Before we get deeper into the skills needed to become a good facilitator, let’s frame the term soft skills. It’s common to relate a person’s proficiency with soft skills to their EQ, or emotional quotient. EQ has emerged as a tool to describe how one uses their soft skills.^[4] The higher your EQ, the more natural it is for you to pick up the skills needed to facilitate qualitative research. Similarly, with a higher EQ you’ll find it easier to connect with stakeholders when providing guidance and recommendations based on your quantitative research results.

Common skills that facilitators pick up include social graces, communicating effectively, managing and leading people, noticing different personality traits, and responding to these traits. When you consider the mental and emotional juggling it takes to get these skills right, it’s apparent why they aren’t taught before students enter the professional world. Still, these skills not only make great researchers, but help individuals grow in their careers.

Why are soft skills important to becoming a researcher? One of the major points of doing any form of research, qualitative or quantitative, is to create an empathetic link with your users. As you hone your EQ levels, you can better connect with users. You can learn about their successes, failures, joys, and pains. The act of facilitating requires this connection so participants feel that you are listening to their stories and genuinely care about them.

At this point you might be thinking, “Whoa! If a class can’t do it, how can a book teach me soft skills so I can successfully start doing research?” Fear not! We ourselves are proof that these skills can be learned. We were once more comfortable on the sidelines, while those more experienced led research activities and client interactions. Eventually, we were put in the driver’s seat and figured it out.

The biggest barrier to learning soft skills is the ability to practice them. As the old adage goes, “practice makes perfect.”

While there are many factors to learning and mastering soft skills, the best teacher is practice. You can practice with friends and family through mock interviews. You can learn on the job by working under a lead researcher and inviting critique on your facilitation skills.

The rest of the chapter focuses on two core aspects of facilitation that enable learning: body language and microexpressions.

Body language includes the different signals and cues our body gives off, some voluntary but many involuntary. These signals are paired with what we are trying to communicate. A classic example is someone throwing their arms up and waving them around when excited. You could be standing 50 feet away, and just by observing their body you know they are excited about something.

Body language is tricky because it’s a mix of different signals that can mean different things depending on context, culture, and how the signals match up. As you master the art of reading body language, you’ll learn to pick out different patterns and, based on the context, figure out what the most likely message is. However, even the best body language experts get it wrong sometimes and, rest assured, you will too.

When you’re facilitating qualitative research, the feedback you collect includes verbal responses, physical reactions to the questions asked, and physical behavior toward the product itself. These reactions are moments you want, because they’re the perfect opportunity to learn more. If you see someone make a face like they’ve smelled spoiled milk (Figure 11-1) or they physically back away from your product, something has occurred that their subconscious has interpreted as offensive. This is your chance to ask what they are thinking and why they are reacting so negatively.

Figure 11-1. A disgusted expression

Without picking up on a participant’s body language, you might miss a piece of evidence on why something is wrong with your product and how you could make it better.

As you progress in reading body language, you’ll want to use it more proactively than rote observation. This shift from reactive to proactive facilitation separates junior and senior researchers.

Mirroring

Occasionally, you get a difficult participant. Not a dud, as discussed in Chapter 7, but rather someone who holds back information and doesn’t seem to trust you enough to open up. One technique to overcome this is mirroring. Mirroring is when one person’s body language is imitated or reflected by the other person (Figure 11-2). Strangely, this is very natural among people. Next time you’re talking with someone over coffee, pause and look at how you are both holding yourselves. You might be surprised to find aspects of your body language resemble that of the other person.

Mirroring can be used proactively to a certain extent, since it’s a natural reaction. When facilitating a session with a difficult participant, purposely mirror their body language. As the session progresses, shift to more open body language and see if the participant does the same. Physical stances can directly impact our mental state, and if you get the participant to mirror your open physical positions, they are more likely to be more open with their feedback.

Figure 11-2. Two people mirroring each other’s body language (“In Perfect Congruence” by Gideon is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

The following are several classic signals that hint at another person’s mental state (see Figure 11-3). We want to caution you against fixating on a single signal and drawing conclusions from it, however. It’s important to take into account all signals observed in the context of the conversation.

Figure 11-3. A variety of common body postures: open arms, closed arms, closed legs, and open legs (left to right)

Voice from the Streets: Kyle Soucy, Usable Interface

In a few words, describe your job.

I am an independent UX consultant that specializes in conducting user research and usability testing.

How do body language and soft skills impact the type of research you conduct?

