From Gut to GPS: Using Research to Navigate with Confidence

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: higher ed is running on outdated research. It’s too broad, too biased, or too stale to steer strategy or be useful.  

We get it. Research takes time and money. And when you’ve already made decisions based on the last study, it’s tempting to ride it out. But the cost of relying on bad or “just okay” data? That’s far greater. It’s like using a paper map from 2009 to navigate a city that’s added five new highways and three construction zones. It might give you a general sense of direction, but you’re not getting where you need to go.

We believe data should move you forward. It should challenge assumptions and steer decisions that matter. When your research is done right, it sharpens your route, flags detours, and helps you course-correct with confidence when you hit roadblocks. If your research isn’t doing that, it’s time to recalibrate. Here’s how to check whether your research is just along for the ride or actually navigating you in the right direction.

1. You have a pulse on current conditions. 

If your research is more than two years old, it’s already behind and likely missing how perceptions and behaviors are shifting. National trends are helpful, but they’re not a stand-in for research that captures your specific needs.

To keep up, we recommend a cadence that includes both regular pulse checks and quick diagnostics with more comprehensive surveys that serve as strategic deep dives to uncover what’s changing and why. Think of pulses as your early-warning system: fast reads on audience sentiment that help course correct before you hit a roadblock. Layer in deeper studies when you need context, clarity, and strategic depth.

We’ve worked with Baylor University and the University of Colorado System to develop consistent rhythms that keep insights fresh. Baylor conducts a comprehensive survey every 18 months, using qualitative deep dives in between to explore shifts in perception. And CU runs a custom pulse 3-4 times a year to track both key metrics and brand perceptions to stay ahead of changes. 

2. You’re setting out to go somewhere new, not just where you’ve already been. 

Before gathering data, know where you’re trying to go. Ground yourself in the decisions you need to make and with that destination in mind, explore secondary research to assess what is already known and then dig deeper where gaps of information or questions remain.

Your findings should challenge your assumptions, surface points of friction, and reframe your decision-making. If every insight in your report feels obvious, your research wasn’t designed to reveal anything new.

In our work with Baylor University, research revealed a critical blind spot: prospective students and parents valued Baylor’s Christian foundation but misunderstood how it shaped the academic experience.  That insight sharpened strategy by clarifying the need to articulate how faith and academic rigor work together.

3. You’re asking questions that serve as waypoints. 

Every question in your survey should bring you one step closer to a strategic decision. If it doesn’t, you’re meandering an unnecessary detour.  

Survey real estate is limited, and respondent attention spans are even more so. Every question should be designed with a purpose. If you look at a survey question and can’t answer “What will we use this data for?”, cut it from your survey. Stay focused on your objectives.

The focus of our work with the University of Colorado became crystal clear when their President said, “I want to demonstrate a love affair and relationship between the University and the State.” With that mission in mind, every question was crafted to measure affinity, cutting the nice-to-haves and keeping only what measures progress towards our objectives.

4. You’re listening to the right voices and cutting out the static.

Your sample is who you trust to give you directions, as effective research captures the voices that really matter to your brand. It’s important to ensure your sample size and audience definitions are built to reflect who your key stakeholders are. Make sure your sample is inclusive, representative, and intentionally defined. Too broad, and you get noise. Too narrow, and you risk missing critical perspectives. But when you get it right, the path forward gets clearer.

5. You’re using more than one method.  

Deeper insights and more confident decisions come from mixing methodologies: think pulses, comprehensive surveys, focus groups, interviews, social listening, and secondary sources. Each one adds depth and dimension and plays a different role in getting you where you need to go.

Want to know what people are thinking? Use a survey. Want to know why they feel that way? Use qualitative tools like open-ends, interviews, and conversations that go beneath the surface.

6. You build data quality checks and vet your findings.

Your insights are only as strong as your data. If the foundation is shaky, every decision built on it will be too.

That’s why we embed quality checks from the start: attention checks, screening questions, response validation, and more. We flag mismatched responses and remove them from analysis. Because a prospect who says they live in Washington at the start of the survey shouldn’t claim to be in Louisiana at the end of it.

Once your data is collected and analyzed, the work isn’t over. Vet your findings. Socialize them. Ask what’s surprising, what aligns with other sources, and what doesn’t. Insight development isn’t a solo act. Insights come from discussion, challenge, and collaboration. Pressure-test your conclusions before using them to guide your next move.

The real risk isn’t doing research; it’s doing the wrong research and trusting it anyway. In higher ed’s shifting landscape, “good enough” isn’t good enough anymore. The map has changed, and your audience’s needs and perceptions are evolving. If your current research isn’t moving you forward, it’s time to recalibrate. 

The institutions leading the way aren’t the ones with the loudest message. They’re the ones that understand that strategy shouldn’t come from gut feelings or outdated data, but from insights that are fresh, focused, and built for action. And when you use research as your institutional GPS, it’ll point you in the direction of where to go next. 
 
For over a decade, we’ve tracked how often institutions listen to their audiences. Most aren’t doing it often enough. Reach out and speak to our team about making a case for investing in research at your institution.

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