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Thought Leadership
Don't leave them hanging: Following up on your employee survey results White papers Thought-provoking analytical papers on topics of interest from Questar's consultant team... Essence of engagement The idea is ground-breaking. The strategy is innovative. The market is ready. And the competition won't know what hit them. It's go time. Are your employees ready? Successful business leaders understand the importance of aligning talent behind the strategy in accomplishing goals. But winning the "hearts and minds" of followers is much more complex than speeches and banners. Common sense tells us that employee attitudes, morale, emotion, and buy-in are imperative. Yet the solution is multifaceted and realization is challenging. The quest to harness these factors has led to a century of scientific research on what drives employee performance. One finding is clear: employee engagement is a crucial element in this highly complex puzzle.  PDF version  HTML version
The toxic workplace: Incivility Incivility appears to be an increasing dilemma for managers and employers. Although it is lower in severity than other forms of workplace aggression, incivility can lead to a number of negative individual and organizational outcomes. With more frequent experiences of uncivil behavior, employees are more likely to retaliate, are less satisfied with their jobs, and are more likely to quit. All of these can have a significant impact on an organization's bottom line. Luckily there are steps you can take to protect your organization from the toxic effects of incivility - and to decontaminate an already uncivil environment. PDF version HTML version
Dear John: A new look at why employees leave As talent management professionals strive to balance the changing needs of baby boom employees with evolving expectations of younger employees, talent retention has become more complicated than ever. To retain top talent, competitive companies need to understand what drives an employee's decision to leave or stay with an organization. Conventional wisdom has always been that employees leave supervisors, not companies. However, newer studies are finding that conventional wisdom may be wrong. It's NOT just the boss anymore. PDF version HTML version
Breaking through cultural barriers: Best practices in global OD We live in exciting and terrifying times. Globalization and worldwide competition have become defining characteristics of our time, while we are confronted daily with news of cultural clashes and international conflict. As professionals in the field of Organizational Development, the ability to operate globally is more important than ever. Increasingly, the OD professional needs to be able to maneuver the global organization and implement programs and processes with employees around the world. Moving from local to global adds new levels of complexity to already difficult challenges. In order to be successful, it is increasingly important to understand the complications that arise due to differences in culture, geographical distance and our changing world. PDF version HTML version
360-degree feedback: Cornerstone for sustained development 360-degree feedback has grown in popularity for more than a quarter of a century. At a time when collaboration is critical, coworkers work remotely, and employees are more autonomous – obtaining objective feedback from peers, direct reports, and others is more important than ever. Still 360-degree feedback is not without its critics. Controversy has grown in recent years about the effectiveness of these programs, with some claiming that the process may actually decrease employee performance. That said, after 30 years of research, we know how the process works best and what we can do to maximize its impact on skill development. PDF version HTML version
Best practices Pragmatic tips on survey implementation for the practitioner, based on our (and our clients') years of experience... Don't leave them hanging: Following up on your employee survey results When you ask people for their opinions, they assume – they expect – their input will be used. Thus, when you conduct an employee survey, you need to utilize the input you receive. Not following up on the survey results will damage the organization’s (and management’s) credibility. We have seen this many times on survey comments: “I fill out this survey every year and nothing changes. Therefore I do not understand the purpose of the survey.” Avoid developing this reputation! All you need is some good planning, persistence, and patience. We have created a list of tips to help you succeed as you roll out the most important part of the survey process: the follow up. PDF version HTML version
Take this survey and win!: Are incentives appropriate for employee surveys? The issue of whether or not to use incentives to boost participation in employee surveys comes up regularly. Inevitably, somebody suggests encouraging managers to tell their employees that there will be a company-provided celebration (probably the most common is a pizza party or other type of lunch) for any department that can boast 100% participation in the survey. Other organizations set up "contests" where departments vie to see which can achieve the highest participation - again, with some sort of company-sponsored prize going to the winner(s). A few have attempted to enter individual participants into drawings, often with multiple prizes. So, do incentives work? PDF version HTML version
Communicating confidentiality: Anonymity isn’t confidentiality One of the primary reasons for lower participation in an employee survey is employees’ fear that their responses are not really anonymous – that whatever they say can come back to hurt them. To an extent, most surveys are not anonymous, but they are in fact confidential. If employees do not trust the survey process, you will have a difficult time fostering enthusiasm or securing participation. Following are some guidelines on how to ensure survey confidentiality both in general as well as in the context of reporting results. PDF version HTML version
Why won't people respond to my survey?: Achieve high response rates When it comes to taking a survey, the more responses the merrier. After all, a higher response rate increases the reliability of the results and allows for better action planning because you can obtain information on different groups in the organization. However, many organizations have seen their response rate significantly decrease between survey administrations, and have no idea what happened. We have created a list of some of the most common reasons survey response rates plummet from year to year. PDF version HTML version
Let's be clear: Developing a survey communication strategy A successful survey program requires the willing participation of key groups and individuals in the organization. People participate because they feel ownership in the process, understand the benefits of a survey effort, and trust that their input will be considered. Communication before, during, and after the survey administration is an integral part of maintaining employee commitment to the process and reinforcing management’s credibility. PDF version HTML version
Understanding your survey results: Meaning is in the eye of the beholder Surveys provide us with data – lots of data. Reports full of different numbers, percentages. Frequencies. N-counts, and mean scores (with or without standard deviations). And you have to make sense of it all. Just knowing what the numbers say is not enough; you have to figure out what the numbers mean in order to use survey results. When survey reports are distributed, one question is on everyone’s mind: Is this result good or bad? The answer is almost always “that depends.” There are several ways to interpret survey data, and all of them involve context. It turns out that meaning – to co-opt an old saying – is in the eye of the beholder.
