Most organisations run an engagement survey. Fewer do anything visible with it.
And people notice. The second year, they answer faster and say less.
Gallup's Q12 survey asks about the basics of work. A few of its questions are ones I watch closely in a field team.
Do people know what is expected of them? If not, the plan never reached the field.
Do they have what they need to do the job? Approved materials, systems that work, and time in front of customers. This is where the daily friction shows.
Have they been recognised recently for good work? Not only for the number, but for how it was done.
Is there someone who backs their growth? This one tells you which managers are coaching and which are only reviewing.
The survey is the easy part. What happens after it is where trust is built or lost.
In my teams, the results go to every team, not just the leadership group. Each manager picks one or two items and works on them with their own people. And answers stay anonymous. Nobody tries to work out who said what.
Then next year, the first question is simple: what did we change since last time?
“The survey asks the question. What you change is the answer.”
Lesson 17 of 17 in Step 5: Building the organisation, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.