Knowing what the competition is doing can be insightful and useful. Learning how your industry, city, and fellow local businesses are doing can be incredibly valuable especially if your industry is looking for solutions to nationwide or global issues.
The how we share, what we share, and when we share can, however, be complicated, challenging, and fraught with uncertainties. But, sharing under controlled conditions using methods a step above the humble survey can be the answer to being in touch, on top of, and in the ‘know’ in ways that drive solutions, insights, decision-making, and progress.
Let's begin with a definition:
Survey research is, in short, an investigative method of gathering information from a large cohort. The advantage of the ordinary survey is that it can include a large population that brings with it greater statistical power, the ability to gather large amounts of information, and the availability of validated models. However, when you take those large populations and segment them thoughtfully the wisdom arising out of the data can be illuminating and practical.
Wisdom arising out of the survey data can be illuminating and practical.
Surveys over time
One of the longer-term advantages of the survey is that it can be used to question an audience over a protracted period. Membership or platform-based offerings allow users to participate using this online service to easily create a set of queries and just continue to collect responses.
At the risk of sounding trite, the longer the period you can collect responses, the more data you acquire. This time element does something extraordinarily important; it reduces bias and allows the participants to make better business decisions from this information. The value then of the membership is that they can continue to ask, question, share and tabulate continuously gathering and ultimately refining the analysis. The BEST decisions come from foundational and reliable data.
Changing to easily meet new market environments
Another great advantage of surveys is that they can be modified to meet new market environments. This is so important as issues appear and disappear for businesses on a seemingly non-stop basis. With a membership-based platform, an individual opinion not only adds value to the collective but has weight in terms of the type of questions asked. When membership can steer the types of questions; can impact how surveys help everyone gather value and insight, the larger cohort wins every time.
Team Time
It typically takes a team to craft questions and some feedback collection tools are not well designed to be used by anyone other than a staff member. A membership-based platform that understands your industry means the tool, the questions, and the insights can be formulated and shared quickly and efficiently giving the whole cohort wisdom in real-time. Surveys are best when they are living experiences and continuously working for the respondents.
Quick surveys
That are nimble, on point and relevant right now means pertinent and useful data is accessible to the membership quickly and immediately. There is nothing more helpful to decision making than accurate, relevant, and germane information.
Surveys are Honest – NO! really, they are!
Feedback collection tools can be prone to being corrupted especially when they are random and unsolicited. Typically, this corruption arises when the respondent doesn’t want to give their true feelings for fear of how the data is to be used or analyzed. Additionally, there may be pressure to conform or to be doing what everyone else is doing.
Platform, membership-based surveys get around these problems by allowing respondents to complete the survey in private, without peer pressure, and without the listening ear of the person to whom they’re talking about. Therefore, the results given are more honest and valuable to the business or to the collective cohort.
Regularly scheduled surveys sent to the membership with the resulting reports and data shared accurately, consistently, and with intentionality breeds success. Continuously gathering and sharing develops credence for the platform. Comfort over time ensues and the ongoing shared results breed confidence and trust in the survey process being used.
Surveys are best when they are living experiences and continuously working for the respondents.
Past Present and Future
Surveys can be used to collect information about the past, the present, and even the future. Survey data make for easier decisions and allow for market research to find the potential customer base or how a new product might be perceived by the audience. The questions, results, insights, and options for a survey are endless. Truly a tool that continuously helps business leaders.
With the power to ask qualifying questions to narrow down the audience; pose pre-qualifying questions to adjust who completes the whole survey or simply to ask for personal opinions, survey design can help everyone who participates. You choose; they choose; we all WIN!
Conclusion
Surveys can be a powerful tool to help your business collect valuable information. Great questions, honest answers and thoughtful analysis helps improve business operations and generate future direction for your business.
membership area
STAY INFORMED AND IN TOUCH WITH HOW YOUR PEERS ARE TACKLING THE ISSUES OF THE DAY.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ann McNally led global amenities at Bristol Myers Squibb and Morgan Stanley before leading growth with service giant Sodexo. Ann was one of the founding consultants at 4xi Global Consulting and is the practice lead for Criterion Benchmarking delivering data and insights for amenities services leaders.
For more information on CRITERION Benchmarking, you can email Ann McNally directly at annmcnally@4xiconsulting.com
If you are having difficulty learning how your organization compares to other organizations' workplace and soft services experience offer overall listen to our podcast.
@Barbara Boden, former global amenities lead at JPMorgan Chase & Co, and @Ann McNally Americas amenities lead at Bristol Myers Squibb, and Morgan Stanley talk about their perspectives on the importance of peer-to-peer learning, benchmarking, and insights.
CRITERION Benchmarking is an exclusive online membership for workplace experience leaders - with access to peer-to-peer insights on various site services. CRITERION provides real-time answers to the often asked question – how do we compare to others? CRITERION gives you access to insights both inside and outside your network and eliminates the time and effort devoted to gathering answers through limited calls and emails. CRITERION Members agree to participate in the monthly anonymous survey covering relevant workplace topics. Our reporting methodology ensures confidentiality while providing an in-depth actionable report in aggregated format.
CRITERION also offers a combination of public and private polls only accessible to members in our password protected membership area.
The possibilities and use cases are endless, but here are just some examples:
Return to Work Strategies
Post COVID Best Practices
Amenities Strategies
Foodservice Insights
Breakrooms & Pantries
Policies & Procedures
Investments & Subsidies
Sustainability & ESG
Health & Wellness
Key Performance Indicators
Technology
Innovation
Learn more about CRITERION Benchmarking and how it can help you with data and insights through peer-to-peer learning.
4xi Global Consulting & Solutions is a team of talented leaders from both the client-side and service provider side, creating an impact on the Human Experience (HX) for people at work, in education, rest, and at leisure.
We believe in a people-first, experience-led philosophy; whether client, employee, or guest – their experience is the fundamental foundation of success.
We work with corporations, service providers, and innovators:
Strategic Advisory & Special Projects (SPx)
Headquarters Fractional Support On-Demand
Evolving Experiences© - Employee (EX) & Customer Experience (CX)
Design4Life©: Environmental, Physical, and Experiential Design
Global Amenities Strategy, Design & Operations
TRUE NORTH©: Strategic Partnership & Growth
Explorers Innovation Directory: Gateway to Innovation
Sustainability Simplified©: Supply Chain & Innovation
Market Research Reports & Benchmarking
4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy.
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