggest frustration?” or “What do you think they value most about our service?” Document these assumptions on a whiteboard. Then, present the actual research findings. The group can then revisit their initial assumptions and discuss which were validated, which were contradicted, and which were incomplete. This process helps to surface and challenge internal biases and creates a more open mindset for a data-informed path forward. From there, you can move into ideation and prioritization exercises. Now that the team has a shared, empathetic understanding of the customer’s problems, they are much better equipped to brainstorm effective solutions. This collaborative process of problem-solving and decision-making is grounded in a shared representation of the customer's needs and the team's capabilities, which is a key ingredient for successful outcomes (3).
These three workshop types (Alignment, Empathy, and Application) are not mutually exclusive. They are building blocks that can be mixed and matched to meet the specific needs of your team and your project.
A single workshop might start with a gallery walk to build alignment, move into an empathy mapping exercise to deepen understanding, and conclude with a brainstorming session to generate solutions. The key is to be intentional about your goals. By choosing the right activities for your objective, you can transform your customer research from a static report into a dynamic catalyst for change.
This shift from presenting data to facilitating discovery is what separates good CX programs from great ones. It’s how you move from simply knowing your customer to truly serving them.
(1) Hollmann, S., Riedel, N., Brase, J., Fuchs, A., Herwig, A., Baum, M., ... & Strech, D. (2022). Ten simple rules on how to develop a stakeholder engagement plan. PLoS computational biology, 18(10), e1010520.
(2) Papamichail, K. N., Alves, G., French, S., Yang, J. B., & Snowdon, R. (2007). Facilitation practices in decision workshops. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 58(5), 614-632.
(3) Xiang, Y., Vélez, N., & Gershman, S. J. (2023). Collaborative decision making is grounded in representations of other people's competence and effort. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(6), 1565-1579.
