Please Survey Responsibly

As part of a thoughtfully designed project, surveys can engage and elicit input from many voices at scale, with the option of being anonymous and the flexibility to participate at their convenience.

Surveys can provide a valuable baseline of data upon which to layer more in-depth research like interviews or focus groups.

They can also be used to test and validate ideas or information that come out of small groups with a broader and more diverse base of participants.

Importantly, consultant-led, “third party” survey administration, analysis, and reporting can help organizations take on tough issues by leading with data and creating space for constructive conversations.

But what you don’t want is a poorly constructed survey that’s going to waste stakeholders’ time and patience, or one that is not well contextualized and leads to misaligned expectations about what is likely to change based on participant input.

It’s important that we survey responsibly.

Download this one-pager of seven considerations to help you think through: When is a survey a good choice?