Description

Why do so many organizations struggle to learn and evolve? Robin Beers, an organizational psychologist and founder of Ubuntu Culture Company, argues that businesses have been stuck in a transactional mindset—hoarding knowledge rather than embracing it as a dynamic, social process. In this conversation, she explains why researchers must shift from simply delivering insights to becoming knowledge curators, helping organizations not just understand their customers, but also reflect on their own strategies and structures.

Robin explores how organizations often present themselves based on internal hierarchies—rather than how customers actually engage with them—and how researchers can help bridge this gap. She also discusses the critical need for sense-making, the skills researchers should develop to navigate complex systems, and why UX research must expand beyond just improving digital products.

As a speaker at Advancing Research 2025, Robin will offer practical strategies for researchers to drive real change within their organizations.

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

• How a transactional mindset and rigid knowledge management systems prevent companies from evolving and making smarter decisions
• Why researchers must move beyond producing reports and instead act as catalysts for organizational learning and reflection
• Why many companies structure their communication and services based on internal silos rather than customer needs—and how researchers can help fix this disconnect
• Why the most critical challenges in delivering great experiences aren’t just about interfaces or technology, but about strategy, culture, and alignment within the organization
• The key competencies researchers need, including critical thinking, sense-making, and the ability to navigate complex organizational systems
• Practical advice on positioning yourself as a strategic consultant, influencing decision-making, and ensuring research findings lead to meaningful action

 

Quick Reference Guide:

0:00 - Meet Robin

2:35 - Researchers are knowledge curators, and knowledge is social. 

6:01 - The problem of organizations being transactional with knowledge

9:35 - Research should prompt reflection, and what it looks like when it doesn’t

14:55 - Designing with AI 2025 - June 10 & 11

17:13 - What it means to be a curator of a multi-siloed environment and how researchers need to adapt

26:35 - On research repositories

31:36 - Robin’s gift for listeners

 

Resources and Links from Today's Episode:

Advancing Research 2025 – March 11-33 https://rosenfeldmedia.com/advancing-research/2025/ 

Ubuntu Culture Company
https://www.ubuntuculturecompany.com/ 

Who Do We Choose to Be?: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity by Margaret Wheatley https://www.amazon.com/Who-Choose-Second-Leadership-Restoring/dp/1523004738 

 

Quotes:

“ Researchers are going to need to take on a different role, a more powerful, holistic role as knowledge curators.”

“Knowledge becomes wisdom and learning through reflection.”

“You don’t own this research. The company owns the research.”

“ For years we've been trying to win in business by breaking things into smaller and smaller parts so that we can control them and manage complexity, but more and more the problems that we are faced with are so complex that we need to put the pieces back together and see holes.”