| Organization Communication Problems?So, your | | | | Think about putting the survey on a local intranet or |
| organization is suffering from poor communication | | | | internet web server.To make filling out the form easy |
| practices. John complains that his boss never tells him | | | | for people, have it so that the form can be completed |
| anything. Sally is expected to come up with sales | | | | online. If this is not possible, either send the form by |
| targets without being briefed on this year's company | | | | email or put it on an accessible server from which |
| strategy.Where do you start in improving ineffective | | | | people can download it. If your survey respondents |
| communication between people? A good first step in | | | | are not comfortable with technology, then be wary of |
| fixing communication problems in any organization is to | | | | online options and provide plenty of employee support |
| survey employees. Even if there are no obvious | | | | if you decide to go down that road.Inducements and |
| problems, surveys can help get an organization to the | | | | RemindersSurvey participation rates are typically ten |
| next level of performance.What are the benefits you | | | | percent or less. You can dramatically improve on this |
| would expect to see in conducting a communication | | | | completion rate by conducting some simple follow up. |
| survey and acting on the results? Well, you could | | | | As you get closer to the survey cut-off date (of |
| experience some of the following:*improved employee | | | | course, you will have publicized that date with your |
| satisfaction | | | | survey), send out an email reminder or have someone |
| *lower turnover | | | | call the respondents personally. Advertising a prize to |
| *reduced absenteeism | | | | go to the first to complete the surveys will also |
| *less political infighting | | | | increase the participation rate.Distribute resultsOnce the |
| *greater levels of manager-worker trust | | | | results are in and analyzed, distribute your findings first |
| *reduced defect rates | | | | to your client managers and then to employees. |
| *higher customer satisfactionA well-run survey can | | | | Withholding results from employees will only breed |
| give your organization these benefits. However, a | | | | cynicism and distrust and make your next survey all |
| poorly conducted survey can have the opposite | | | | that more difficult to get a satisfactory response |
| effect. Surveys badly planned, rolled out and followed | | | | rate.Break down your results into meaningful groups, |
| up can actually increase employee cynicism and | | | | such as by department or by region. The reporting |
| resistance to change. It may also worsen employee | | | | groupings need to be small enough that people can |
| turnover and absenteeism. And this impacts on | | | | identify with the group enough for a meaningful action |
| customer satisfaction and your bottom | | | | plan to be developed.Be prepared for some kickback |
| line.Communication Survey TipsSo, what do you need | | | | from defensive managers. Frank employee feedback |
| to consider before rolling out your survey? Here are | | | | is both confronting and jarring, especially for those |
| seven useful tips to get you heading in the right | | | | managers not used to it. Use your best facilitation skills |
| direction.Question typesInclude in your survey questions | | | | to deliver the key messages. If you are in a politically |
| requiring limited tick-the-box responses, such as Yes | | | | charged environment, use a professional facilitator to |
| No and Strongly Agree/Agree/Disagree/Strongly | | | | perform this sensitive task.Follow up and RewardsA |
| Disagree. Including these questions will allow you to | | | | survey conducted with no plan for action is not only a |
| perform quantitative analyses that you can use to | | | | waste of resources but will leave employees asking |
| compare results between different demographics and | | | | why they bothered to feedback to managers how |
| to use as a benchmark for future surveys.However, | | | | they felt. Work with each manager to construct an |
| just as importantly, allow provision for free form | | | | action plan that they agree with. Remember, it is the |
| comments. Everything that people will want to say will | | | | manager that will be implementing the plan, not you. |
| not fit into your pre-packaged boxes. A good idea is to | | | | Get back with each manager three or six months later |
| run Focus Groups with a random sample of survey | | | | to review how they are progressing with their plan and |
| respondents after the survey forms have been | | | | report the results to the organization. As you see |
| collected and analyzed. These discussion groups are | | | | communication practices improve across the |
| invaluable in performing a sanity check on your results | | | | organization, make sure that managers get |
| so far and in teasing out issues that have surfaced in | | | | rewarded.By following the above tips, you're sure to |
| the written survey.AnonymityGuarantee absolute | | | | get the most benefit from your employee |
| anonymity for the people completing the survey and | | | | communication survey. The key is to leave room for |
| make this clear in the survey instructions. Some | | | | free form comments on the survey form whilst |
| employees will either not complete the survey or give | | | | guaranteeing that participants will not be identified in the |
| sanitized answers if they believe that their identity will | | | | results. Make the survey accessible and follow up to |
| be disclosed with their answers and comments.Sample | | | | ensure that a sufficient number of people respond. |
| sizeShould you survey the whole organization | | | | You can maximize your response rate by offering |
| department or a select group? Preferably, survey all | | | | rewards. After analyzing the results, distribute to all |
| employees as this gives everyone a sense of being | | | | employees. A survey report ignored is a survey |
| listened to. If the organization/department is | | | | wasted, so develop an action plan and follow up with |
| excessively large or budget is tight, draw a random | | | | managers.2006 © Business Performance Pty Ltd. |
| sample from each of the demographic groups that | | | | All rights reserved.Vicki Heath is the Director of |
| you will be reporting on.If your selection is not random, | | | | Business Performance Pty Ltd, a company providing |
| the survey results will not be representative and you | | | | practical online information and resources in a range of |
| will lose credibility with your client managers and | | | | business areas, including employee surveys. Her |
| employees. If a demographic group comprises 50 | | | | company's guides, tools and templates assist |
| people or less, you will need to survey 100 percent of | | | | organizations engage and develop people, manage |
| the people within that group.Mode of deliveryIf the | | | | organizational change and improve project |
| people completing the survey are small in number and | | | | delivery.Available tools include a ready-to-go |
| at the one location, then hardcopy distribution will not | | | | Organization Communication Assessment Survey. This |
| be a problem. As the number of respondents increase | | | | survey in the familiar Microsoft Word format is |
| and the locations become more dispersed, give more | | | | customizable and is packaged with a comprehensive |
| consideration to the need for electronic distribution. | | | | Consultant Guide. |