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Annual, biannual, or biennial?: How often should you survey your employees Whether companies still use paper surveys or have everyone take the survey with the latest smart-phone, one thing remains the same. Organizations still face the question of how frequently the survey should be conducted. While we understand that many organizations have budget constraints that only allow for less frequent surveys, understanding the benefits and risks to different survey schedules can help you make the case for proposing the optimal schedule for your organization. PDF version HTML version
To survey, or not to survey: Is that your question? We live in a changing world, and the organizations in which we work are affected by these changes. We deal with mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, turnover and transition, reorganization and right-sizing. So the question often arises: Should an organization proceed with an employee survey in the midst of events that may significantly affect the work environment? PDF version HTML version
Is there a cure for poor manager behavior?: 360° feedback programs create positive change What if there was a “magic bullet” for improving performance in the workplace? We all know that workplace performance can be compromised by a lot of managerial behaviors. Susan tends to micro-manage and drives her direct reports crazy. Tom talks but rarely listens and misses out on critical information that affects his bottom line. Millie does not plan well so her staff is always over-stressed. Bill does not know how to handle the conflict within his group so he ignores it. Kevin is so difficult to be around that even his boss limits contact with him. That is where the magic bullet comes in. It identifies problem behaviors, people change them, and problems disappear! Unfortunately, that bullet does not exist – although many companies think it does. They call it 360° feedback (or multi-rater feedback – take your pick). Do not get us wrong – 360° feedback programs can be very valuable. But they have to be done right. Doing them right takes a lot of work, though the payoff can be worth it. PDF version HTML version
Always fly (with a) coach: Value of the coach in a 360° feedback program The crux of any 360° feedback process is in the follow-up. In order to make the follow-up happen, a 360° participant needs a good coach to help them along the way. Bill Bowerman, the co-founder of Nike, is quoted as saying “The athlete makes himself; the coach doesn’t make the athlete.” The athlete must believe in his/her power to take charge, deal with circumstances, and ultimately succeed. The coach’s job is to provide a methodology, a way of thinking, and a system that enables the athlete to move forward and reach the goal. The coach does not “do” – the coach guides. It is the same in business. PDF version HTML version
360° Feedback Checklist: Developing a strong multi-rater feedback survey Through 360° feedback programs, organizations have the ability to give a gift to their employees – the gift of seeing themselves through the eyes of others. The potential of this gift excites many and terrifies others. Crafting good 360° content is critical to fulfilling the promise of the program and calming any fears it creates. While off-the-shelf instruments exist, many organizations prefer to develop their own 360°s. This approach takes time and care, but having content customized to your organization’s values and key success factors may ultimately yield the best results. If this is the route you choose, here are some guidelines to make development easier. PDF version HTML version
Topical papers Analytical papers that discuss timely topics that may affect the way you do business today and in the future... As the dust settles: Keeping your employees engaged during a downturn Engaging employees may be the single most important challenge in today’s business environment. Many organizations face decreasing revenues, budget cuts, and tough decisions about what they’ll be able to continue. Yet during these demanding times, smart organizations realize the importance of keeping employees focused, productive and committed to organizational goals. Maintaining a strong employee engagement program throughout the recession may be the best decision they’ll ever make... PDF version HTML version
Identifying non-profit donors: Using scientific methods to maximize prospecting dollars At a time when people and businesses are tightening their belts, non-profit organizations are increasingly concerned with securing financial support. Facing funding cuts and reduced donations, many non-profits find themselves with diminishing budgets just as the demand for their services is growing. In these difficult times, success for any non-profit is contingent on improving efficiencies in strategic planning and service delivery...
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