Cultural analysis

When people weigh in with their ideas, they are more likely to buy into the solutions. You just need to ask the right questions, in the right way and feedback the results. 

STEP 1:Identify the core central question. Whatever format your insight finding takes – a survey, focus group or 360 feedback –you will probably ask the wrong questions unless you are clear about what you really want to know, and the whole exercise becomes useless. 

Take it right back to basics and ask yourself this: if a team member was sat in front of you now and you could read their mind, what would you really want to know?

STEP 2:Now you are ready to craft the questions and decide how you want them answered. Give them careful thought and keep referencing back to your central question. Asking someone ‘Are you happy at work?’ isn’t going to give you much insight. What might be more telling is whether they would recommend this job to their best friend or a relative or perhaps, if they said more often than not, whether they look forward to coming into work. Yes/no answers sometimes work, but you can get more data by using scales of agreement or importance, and even more if you add a free text option.

Other great sliding scale questions include:

• How proud are you to work for this company?

•How much do you agree with the statement, "The leadership and management teams are aligned"?

• What is your trust level with your manager?

• Do you feel cared for?

• Is your manager a good role model for employees?

• How supported do you feel in your learning and development to do your job well?

Or you might want to give them some statements to agree or disagree with, such as:

• I rarely think about looking for a job at a different company.

• Most days, I look forward to coming to work.

• I am clear on the vision and direction of the company.

• The leadership team keep me informed about what is happening.• I have everything I need to do my job well.

• I feel my opinions and ideas are welcomed and acted upon.

STEP 3:

What will you do once feedback comes in? You have the opportunity to feedback and act on the results. The results just give a pointer to how your people feel. Share the results, and then create forums or focus groups (based on trust and safety), where you can ask for ideas, solutions and gain genuine insights into the topic. Ask questions for which you have no answers and try to discover rather than justify or challenge employee feedback.

Then take action. This is the most crucial step in the feedback process. It's not enough to just collect feedback and share it. You must take action on the results and show your employees that their opinions are valued and can lead to positive change.

This could mean implementing new processes or policies, providing additional training or resources, or addressing any issues raised by employees. The key is to follow through and communicate with your employees throughout the process.

It's also important to keep an open mind when taking action on feedback. Don't dismiss ideas or suggestions because they may seem unconventional or challenging. Instead, consider them carefully and explore how they could benefit your company.