2018 Planning Made Simple – Part 1

With fourth quarter upon us, you want to make sure you—as objectively as possible—evaluate what’s gotten you to where you are today.

To do so, you’re going to ask for help from your team for three reasons:

1. The top three keys to employee loyalty are membership, mastery, and meaning. What you’re going to do will check all three boxes.
2. They’re going to see, hear, and know things you don’t. We all have blind spots.
3. By the frequency of certain answers, you’re going to know which strengths are more powerful and which areas need the most attention.

Send out a simple ten question survey.

Use SurveyMonkey or some other online software. Give your team just a few days. Make it anonymous. Make it short and simple.

1. What’s working well for us? What shouldn’t we change? Give examples. (For example, don’t simply say, “our culture” – let me know what about our culture rocks and/or why you think it’s working well.)
2. What could be working better? What’s wrong? (Again, these are anonymous so the more specific you can be the better.)
3. What’s missing from our company, our policies, our customer experience?
4. Is anything unclear to you about what we do or why we do it?
5. Are there any bottlenecks? How can we remove them?
6. Is there anything standing in the way of you giving a legendary performance?
7. Do you feel like a member of something special here? Why or why not? What more could we do to become closer?
8. Do you feel like you have opportunities for personal and professional development? Do you have any ideas how we could increase or improve these opportunities?
9. Do you believe your job has more meaning that simply a paycheck? Do you feel like our company contributes to some greater good in our communities? What more could we do to contribute? Any ideas?
10. Is there anything else you think we need to know?

You’re going to get a wealth of information about what’s working, what’s missing, and what to do to improve your company’s health and wellness.

One More Thing

The slightly more daring of you will send out a similar survey to your best customers… or all your customers.

How do you feel right now?

Excited? Terrified? Both those feelings are natural, but I can tell you your team will be grateful for the opportunity to be heard.