Using pulse surveys to improve team trust

A senior PM sent me her 360. 120 questions. “What should I fix first?” she asked. I stared at it. No clue. Too much noise. Too much fluff. So we tried something different. We ran a 2-minute 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗲 with her team. Just 10 questions. Sharp. Focused. One statement scored a 2.9 out of 5: “𝘐 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦.” That told us everything. She wasn’t arrogant. She was fast. Too fast for her team to weigh in. So we built one micro habit: 💬 “Here’s my draft plan. Poke holes in it by noon.” Four weeks later? That same score hit 4.1. Autonomy spiked. She delegated an entire workstream. Won back 8 hours a week. All from one line in a 2-minute survey. Most 360s measure everything. Except the one behavior that actually builds trust. This one did. So stop drowning leaders in data. Measure what moves trust. Fix the one thing. That’s how trust scales. P.S. Curious about the 10-question 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗲? Happy to share.

💬 When Listening Isn’t Enough: Designing Teams That Act on Employee Feedback We’ve all seen it: ✔️ The survey goes out ✔️ The insights come in ❌ And then… crickets. Listening without action is like watching the director’s cut without ever releasing the film. Great feedback loops don’t just collect opinions, they shape how organizations operate. Companies like Medallia are proving this: Employee Experience (EX) is no longer just about sentiment. It’s about designing teams, workflows, and leadership models that respond in real time. Here's an example: Schneider Electric wanted to boost employee engagement and retention, especially among frontline and distributed workers who often felt disconnected from corporate decision-making. What Medallia Did: Using Medallia’s Employee Experience (EX) platform, Schneider Electric implemented a real-time listening strategy that went beyond annual surveys. They deployed: - Pulse surveys tied to key employee lifecycle moments (e.g., onboarding, team transitions) - Text analytics and sentiment analysis to uncover patterns in open-ended feedback - Customized dashboards for local leaders and HRBPs to take targeted action The Outcome: Managers received tailored insights along with "action nudges"—specific, behavior-based suggestions to improve engagement on their teams. Leadership teams reorganized internal mobility pathways after identifying a common blocker in feedback around career progression. Engagement scores improved, especially among underrepresented groups and early-career employees. 🎯 The real competitive edge? Org design that closes the loop: -Leaders trained to recognize signal from noise -Team structures flexible enough to act on input -Feedback tied directly to decision rights and resourcing Systems in place to show employees: we heard you, and here’s what we did Because trust isn’t built in surveys—it’s built in what happens next. 📊 I’m curious—what’s one way your org has acted on employee feedback in the past year? #EmployeeExperience #OrganizationalDesign #LeadershipDevelopment #Medallia #PeopleStrategy #TrustBuilding #EXtoAction #HRInnovation

Employee engagement surveys are broken.   There, I said it.   Companies spend thousands each year on surveys. Promising insights into how their people feel.   Yet the results are often inaccurate, incomplete, and unreliable.   And why is this?   1. Mistrust of anonymity Employees open up when surveys feel safe. But 45% think HR can track their answers, so they hold back. Reframe surveys as confidential and explain how the data is used.   2. Outdated survey design Generic surveys miss the mark. Every company is different, so should its questions be. Tailor surveys to your culture and goals to get useful insights.   3. Timing matters Annual surveys? Outdated. Engagement shifts all year. Regular pulse checks give a clearer picture.   4. The trust gap Nothing kills engagement like ignored feedback. If employees don’t see change, they stop caring. Share results, communicate next steps, and follow through.   How do we fix it?   - Run shorter, more frequent pulse surveys. - Focus on patterns, not individual responses. - Follow up with action and communicate results.   Employee engagement builds trust. Not simply collecting data.   Are your surveys doing that?

Organizational change—be it a merger, restructuring, layoffs, or new tech implementation—can create uncertainty and stress among employees. To navigate this effectively, real-time insights into employee experience and sentiment are crucial, and that's where pulse surveys shine. Employee pulse surveys are short, frequent surveys designed to gauge employee sentiment and engagement. Unlike traditional annual surveys, pulse surveys are conducted regularly—often monthly or even weekly. They focus on a few key questions that allow organizations to quickly assess the mood and morale of their workforce. Why Do Pulse Surveys Matter During Organizational Change? ✅ Real-Time Feedback: Quickly identify and address emerging issues before they escalate. For example, if employees feel unclear about their roles post-restructuring, a pulse survey can highlight this concern early, enabling leaders to address it promptly. ✅Enhanced Engagement: Show employees their feedback matters, boosting trust and morale. When employees see that their feedback leads to tangible actions, their trust in leadership grows, and their engagement improves, even during turbulent times. ✅Impact Measurement: It’s one thing to implement change, but it’s another to ensure that the change is effective and beneficial. Leaders can compare pre- and post-change survey results to determine whether the change has had the desired effect on employee morale and productivity. The period following organizational change is just as critical as the change itself. Employees need time to adjust to new processes, leadership, or organizational structures. Pulse surveys continue to play an important role during this phase by: ✔ Monitoring Employee Adaptation: Frequent surveys can track how well employees are adapting to new circumstances and identify ongoing challenges. ✔ Sustaining Engagement: Keeping a pulse on employee engagement levels helps ensure that any negative impacts of change are quickly mitigated. ✔ Driving Continuous Improvement: Feedback from pulse surveys can guide further refinements to the changes implemented, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with employee needs. Employee pulse surveys are a powerful tool for navigating change, providing leaders with the insights needed to support their workforce, maintain engagement, and drive positive outcomes. By prioritizing employee feedback during and after organizational change, companies can foster a culture of openness, trust, and resilience—key ingredients for thriving in today’s dynamic environment. #PulseSurveys #EmployeeEngagement #ChangeManagement