Pulse data without action is....

Been ~4 months since we started beta testing with remote teams and what a learning curve it has been!

Let's start with the positives. Well ... employees and managers are using the tool beyond the "oh new shiny toy" period! We had set out to build a tool that's quick + convenient to use. No body wants "another tool". This was our #1 design principle. We're seeing weekly response rates comparable to quarterly/semi-annual surveys. Same usage + more data + no time gap = I'll take this win! ??

Now the hard part. Some teams are struggling to achieve the target outcomes. In other words - it's not working! (Yes - admitting this in a public post is gut-wrenching ??).

A common feedback we are hearing is "I see my team is struggling with (X). I want to help. I don't want them to feel like their feedback is not heard. But I don't know what to do with the data since it's anonymous".

Candidly speaking, we don't have the answer .... yet. In the spirit of continuous learning + listening to our Users, we asked Managers to VPs how they are using our anonymous pulse data to help their teams.

Here's what we've gathered so far:

1) Let the team know you are reading the data

This seems so obvious. But it's not! Employees have told us that they do not think their managers are even looking at the data. But speaking with their managers, we know they are (see common feedback above).

"I let my team know that I'm looking the data. I may not have the answer they are looking for but they appreciate the fact that I'm listening."

2) Discuss with the team if it's applicable to everyone

Depending on the feedback, it may be worthwhile to discuss with the team. After all, they may have more insights on why the issue is happening or what can be done (that wasn't already shared in the app).

We heard of an instance where a leader raised an issue that was flagged by 1 team member. The entire team ended up contributing their thoughts on the root cause & what possible solutions can look like.

Do you run the risk of putting a problem into people's head that wasn't there? Yes. (Though I'd argue the issue was likely already there but they had not consciously reflected on it. Or, the other employees are aware of it but didn't report it as an issue for themselves. Remember - employees are likely to confide in each other first - aka they talk among themselves!)

By not talking about it, you run the risk of it getting worse (+spreading) and losing the opportunity to get ahead of the issue.

In this particular instance, the leader chose to acknowledge the issue, be transparent and welcomed the team to an open & safe discussion. Result? The team was highly engaged in the conversation and offered great suggestions on how to improve.

Here's a framework that can help:

• Acknowledge this is an issue
• Share what you have done (or plan to do)
• Share the outcome (e.g., response from Management and rationale)
• (If the issue cannot be immediately resolved) Share what you will continue doing & how you will keep everyone in the loop

Also - it's worth remembering that the purpose of anonymous data is not to try and figure out who provided it. What's the point of making it anonymous?

Instead, it would be better to see this as a signal for further investigation. Group discussions can work great for this!

3) Remind employees that your 1-on-1s are intended to hear about how they're feeling about work & finding ways to help them.

Self-explanatory and plenty of content out there on what 1-on-1s should be (and what they're not).

Best insight I can offer is that employees usually tell us they forget about these things by the time they jump on a 1-on-1. Let's face it - most people just show up to these conversations with little/no preparation. As a result, the default tends to go back to status updates or personal life updates (neither are bad .... just does not covering meaningful work issues if they exist).

This reminder can nudge employees to reflect and come prepared. It also signals that you are willing to listen and that the 1-on-1 is a safe place to have these discussions.

4) Actually bring it up during your 1-on-1s!

One VP would ask each team member for their thoughts.

Avoid asking "is this you". I have to assume the answer is usually 'no'!

Try asking exploratory questions like "what do you think about (X)" or "what is making (Y) more challenging or less desirable?"

"Is" questions can yield binary results.

"What" questions can yield examples & stories. You want these to learn more!

This list is not exhaustive and may not work in every situation.

Would love to hear your experience with anonymous pulse data and how to actually make it useful for your team! ??

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/yelling-formal-man-watching-news-on-laptop-3760778/