The Optimal Path

Fostering a culture of organizational learning with Roy Opata Olende | Zapier

Feb 1, 2024

45:05

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Episode guests

Roy Opata Olende

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Creating a culture of curiosity empowers teams to unlock critical insights and make better decisions.

Delivering valuable research doesn't always guarantee that stakeholders and leaders will see its value. Building trust and explicitly communicating research's impact are important in bridging this gap.

Deep dives

Fostering a Culture of Learning

Creating a culture of curiosity empowers teams to unlock critical insights and make better decisions.

Introduction

2min

Learning within Organizations and the Role of Leadership

20min

Bridging the Gap: Communicating the Value and Impact of Research

4min

Advocacy, Challenges, and Socialization in Design Research

6min

Metrics at Different Altitudes

10min

Industry-related Books and Unusual Habits

3min

In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver sits down with Roy Opata Olende to delve into the complexities of UX research across organizational altitudes. They explore the different modalities of learning that take place inside organizations, the critical need for leadership buy-in, and the challenges of communicating research impact. Roy introduces the concept of a "menu of learning" along with his best practices for fostering a culture of curiosity within your own organization.

About Roy:

Roy Opata Olende has been involved in user research and service design since 2012. He currently leads the UX Research practice at Zapier, a SaaS automation company. Prior to this role, he led Research Operations at Zapier and UX Research at Buffer.

When not working or hanging out with his wife and three young boys, he can be found obsessing over football (soccer). Roy hails from Kenya and currently resides just outside of Toronto, Canada.

Connect with Roy:

You can connect with Roy on X or LinkedIn.

Resources:

• Research Maturity Model Report by Maze

• How Zapier's Head of UX Research Organizes Projects

• How to Build a High-Impact Learning Culture by Josh Bersin

• Just Enough Research by Erika Hall

• Research Practice by Gregg Bernstein

Follow Maze on social media:

• X: @mazedesignHQ

• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign