Developing Surveys

Asking the Right Questions the Right Way

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If you want to know someone's view on a particular topic, you go and ask them, right? Getting their answer directly is much better than second-guessing what their response might be.

The challenge comes when you want to gauge the opinions of several groups of people. For example, you may need to assess the mood of your team or department in response to a new initiative you've introduced. Or you may want to test out an idea with your customer base before launching a new product or service.

Whether it's corporate culture issues, or customer satisfaction research, the best source of feedback and suggestions is usually the primary stakeholders themselves. We can try to guess what customers want, or what motivates workers – or we can simply ask them directly.

That's where surveys come in. Surveys give you the chance to ask a target group of people a set of questions about a particular subject, project, or issue. You can then use their views to tailor your strategy, or review your approach.

However, do bear in mind that effective surveys involve much more than writing down questions, and asking people to respond.

What, therefore, do you need to know about surveys before you implement one? And how do you maximize the value you gain from them?

This article outlines the strategies and techniques that will help your survey deliver the desired outcome.

Planning the Survey

If you simply sit down and start writing questions, you may risk missing critical elements of the data you want to capture. Take time to plan your approach, and decide what you want to achieve.

Consider the following when planning your survey:

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