BE MORE Diagnostic

Context

BE MORE is a start-up in New York City where I work as the Design & Strategy Manager

Introduction

BE MORE is a learning & development company that trains professionals in mindfulness-based tools to measurably reduce unconscious bias. Our data-driven, shame-free, and solutions-oriented programs allow professionals to break habits of stereotyping in the mind to enhance performance, well-being, and belonging in the workplace.

Part of my role at BE MORE was to revamp and streamline our data collection, analysis, and reporting so we could better understand how we were measuring the impact of our work. As a result, I led our team to develop a theory of change, 10 key metrics, and a tool for measuring these metrics across our products and services.

Research

Research Questions:

• How do we measure performance, well-being, and belonging in the workplace? How do we measure unconscious bias?

• How can we show that our products and services contribute to reducing unconscious bias and enhancing performance, well-being, and belonging in the workplace?

• What studies or tools already exist for measuring qualitative/emotional factors that we can learn from?

Activities:

• Conducted a literature review of leading metrics from emotional intelligence and organizational psychology including stress, burnout, workplace well-being, self-awareness, empathy, social cohesion, etc.

• Reviewed all past data collected through our digital and in-person products, synthesized key insights, and understood what was working and what wasn’t

• Facilitated activities with team members to develop our theory of change and key metrics

Results:

• Developed “The BE MORE Journey” - a three-part journey that simplifies our theory of change. On this journey, people learn science-based tools, develop core competencies, and finally are able to propel performance, well-being, and belonging in their organization.

• Developed “The BE MORE Competencies” - 10 indicators for measuring mindset, behavior, and organizational change that could be implemented across all our products and services.

Developing a Measurement Tool

Defining our Theory of Change and 10 Competencies for measurement brought consistency and a cohesive story to the data we were collecting. We redesigned our user surveys to align with these new metrics, but realized a gap in our services and the experience we provide for our clients. We needed a tool for establishing a baseline across all 10 competencies to understand what we were measuring these metrics against.

This discovery aligned with the client feedback we were receiving as well. Clients wanted to know how they were doing when it came to diversity and inclusion, and they wanted a way to track their progress over time and measure more long-term results.

Based on these insights, we began development on a new measurement tool called The BE MORE Diagnostic. This tool became part of the products and services we offered to clients, often as the first step before we started partnering together.

Final Design

The BE MORE Diagnostic is a comprehensive assessment grounded in our 10 competencies for measuring where an organization falls on their journey to enhancing performance, well-being, and belonging in the workplace.

The diagnostic has 75 questions - 50 Likert-scale, 10 multiple choice, 10 open text response, and 5 demographic questions. Each assessment is out of 100 points (10 points per competency) which are measured through the quantitative, Likert-scale questions. We then use the multiple choice and open text response questions to gather qualitative data.

The diagnostic is administered to all staff members within an organization. It’s delivered through the Qualtrics survey platform and can be accessed online or on a mobile device. It takes each person about 10-15 minutes to complete.

Once all the assessments have been completed, we analyze all the data and compile a comprehensive report for leaders which includes:

• Details on where the organization excels and areas for improvement based on the 10 competencies.

• Their score in each one of the competencies and an overall score that they can use to establish metrics and measurable goals for future success.

• Qualitative data that includes sentiment analysis of their team’s beliefs and perceptions.

• Key insights that will help them evaluate the effectiveness of their existing programs.

• A benchmark for where their organization falls in comparison to others in the industry when it comes to performance, well-being, and belonging.

Key Takeaways

• Taking a step back: Through this process, I learned the value of taking time to understand the whole picture of a problem or challenge before jumping in to solve it. Initially we set out to improve our data collection, but I discovered that we needed to get aligned on how we were measuring change overall before we could make changes to the nitty-gritty of our surveys.

• Data Collection and Analysis: I also learned so much about survey design, managing large datasets of both quantitative and qualitative data, and analyzing user sentiment, mindset, and behavior based on the data we collected.