Establish a System of Documentation and Communication as a User Research Lead
Understand the documents and the content of the communication.
Clarify the process
To ensure that everyone is heading in the right direction and that no valuable resources are being wasted, it is essential to identify the task at hand, the key processes required to achieve it, and the roles each person plays within the organization. Documenting this information clearly and concisely helps everyone to understand their purpose and their part in the bigger picture. Take the time to review the standards and procedures to make sure that no duplications occur, as this can lead to the organization going into reverse and precious resources being squandered.
Find out what I am building on top of
By exploring the existing system, I can discover what resources are available, what resistance I may encounter from those who are accustomed to the way things are done, and what new elements I can add. We want to be cost-effective, as most systems have similar outputs. Sharepoint is a great option if you’re sticking with Microsoft, but the real focus should be on how we use the tools — not which ones we select. If nothing else fits the bill, Zoho case management system is one choice.
Introduce standard.
When it comes to problem-solving, it is essential to have a balance of flexibility, creativity and standardization. This way, we can save time and better understand each other, without adding to our workload. To make this happen, there are a few small steps we can take, such as creating a filing system, a naming system, document templates, and a meeting structure. Implementing these standards may require some effort initially, but it will be well worth it in the long run, as it will dramatically increase the efficiency of communication. For example, assigning a location for files, utilizing a universal naming format, and setting a designated time to review the files can be simple yet highly effective solutions. With a little help from each other at the beginning, it won’t be long before these become second nature.
Categorise, version control, and have consistent workflow rules.
Scheduled file editing
To ensure that everyone is on the same page and up to date with the team files we share or co-edit, it is important to assign only one person to make changes at a fixed time. If other people want to make changes, they should add a comment to the file to foster collaboration and collective effort. This will guarantee that everyone is aware of the changes that have been made and what is happening.
Team update
Every Monday morning, the team gets together to review the progress made and assign tasks for the upcoming week. On Fridays, we do an in-depth review to make sure that tasks are completed, and that we are all on the same page. This allows us to work as a team and avoid duplications or misunderstandings in our work. It is important that we all keep up with the progress of the team, so it doesn’t matter who initiates these meetings — we all have a shared responsibility to stay in sync.
Daily morning standup and/or finish review if we are all in the office.
Individual update
As a team, let’s keep a closer eye on our progress! I’m a strong believer in tracking our efforts daily, as it’ll help us stay on top of our workloads. We can log our progress on the Kanban board, Excel, or MS Forms — whatever works best for you! Plus, it won’t be necessary to remember every single task we completed last week or our to-dos for this week, as we can refer to our logs for reference. Let’s review these logs together and stay organized.
