Diagnostic Information Feeding Back Diagnostic Information

Possible Effects of Feedback Feedback occurs No Change NO Is the energy created by the feedback? YES Energy to use data to identify and solve problems What is the direction of the feedback? Energy to deny or fight data Do structures and processes turn energy into action? Failure, frustration, no change NO Anxiety, resistance, no change YES Change

Determining the Content of Feedback Relevant Understandable Descriptive Verifiable Timely Limited Significant Comparative Unfinalized

Relevant Organization members are likely to use feedback data for problem solving when they find the information meaningful. Including managers and employees in the initial data collection activities can increase the relevance of the data.

Understandable Data must be presented to organization members in a form that is readily interpreted. Statistical data, for instance, can be made understandable through the use of graphs and charts.

Descriptive Feedback data need to be linked to real organizational behaviors if they are to arouse and direct energy. The use of examples and detailed illustrations can help employees gain a better feel for the data.

Verifiable Feedback data should be valid and accurate if they are to guide action. Thus, information should allow organization members to verify whether the findings really describe the organization.

Timely Data should be fed back to members as quickly as possible after being collected and analyzed. This will help ensure that the information is still valid and is linked to members’ motivations to examine it.

Limited Because people can easily become overloaded with too much information, feedback data should be limited to what employees can realistically process at one time.

Significant Feedback should be limited to those problems that organization members can do something about because it will energize them and help direct their efforts toward realistic changes.

Comparative Feedback data can be ambiguous without some benchmark as a reference. Whenever possible, data from comparative groups should be provided to give organization members a better idea of how their group fits into a broader context.

Unfinalized Feedback is primarily a stimulus for action and thus should spur further diagnosis and problem solving. Members should be encouraged, for instance, to use the data as a starting point for more in-depth discussion of organizational issues.

Effective Feedback Meetings People are motivated to work with the data The meeting is appropriately structured The right people are in attendance knowledge power and influence interest The meeting is facilitated

Survey Feedback Process Members involved in designing the survey The survey is administered to the organization The data is analyzed and summarized The data is presented to the stakeholders The stakeholders work with the data to solve problems or achieve vision

Limitations of Survey Feedback Ambiguity of Purpose Distrust Unacceptable Topics Organizational Disturbances

Ambiguity of Purpose Managers and staff groups responsible for the survey-feedback process may have difficulty reaching sufficient consensus about the purposes of the survey, its content, and how it will be fed back to participants. Such confusion can lead to considerable disagreement over the data collected and paralysis about doing anything with them.

Distrust High levels of distrust in the organization can render the survey feedback ineffective. Employees need to trust that their responses will remain anonymous and that management is serious about sharing the data and solving problems jointly.

Unacceptable Topics Most organizations have certain topics that they do not want examined. This can severely constrain the scope of the survey process, particularly if the neglected topics are important to employees.

Organizational Disturbance The survey-feedback process can unduly disturb organizational functioning. Data collection and feed back typically infringe on employee work time. Moreover, administration of a survey can call attention to issues with which management is unwilling to deal, and can create unrealistic expectations about organizational improvement.