Culture survey - "Walk around survey"

[Chris Kloth]

For what it is worth, Esther, this additional information and Harrison's 
comments on surveys remind me of another tool to share that my 
colleagues and I have been calling the "walk-around-survey" for about 20 
years.


Please indulge me the story so I can create some context.  


Like many things, it grew out of a moment of momentary genius inspired 
by panic.  I arrived at a conference to do a program where I was going 
to do a presentation on a topic no one really figured would be 
interesting to more than a narrow segment of the participants.  Since it 
was a conference I had no way of knowing in advance who or how many 
would be there or exactly what they were hoping for.  I developed a set 
of Likert style questions intended to probe some of the common issues 
and concerns related to the subject matter.  I intended to use it as 
both a trainer's tool (get to know the participants' expectations) and a 
conversation starter (like others who develop instruments, my values, 
beliefs and model were embedded in the survey).


I ran off what I thought would be more than enough surveys to pass 
out.   I also made flip chart copies of the survey pages so I could post 
what I thought would be the quick & dirty start to the session.


A much larger number of people showed up for the session than any of us 
anticipated.  Since I did not have enough surveys, still wanted the info 
they were intended to produce, needed some time to figure out how I was 
going to get through the session, and always carry a zillion extra 
markers...I spread out the chart pads along the walls, passed out the 
markers and asked that everyone in the room take a few minutes to fill 
out the survey using markers.  The chaos of the situation and the need 
to go to different chart pads and walls to complete the survey preserved 
just enough privacy to feel reasonably comfortable the information would 
serve its purpose.


As people were finishing and returning to their seats I was looking to 
see if there was any sense I could make of the results, which were now 
posted so everyone could see.  While I saw some patterns that fit some 
of what I expected, I decided to ask the group what they saw.  
Individuals identified one or two scales and share what it meant to 
them.  I asked if other people had different views on what those scales 
might mean.  When patterns of congruence or dissonance emerged from 
multiple comments, and where there seemed to be energy behind those 
interpretations, I simply asked what in their experience informed their 
views.


What a session!  We never got to my outline.  However, in retrospect 
(this was long before I had ever heard of OST or dialogue), participants 
who cared took responsibility for speaking up and making their own 
meanings.   I simply asked an occasional clarifying question or made a 
process observation.  As I listened I heard them making some of the 
points I would have made if we had gone to my outline.  I also heard 
things that I never anticipated.  Mostly I heard energy.  As we wrapped 
up I asked if anyone wanted to share what, if anything, useful they got 
from the session.  The two or three "punch lines" I had in mind were 
addressed, as was a lot more good stuff I never thought of.  The 
enthusiasm and "grin-sheet" evaluations were very gratifying.


Over the years I have found that if I don't have much time to create a 
container for dialogue, or we have yet to get to the stage where I can 
introduce OST, I can get the "voices" of the whole system "on the wall" 
so that everyone can see it, no one can say the researcher 
misrepresented the data and get people involved in making meaning 
instead of defending or attacking the consultants' or the boss' summary.


Chris Kloth


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