You Only Get Answers To Questions Asked...

The problem with engagement surveys is they only provide responses to the questions asked and create false confidence that companies know what is happening. They often miss asking critical questions and listening to employees.

In 1985, The Coca Cola Company began testing a new flavor for Coke. It beat both regular Coke and Pepsi formulas in blind taste tests and surveys. Participants were asked if they would buy and drink the product and they responded with a resounding yes.

Confident they had done their homework and had a hit, Coke launched New Coke on April 23 of that year. They also no longer produced the old formula for regular Coke. A backlash soon arose and by May, protesters were calling for the old formula.

While many reasons contributed to the reversal, Coke didn’t ask the critical question “Would you buy this product if we no longer sell old Coke?”

Coke did their homework. They conducted many tests and gathered data - confident they knew what consumers wanted. Yet they missed critical questions. Companies face the same challenge with engagement surveys. A true picture of engagement is only achieved when leaders at all levels regularly listen and ask questions without assuming they know the answer.

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