Since September, I have been serving as a part-time lecturer at Schulich School of Business, York University, teaching the market research course for the Master of Marketing (MMKG) and MBA programs.

That means I have dual responsibilities: working as a market research consultant at my own company, Intuit Research, and teaching at York University.

It may seem like two totally different jobs. Well, not exactly. Why?

When I think carefully, I realize there are many things in common.

Both jobs are people businesses.

First, both jobs require active listening and understanding.

My clients at Intuit Research come to me for business advice.

My students at York University want to develop new skill sets.

Before I provide solutions to my clients or prepare lectures for my students, I always ask myself: Do I truly understand what they need?

Without understanding my clients’ businesses and their actual questions, I might suggest the wrong solutions.

Without understanding my students’ abilities and expectations, I might teach about irrelevant topics.

Active listening and understanding are basic skills required for all jobs, whether in junior or senior roles. We need to know what our stakeholders want before we deliver.

Second, both jobs demand effective communication.

When I deliver my findings and recommendations to my clients, I always ask myself: Am I speaking the same language as my clients? Is my report easy to understand?

When I deliver my lectures to my students, I always ask: Am I too boring? Have I used too much jargon? Is the content too technical?

I work hard to prepare each client meeting and lecture. However, I only waste my efforts if I fail to deliver, and my clients and students cannot benefit from me.

Effective communication is crucial. Besides the content (what we want the audience to understand), effective communication relies on multiple elements.

• The visuals we show
• The words we use
• Our facial expressions, body language and voice in oral communication

Third, both jobs require continuous learning.

I have worked with clients from multiple industries and markets. When I step into a new industry, I need to learn how it operates, who its customers are, and what common pain points it faces.

When I teach at school, I need to learn how to teach students effectively through ongoing trial and error. For example, is the way I evaluate students fair enough? Are my jokes relevant to today’s Gen Z?

I also need to learn about new technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence, to understand how they could impact my clients’ businesses and how I should teach and assess my students.

As I also told my students in my last lecture: The world is very uncertain. Continuous learning is a fundamental skill that helps us stay competitive in the marketplace.

When we learn, we must be curious and humble at all times.

Since September, I have had dual responsibilities: serving as both a market research consultant and a teacher.

Not easy for me.

Yet, I enjoy both roles.

Both jobs are people businesses.

And, I love working with people.

Vincent

I am Vincent Kwong, a seasoned consumer planner with nearly two decades of market research and business planning experience on both the agency and client sides. Currently, I am Director & Partner of Intuit Research, a research agency specializing in multi-country market research projects. Companies that I have served in my career include McDonald’s, Diageo, PepsiCo, Estee Lauder, Heineken, GSK, Pizza Hut, Lenovo and HSBC. I am also a part-time instructor at Schulich School of Business, York University in Canada.

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