Episode 5: Noel Lamb

Research That Scales is a nine-part podcast series inspired by my book, Research That Scales: A Research Operations Handbook (Rosenfeld, 2024). In each thirty-minute episode, I speak with a brilliant research mind, weaving in voice notes and sound design to bring their stories to life. Together, we explore what scaling research means, beyond the platitudes and jargon, and what it takes to turn the vision of scalable, impactful research into a robust reality.“… a lot of people forget that there is a human on the other side of the participant number. Their time is valuable. Their experience is important. We're a customer-facing team… I mean, we say this is human-centred design, right? And we have to show that and we have to be that and live that and breathe that, you know, it's not just flashy language."—Noel LambIn this episode, I speak with Noel Lamb, a ResearchOps trailblazer and ServiceNow's Senior Research Operations Manager. Noel shares stories from her thirteen-plus years in research operations, including developing sophisticated participant management systems at Salesforce that enabled lightning-fast recruitment while maintaining a human connection.We explore why scaling research requires thoughtful systems design that balances automation with participant experience, and why resilient, scalable systems must be built with proportionality in mind. Noel also reflects on the importance of creating operational metrics that demonstrate value, provide confidence, and reveal trends that can help you anticipate and prepare for future needs.Finally, we discuss the critical role of documentation and new-staff onboarding protocols, referencing two metaphors from my book: navigation signage and park rangers. Both provide the right information at the right time rather than overwhelming onboarders with everything all at once.Things Mentioned* Research That Scales: A Research Operations Handbook (Rosenfeld, 2024)* “Be a Park Ranger: Give People a Map", page 154, Chapter 7, “Seamless Support”, Research That Scales* ServiceNow* Salesforce* Yosemite National ParkScaling & Systematising Research–a One-Day MasterclassThis year, I'm running in-person masterclasses for research, product, design, operations, and marketing leaders in Europe, the UK, and Australia. If you want to transform research into a scalable insights-generating engine, this masterclass is for you.ThanksThanks, Glenn Familton, for being a reviewer and co-producer, and Avec Audio Visual for audio engineering. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katetowsey.substack.com