One of my favorite research methods is collaging. Collaging is a projective technique by which participants select images that represent how they feel about a particular topic (e.g., “Select pictures that reflect your experience with using x”). The participants then explain to the moderator the reason they chose each image. Collaging is typically done during the early stages of product development, when user requirements are being gathered. The method is also helpful at any time in the product’s development if you feel the design team is having trouble understanding and identifying with the users. Sometimes designers need to step back and remember exactly whom they are designing for.

The reason why I love collaging so much is because it always results in the participant sharing something personal or taboo that would otherwise be hard to discuss with a complete stranger. An image can be a powerful stimulus that evokes a strong response, triggers a memory, and draws out feelings that exist below a person’s own level of awareness. I’ve had several conversations with participants about their collages that have led to them shedding tears.

Since this method is so highly effective at getting participants to open up, I have to be extra vigilant to pick up on any cues that they may not want to continue discussing the topic. I often use the analogy of entering a room where you don’t want to be; participants may not necessarily want to walk through that door that they’ve unlocked so easily with their collage. In order to make sure the participant is comfortable I pay close attention to their body language, especially their facial expressions. The moment I sense that they’re feeling unease, I ask how they are doing and remind them that we can stop at any time—which is why it’s also equally important for me to keep my own body language in check. When a participant shares something with me that may be rather shocking, it’s imperative that I try to conceal any level of judgment, disgust, surprise, etc., from them. I’m mindful not to raise my eyebrows, scrunch my brow, wrinkle my nose in abhorrence, or do anything else that may reveal my true response. As a UX researcher, it’s imperative to remain neutral and unbiased. Sometimes it can be challenging to stay in character, and being prepared for it is key.

Not everyone acts naturally during research sessions. That’s because research is unnatural in the first place, and people might feel obligated to tell or show you what they think you want to hear. By watching a participant’s microexpressions and body language, you can redirect or follow up with probing questions to better understand how they really use or feel about your product.

The best way to use microexpressions is to couple observation skills with active listening skills. When trying to understand how someone uses your product, pay attention to both their words and their physical reactions. You will see hints of truth, deceit, and reservation that inform your probing and follow-up questions. Actively observing in this way means you are less likely to miss anything worth capturing.

Your own microexpressions play a part too, because the participant’s subconscious is watching you. After a number of sessions, you will need to ensure you aren’t falsely representing your level of interest. This is why, in Chapter 6, we shared methods for managing energy levels. If you are tapped out and “phoning in” a session, your body language and microexpressions will give you away, regardless of how well you think you are feigning interest.

There are a number of common microexpressions that you should actively look for, as cross-cultural studies have shown that, although the interpretation of expressions is universal, the expression of emotions through the face changes depending on social context.^[6] The expressions on this list are generic enough that just about everyone does them and, if you pay attention, you will be able to better predict when you should probe deeper or just move on to the next line of questioning (see Figure 11-5).

Figure 11-5. A variety of common facial expressions: delight (top left), worry (top right), frustration (bottom left), and sadness (bottom right)

First, research different social norms and the background of any country you’ll be conducting research in. What documentation from other researchers can you use to prepare? You’ll want to research topics including how authority is perceived, how gender roles differ, how foreigners are viewed, and what topics or gestures are a sign of respect or disrespect.

One of the best places to learn about local customs and social norms are tourism sites. This content has been curated for years to ensure visitors have all the information they need to enjoy their trip and avoid negative experiences with locals.

Research aside, approach everyone from a place of respect. If appropriate, be ready to apologize quickly and often as you stumble through a session. Because the context of your visit is to conduct research, there is a degree of forgiveness allowed by those you encounter when mistakes are made.

Actors are masters at performing with both their words and their bodies. Pick a favorite movie and mimic the actions and expressions that are happening on screen during the dramatic moments of the film. Try to learn the different combinations of movements and facial expressions that the actors use to act out the scene, as these will be the same combinations and expressions you’ll observe in the real world.

Many researchers claim people watching as a favorite hobby. Put this hobby to use by watching how people react to each other in public spaces, or how they react when having a conversation. Try to pick up on the different emotions that are being expressed and see what kind of reactions they get. The best place to do this kind of practice is in public spaces, like a shopping mall, coffee shop, or an airport.

If you want to get some direct critique on your new observation skills, ask a close friend for help. Start with a normal conversation. Look for certain nonverbal cues and ask your friend what they are feeling or thinking. Occasionally, guess their thoughts or feelings and ask if you’re right or wrong. This can be a bit awkward, but it’s one of the only times you’ll get candid feedback on how well your observation skills are progressing.