Survey’s bring a lot to the table to help measure the impact of a change. I don’t hate them, and am developing one myself. I think we rely to heavily on them. What I’m keenly aware of is that employees are fed up with them overall and don’t think they make a difference. If we don’t know what the issues are, I think we need to look at “why” we don’t know. Besides a survey, what are other communication models we are missing out on? For example, if a department/unit has high turnover, there’s a problem. The turnover is the communication. So what’s causing the turnover? Is it the job? Is it the leadership? Is it the conditions? The results of the turnover are communicating to us.

In my speeches, I talk about one of my principles I call the “45 Minute Miracle.” The miracle is a lunch break. In 45 minutes flat, employees sit around a table and eat lunch while solving employer problems. If organizations could tap into that intellectual property and really lesson, much could be solved & resolved. How do we tap into that so we know what the issues are?

I’ve been following you for a few days on Twitter. I’m glad to come across this article!

The other important point to consider, apart competent management and leadership, is the “annual” word.

I think that waiting is not the solution, as disengaged people could leave companies within a couple of weeks or less.

Periodically conducting engagement surveys could prove a certain degree of commitment. However, it’s more than that. Alone, this may sounds too bureaucratic.

Developing advanced listening skills (not only for top managers), being agile enough to integrate any feedbacks for creating an engaging and sustainable work environment should be an ongoing priority.