#3 Are We Asking the Right Questions?
A conversation between Lynda Thompson, independent research consultant, LT Research and Romy Rawlings FLI FRSA at DeepGreen.
This edition is part of DeepGreen's 'Can't See the Wood for the Trees' newsletter series, exploring the often overlooked challenges facing our built environment through conversations with expert and passionate practitioners.
Lynda Thompson is an experienced independent market and social researcher who describes herself as a ‘professional questioner’ (her son describes her as ethically nosy!). Lynda is relentlessly curious and not afraid to ask 'silly' questions. Working primarily in the construction, infrastructure, and energy sectors (including fuel poverty research), she helps businesses improve products and services by unearthing evidence and insights from customers, employees, and industry professionals.
Is Professional Research Our Most Undervalued Skill?
Research in the built environment sector is so often misunderstood as simply asking questions or running surveys, and I have to say I’ve probably been as guilty of that belief as anyone. My conversation with Lynda revealed a far more complex profession: one that directly impacts sustainability goals, stakeholder engagement, and ultimately business success.
Lynda’s deep thinking and thoughtful approach to her work are exactly the skills that impact the success (or otherwise) of a project, and I can’t help but wonder why this level of professional research is so rarely encountered.
Whether supporting new product development, a community engagement programme, or the implementation of an ESG strategy, expert interpretation and insight is invaluable. Without this input, countless projects are potentially doomed to fail from the very start.
The Problem with Briefs
One of the most critical challenges faced by researchers is receiving poorly structured briefs (personally, I’m convinced this applies to most of us, whatever our profession!). Clients tend to tell researchers what to do rather than what problem they're trying to solve and this fundamental misunderstanding wastes time, money, and energy for everyone involved.
“The brief is to tell me what you think the problem is or what you are dealing with, not to tell me what to do.”
Lynda emphasises that briefs should articulate the problem or context, allowing the researcher's expertise to determine the most appropriate methodology. Having worked both client-side and as an independent consultant, she occupies a unique position: able to understand both perspectives and experienced enough to convert inadequate briefs into actionable research frameworks. This sometimes means walking away from work, which seems to be a recurring theme in many of my conversations for this series, and something I’ve also occasionally had to do. Is this, ultimately, what being ethical boils down to?
The Stakeholder Gap
A persistent issue in research is the focus on existing or known stakeholders while ignoring the crucial voices of prospects who don't buy, customers who cancel, and communities who don't engage.
This is particularly relevant when considering a business’ ESG commitments, where understanding the views of all stakeholders, and not only satisfied customers (or even slightly disgruntled ones), is essential.
When Research Reveals Uncomfortable Truths
Perhaps the most significant challenge is delivering findings that clients don't want to hear, or watching research get shelved because it requires difficult changes. (You might like to review the first edition in this series where Carrie Behar raises exactly the same issue around Post Occupancy Evaluation).
Most commonly, research that reveals necessary operational changes or product failures is often ignored because the recommendations are deemed too disruptive or costly. This is particularly problematic for employee engagement surveys, where ignoring staff feedback can be more damaging than not asking for it in the first place.
Rigour, Ethics, and Practical Challenges
Professional research demands strict adherence to ethical standards around diversity, inclusion, and consent. However, Lynda acknowledges a tricky reality in that a researcher can only consult with people if they agree to it. This creates inherent challenges in reaching marginalised or disengaged groups - precisely those people whose perspectives are often most crucial to ensuring sustainable practices.
The solution lies in a mix of relationship building and creative engagement. That may mean meeting people where they are: conducting interviews during school pick-ups, sending hard copy letters to older residents who don't text, or building trust through consistent presence rather than one-off consultations.
The Vital Connection to Sustainability
Lynda’s work connects directly to social sustainability principles, the often-overlooked ‘S’ in ESG. Whether researching fuel poverty for a charity or understanding the construction sector’s apprenticeship challenges, the core is always about understanding human needs and experiences.
Key sustainability implications include:
Governance: sound research provides the evidence base for informed and accountable decision-making
Stakeholder Engagement: ethical research ensures all voices are heard, not just the loudest or most convenient
Continuous Improvement: regular research cycles enable organisations to monitor, review, and adapt; all are essential for long term sustainable practice
Transparency and Trust: honest communication about research findings, including why certain recommendations aren't being implemented, builds stakeholder trust
Lynda advocates strongly for humility in acknowledging when things don't work, learning from our errors, and moving forward. The principles of POE again!
The Human Element
We considered ways in which artificial intelligence may assist research but can never replace the human researcher who builds relationships, reads subtle context, and brings empathy to difficult conversations. This ‘soft skill’, which we agreed warrants a more appropriate label, becomes increasingly valuable as organisations recognise that sustainability is fundamentally about people, not processes or metrics.
When we discussed how Lynda ended up in research, her mother's observation when she was young: "Lynda, you're good with people", seemed dismissive compared to her brother's academic achievements. Yet it proved foundational to a career requiring the ability to understand perspectives from people whose experiences she's never shared, whether that’s architects discussing the minutiae of specification to vulnerable individuals accessing food banks.
Lynda’s plea to built environment professionals who commission research is to consider these points:
Brief for problems, not solutions - articulate what you're trying to understand, not what you think should happen
Trust the methodology - allow researchers to determine the most appropriate approach
Seek diverse voices - actively pursue perspectives from those who don't currently engage
Be prepared to act - only commission research if you're willing to hear and respond to findings (no matter how unwelcome!)
Close the loop - tell participants what you learned and what you're doing (or not doing) as a result
The research profession's complexity, encompassing psychology, anthropology, ethics, and human insight, warrants recognition as a crucial strategic function, not another tick-box exercise.
For organisations serious about ESG commitments and sustainable practice, understanding how to meaningfully engage with and act upon research findings may be one of their most critical capabilities.
“You know, all projects generally have a start and a finish, and I don’t really like that. I’d prefer that they rolled and rolled and kept on rolling, because you might then see the same issues arising again and again, and you have countless opportunities to adjust and change course.”
Take a moment to imagine how much more effective our work could be through this commitment to continuous improvement…
Coming next month:
Benjamin White, a co-founder of A&B Smart Materials, works in nanotechnology, nanomedicine, and polymer engineering. A physical and life sciences research scientist, Ben seeks ways to bring cutting edge science to real world issues.
With a PhD from Oxford University, Ben's research spans many sectors. The focus of our conversation is around the potential use of plant-based polymers to replace the plastics currently used in the horticultural sector - hydrogels, mulch mats, weed proof membranes, tree shelters, slow-release fertilisers, and much more. Concerns around these products are (rightly) growing as more stringent EU restrictions come into place around plastics contamination in soils.