If we can proactively see if our strategy, execution, and culture have any problems beforehand, then we can start taking measure to fix those things to prevent later problems.
When Bill Lutz started as the Executive Director of an outreach ministry called The New Path, he brought a strong management and leadership background to a traditional ministry. Within six months of accepting the position, he learned that he often did not learn about an issue until it was a “full fledged disaster or catastrophe mode.”
For this reason, he created and implemented a quarterly “Pulse Survey” to measure the three key organizational indicators: Strategy, Execution, and Culture
The survey is sent every three months to staff, board, volunteers, partners, and other key constituents. Started in 2015, they have sent the survey for five quarters.
The first survey resulted in a strong response – noting both issues to work on and strengths to celebrate. During the first few quarters, the survey indicated
low numbers on “strategy”. And this provided data to help the board understand the importance of allocating funds to hire a strategic planning consultant and completing a strategic planning process.
Our conversation also included:
- Deciding who should receive the survey
- Communicating survey results to the constituents who receive the survey
- The benefits of the survey (such as increased board and partner engagement)
- The most useful Pulse Survey Questions
- Lessons learned in implementing your own Pulse Survey
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