Biography
Barbra Kingsley, Ph.D., a Partner with Kleimann Communication Group, has over 20 years of experience managing high-impact communication projects that transform processes, products, and—ultimately—people. Her work sits at the juncture of behavioral sciences, organizational change and leadership, and user-centered design. She leads projects to help government agencies make research-based decisions around communication products and then implement results widely and effectively. A skilled group facilitator, Dr. Kingsley manages project teams to high levels of function, using integrated business services to help find innovative and thoughtful solutions to pressing issues. She frequently serves as a subject-matter expert in stakeholder engagement and qualitative data gathering and research, developing research study designs to collect reliable insights about consumer behaviors and attitudes. She is experienced in all levels of qualitative and quantitative research including structuring research questions, selecting appropriate methods, data analysis and coding, and writing up research results for a lay audience. In addition, Dr. Kingsley has served as an Adjunct Instructor within the Master’s of Organizational Leadership program at Gonzaga University since 2011.
Q & A with Dr. Barbra Kingsley
Q: Where do you work, and what do you do at your place of employment?
A: I am a partner in Kleimann Communication Group, which is a small business that helps organizations use research in order to improve their communication with customers.
Q: How long have you been teaching for the ORGL program?
A: I have been working for the ORGL program since 2011.
Q: What project, publication, or professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: I recently led a multi-year project for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to design new loan estimate and closing disclosure to be provided as part of all real-estate transactions in the United States. Our research team conducted thirteen rounds of qualitative testing in which we interviewed more than ninety consumers and twenty-two lenders in order to design the disclosures. We also conducted a large-scale quantitative project with over 800 participants to evaluate the new disclosure’s effectiveness against current disclosures. In the quantitative test, the percentage of questions answered correctly for the proposed disclosure was 76.2% compared to the 59.3% produced by the current disclosures. These results represented a statistically significant difference of 16.9%, indicating the success of the newly designed disclosures!
Q: What types of trends have you observed in terms of leadership?
A: My work is completely focused on applied leadership, helping leaders to sort out and solve issues in “real time.” The biggest trend I see is the heightened attention to research as part of the problem solving process. Leaders want to know what works and why. Qualitative and quantitative research is more and more a part of how leaders both explore ideas and measure their success.
Q: What aspects do you feel are the most significant in your particular professional field of expertise?
A: As a consultant, I try to help my clients get outside of their own biases and see things in new ways. Research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, are an invaluable way of helping clients learn about their customers and see things from different perspectives.
Q: How does the ORGL program and Gonzaga as a whole differ from other programs and other schools you teach for or have experience with?
A: I enjoy the ORGL program because of the diversity in our students and staff. I am constantly amazed at the level of talent and intelligence in every class I teach. The other thing I love about the program is that I get to teach adults who are out in the working world. This enhances the experience as every teaching point is immediately applicable.
Q: What book are you reading right now?
A: I am reading Language in Thought and Action by H.I. Hayakawa to keep my brain active, and The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty to slow it down!