If You Can't Handle the Truth, Don't Ask

Attitude surveys are useful data collection tools that can lead to meaningful organizational change when developed, administered, analyzed, and used in the proper way.  However, they can be detrimental to an organization if the data is misused or not acted upon. There are several organizational issues that could prompt you to conduct an employee attitude survey including: 

 

  • High turnover
  • Low morale
  • Low productivity
  • Safety concerns
  • Difficulty recruiting new employees
  • Justifying changes in a program or process
  • Measuring understanding or opinions on a new program or process
  • Monitoring progress as part of a process improvement program

By asking the questions, you create and implicit commitment to respond and expectations that changes will be made.  Unless you are willing to take action on (at least some of) the results, you should not expend the time and effort to administer the survey.  Similarly, if you are not willing to confront key players that resist the feedback, discount the results, and find excuses rather than being accountable, a survey may not be appropriate.

If you are able and willing to address these critical support issues, it is important to respond to the results in a timely manner. Despite the best intentions of most clients, there is often a letdown after the results come back. The longer the time lapse between the administration, presentation of results, and action, the less confidence the employees will have that their input was taken seriously and valued. 

 

In order to maximize the success of your survey efforts, keep the following points in mind:  

  • Present the results in a timely and easy to understand manner

  • Take prompt action wherever possible to demonstrate the organization’s commitment to improvement

  • Solicit input from the participants regarding potential solutions to increase buy-in and ongoing support

  • Publish actions that are taken in response to the survey so that employees know they have been heard and see the connection to their survey responses

  • Make the survey a positive experience (e.g., improving communication, a step toward progress rather than a tool for punishing)

  • Without management accountability, the results will be meaningless and may, in fact, decrease the morale that you set out to improve

 

If you are interested in learning more about using surveys in your organization, please contact 

Kammy Haynes.

                                    

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"Only the mediocre are always at their best."
Jean Giraudoux