Conflicting Results or Mixed Messages?

Feedback and surveys are all very well BUT… they are only as good as the questions asked and sometimes give us mixed messages.

This was highlighted to me recently when a colleague and I were discussing a piece of work which involved ‘digging deeper’ into the results of a survey sent out to all staff. The purpose was to invite feedback to provide specific ideas to the management team for them to define their focus and clarify their priorities about the key issues to be addressed in the coming year.

What we noticed was that the questions in survey gave mixed messages by way of response. As a consequence, this skewed the results which meant that the outcomes were both unclear and at times conflicting.

This got us thinking about if we were to have a blank canvas to do this over again, how would we go about it?

Here are some considerations to KISS (Keep It Simply Specific!):

1. Simply Short
2. Purpose – Clarify
3. Expect  Specific
4. A Change-Focus
5. Know Key Outcomes

Taking these individually, this is what we noticed:

Simply Short: We considered a maximum to be 5 areas to address, and a minimum to be 3.

Purpose – Clarify: for us, this meant beginning with the end in mind: what exactly did we need, and want, to know?

Expect Specific: Which question would best draw out the response to the area we wished to address?

A Change-Focus: Are we sure that we have influence in effecting change in this area?

Know Key Outcomes: Have we identified the key areas and been exactingly specific in our questioning?

It’s great when opportunities turn up to challenge ones thinking and consider a simpler and hopefully more effective way of doing things.

As with all my ‘stuff’ this applies just as much to our personal lives as it does to our professional and business lives. With this in mind, I challenge myself to re-think what exactly it is I want next for me personally and professionally in the coming 90 days … another walk in the woods would be good!

I hope you’ve enjoyed a happy and revitalizing long-weekend and that the shortened week hasn’t sucked out all the goodness achieved form your time-out.

Remember the 5W’s and 1H when you are working through the ‘SPEAK’ model:
Be clear about the Who? What? Where? When? Why? & How?

Use the ‘So What?’ and the ‘What If?’ questions as your check and measure to ensure that what you’re asking makes REAL sense in terms of it’s being do-able and can convert to specific, beneficial results.

Most of all, have fun being creative!

Jane Butler is a Business and Personal Relationship Coach, Mediator and Facilitator and is available for Individual Consultations, Team Building, Communication Workshops, Conflict Resolution, Leadership Development and Couples Relationship Coaching.

If you think you’re getting conflicting results from your efforts or are guilty of sending out mixed messages, please get in touch! Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your reading on the ‘Confusion Meter’ around what is happening in your life?

Please check out the website for more information: www.outoftherut.co.nz 
Jane can be contacted on 021-732 230, or by email: jane@outoftherut.co.nz