Disclaimer: This is a fictional case built on a collection of practical experiences from our leadership consultants
As I started this year, it was clear to me as a leader: I wanted to do something different with the follow-up process on our employee engagement survey. I've always followed up on our surveys with my team. But I've also always been left with the feeling that something was still unresolved: that we had scratched the surface but hadn't done nearly enough with the follow-up. So I decided to try something new.
I would like to tell you about:
THE KICKSTART: HOW I WAS INSPIRED FOR MY NEW APPROACH
My new approach was kick-started by an inspirational presentation on "effective follow-up process". Not only did it give me new facilitation tools, but it also made me reflect on what worked well in my current approach - and what didn't work so well. I reviewed last years' follow-up process for myself:
The first step after the results were collected was always to call my team in for a wrap-up meeting. Fundamentally, the idea was a good one: I used the survey results to create a space for dialog and feedback that could make our team and my leadership even better.
THERE WAS JUST ONE PROBLEM...
The problem was that the way I facilitated the meeting ended up hindering the potential for improvement. I spent the time going through the results slavishly, score by score. And for each below-average score, I asked my employees to come up with possible reasons and suggestions for improvement.
And it just wasn't optimal. The slavish review was a real turn-off for my team. In addition, the benefit of the meeting was significantly lowered by the fact that the team had not been presented with the results before the meeting, where they were put on the spot and asked to comment on them - without any time to think about it.
So, there were several places I could take action to get more out of the engagement surveys. Not only regarding the way I facilitated the follow-up meeting. Also, in the way I prepared my team to review the results before the meeting even took place.
BEFORE THE follow-up MEETING: HOW I PREPARED
Now it was time to roll up my sleeves and make some noticeable changes. Inspired by the presentation, I decided to scrap the slavish review of the report. Instead, I wanted to create a framework for the meeting that would promote genuine dialog and reflection.
I spent time thinking about how to start the meeting in a way that set the tone for openness and curiosity: to get the most important things off my chest in the first few minutes while my concentration was at its peak, and to set the stage for a conversation that would provide new perspectives on collaboration and leadership in my team.
In other words, my goal was to hear answers to the questions I asked that I didn't already know. It also meant that I had to be prepared to ask questions I didn't already know the answer to - and let go of a control that gave me a certain level of comfort. It made me nervous, but I was also aware that it was necessary if I didn't want to be left with the same unresolved feeling as before.
DURING THE follow-up MEETING: HOW I CREATED A NEW FOLLOW-UP FORMAT
It was time for the infamous follow-up meeting. I had put a lot of thought into my opening this time. In previous years, the meeting had been opened with my usual PowerPoint template, updated with this year's fresh figures and an agenda with the different measurement areas we were going to cover. But this year I did something completely different.
STEP 1: Setting the FRAMEWORK AND ALIGNMENT OF EXPECTATIONS
I first set the framework: I told my team that this year we were going to try a new approach. I laid my cards on the table and shared my excitement AND nervousness about the new format and the conversations it could open up. That grip lowered my shoulders. I made it clear from the start that the goal of shaking things up was for us to come up with some brand-new insights together that could make us even better.
This time, my team had received the results in the week leading up to the meeting, so they had time to digest the results themselves before we had the follow-up conversation. Therefore, we didn't need more than a quick review of the numbers before moving on to the heart of the meeting: the conversation.
STEP 2: FEEDBACK ROUNDS - WITHOUT MY PRESENCE
I divided the conversation into themes inspired partly by the survey results and partly by the daily workflow.
We first tackled the topic of 'Leadership'. I facilitated the conversation by asking my team two connected questions:
"What do I do as a leader that has a positive effect on your job satisfaction?" and "What could I do to make your job satisfaction even higher?"
And now I tried a new tool from my inspirational presentation. I left the room and gave my employees 10 minutes to discuss the questions without being present.
Waiting for the team's feedback felt like waiting for your grade after an oral exam. It was mostly the idea that my team was now sitting in the next room talking about me and my skills. I felt like I was being assessed.
But I tried to remember that conversations about a leader's attributes are always happening - so why not let them take place in a space where I actually had the opportunity to grab the constructive parts and use them to create an even stronger team?
When I returned to the room, I was met with honest and constructive feedback. For example, my team thought I led our team meetings well and that I was good at focusing our discussions.
On the constructive side, they asked me to consider whether my pace and ambitions on behalf of the team were sometimes too high. To make the feedback more tangible, I passed the ball back to them and asked them to give concrete suggestions on when these situations occurred and what could be done to remedy them.
ROUND 2...
After that, we did the same exercise tied to another theme, 'Collaboration'. I asked: "Name one thing that makes it great to be part of the team?" and "Name one thing that could make it even cooler?". I left the room and once again let the team discuss the questions without me.
The result: There were lots of things that made it great to be part of the team. We were good at checking in with each other, sparring, and sharing knowledge. We were less good at dividing the work tasks equally between the different roles in the team. This is something we could work on.
I thanked them for the feedback and went out of my way to make sure my team did not doubt that I truly appreciated their honesty. I made a note of all the input and explained that I would come back with my adjustments in a meeting the following week. This way, I could buy myself time to properly think through the feedback and create the changes that were most meaningful and valuable to the team.
STEP 3: A FINAL TEMPERATURE TEST
Finally, I took the temperature: How had my team experienced the new follow-up meeting format? Had they gained anything from it? And just as I had sensed, there were far more useful - and not least new - perspectives on the table compared to previous years' follow-ups.
After the follow-up meeting: What I've learned
So, what have I learned from this experience? I've come to realize that it's not enough to just go through numbers and recommendations and talk through the results slavishly. Obviously, it provides some insights that you wouldn't have gotten without asking. But it doesn't stop there.
To create real change, the engagement survey should be seen as an opportunity to have some important conversations about leadership, collaboration, and engagement: not only in terms of the overall recommendations the results generate but just as much in terms of the nitty-gritty, the relationships, and daily life.
Reaching numbers and KPIs and comparing your results to benchmarks is one thing. But the numbers should also be used to create a conversation. And the conversation is a goal in itself. This is where change really happens; when the leader is curious about the results, asks questions, and shows interest, it can make a huge difference to the team's perception and experience.
Curious about working with employee experience? Read more about our employee engagement surveys here.
