MANAGING PRODUCTIVITY series

2. EVALUATING YOUR SURVEY RESULTS

Poor evaluation will likely result in poor decision-making toward any actions implemented to improve organizational structure and productivity. To be effective in evaluating, you need to be patient, thorough, and objective.

Your decisions will impact the work lives of your employees and the overall environment in the workplace. You are attempting to improve productivity, but simultaneously, you will inadvertently address workplace morale and relationships between employees at all levels of authority within the organization.

When the surveys are returned, compare them to your manuals. Look for consistencies and inconsistencies in the following areas:

* Are job titles and descriptions understood, and do the responses reflect the nature of the job?
* Are lines of authority clearly understood, or does the informal organization have an adverse impact?
* Do employees understand how their department fits within the total organization, or could there be signs of lack communication between departments?
* Are there signs of duplication of efforts?
* Are employee perceptions of job qualifications consistent with actual company needs?
* Do written comments demonstrate harmony and confidence, or suggest problems between employees?

The six items listed provide specific categories of evaluation. There may be more, depending on the nature of your organization.

Next week, we continue our series with how solutions are to be implemented....