Are your research eyes bigger than your stomach?

Why do companies hire researchers and strategists to deliver insights, but sometimes not have the bandwidth or political will to effect change based on the insights?

It reminds me of when you go to the supermarket and you aspirationally buy lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, more than you can consume and cook before it goes bad. So it gets moldy in your fridge.

Don't let research get moldy! If you hire an outside researcher, think hard about how to empower your employees to implement the insights the researcher delivers. That may mean taking some current responsibilities off their plate. Otherwise your (research) eyes are bigger than your stomach.

If you have hired an outside researcher, make sure you have a plan for (1) how to disseminate the research findings beyond the immediate stakeholders or project team (2) how to implement the findings and (3) how to make sure this research isn’t a one-off event but rather part of a cycle of continuous feedback from the intended users.