Deploy for Action

The survey is of little value unless effective action is taken. With the training noted above, management is in a position to conduct feedback sessions and develop constructive actions. The survey consultant can provide approaches and tools to help make sure the actions are implemented to completion. However, the most effective way of ensuring that actions will be taken, that the organization will undergo positive change, and that employee relations will improve is for middle- and upper-levels of management to assume active roles in monitoring and auditing the feedback and action planning process.

Middle and upper-levels of management should take a very firm position on feedback and action planning meetings held in their departments. Managers should be required to demonstrate that the meetings were held. They should be required to present their action plans to the department head or executive, who would critique the plan and ask for changes if necessary. Progress on action plans should be assessed on a quarterly basis.

The exact form of this monitoring and auditing function would be worked out with the Steering Committee. Sometimes this function is delegated to HR, but we advise against it. While this is preferable to no auditing and monitoring at all, it misses the point that managing the institution is the responsibility of managers, not staff. However, staff organizations, or the Steering Committee, can assist management with a process for executing this role.