Sensemaking about HRV data of high performing individuals : Crafting a mixed methods study

In collaboration with the HR team of a large IT service provider, we have studied 50 individuals, who have been identified as high performers by their employer. We have been looking for indicators and patterns of sustainable high performance and asked the study participants as an introductory question: "In your own opinion: will you be able to keep your current pace of work for the next five years?" Our research design consisted of initial interviews at a virtual day, attendance of 2.5 day off-site coaching workshops and > 60 min follow-up interviews. During the workshop days, we collected 24h heart rate variability (HRV) measurements, a well-established biomarker of wellbeing, strain and recovery. As HRV data are difficult to analyse without contextual information, we combined interviews, focus-group sessions, participatory observation and debriefing interviews in order to contextualize the quantitative measurements and involve the participants in the interpretation and sensemaking of the findings. The methodological goal of this paper is to demonstrate that and how orchestrating, improvising and performing a mixed-method study has been essential to validate, augment and complement quantitative data. The study results depend on the ability of the researchers to skilfully and empathetically engage with the interviewees and to engage them as participants in the interpretation of their data and thus as co-producers of meaning.