Twenty Questions to Ask for 2007

Submitted by Dr. Janice Presser, The Gabriel Institute

I've never liked the idea of New Year's resolutions, but this year I made one.  It was to think more about the right questions to ask my team rather than the right answers to give them.  These are the questions I thought of for my own company, so maybe they will be useful for yours.

1. Do you understand the Founder's Vision?

2. Is the Vision personally relevant to you?

3. Do you understand what the plan is to reach the Vision?

4. Do you know what your part of the action is in the organization's quest for the Vision?

5. Do you have the tools you need to do your part?

6. Are people generally approachable when you need help?

7. Do you have one or two particular people that you do great work with?

8. Does it feel like there is enough to go around at the company or do you feel like you have to share paper clips and ration coffee?

9. Do you get frequent updates on where the organization is on its quest?

10. Do you get energized by your work?

11. Do you find yourself thinking about things you could do that haven't been assigned to you or aren't in your job description or on your task list?

12. Do you feel connected to others at work - both teammates and customers?

13. Do you feel you have a mission that is like a spiritual one?

14. Does it seem natural to be doing what you are doing?

15. Are you given enough responsibility at work?

16. Are you given enough respect at work?

17. Are you given enough rewards at work?

18. Are you given the kind of rewards you like?

19. Are you given the kind of feedback you like?

20. Are you given enough feedback at the right time?

In case you're wondering, I didn't hand this out as an assignment.  I'm thinking of it as more of a gift.  The questions may not seem like a gift to my team members, but their answers are a gift for me.

Dr. Janice Presser is CEO of The Gabriel Institute, a professional services company that helps clients manage, measure and maximize their human capital. TGI is the originator of Role-based Assessment, a tool used for pre-employment screening, enhancing workforce performance and preventing workplace conflict.  Dr. Presser has pioneered the use of behavioral assessment techniques in organizational development and, with members of TGI's team, has developed programs, techniques and tools that bring predictable results to Human Resource and Organizational Development initiatives. 

She serves on the Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) Human Capital Assessment/HR Metrics Special Expertise Panel and is the author of numerous articles on assessment and metrics issues such as the development of measures for job fit and promotability.  She also serves on the National Advisory Board on Talent Development and the Assessment Expert Panel for Human Capital Institute, the Research Committee of Philadelphia Human Resource Planning Society and the Philadelphia Board of The Entrepreneurship Institute.

The Gabriel Institute - www.thegabrielinstitute.com
Society for Human Resource Management - www.shrm.org
Human Capital Institute - www.humancapitalinstitute.org
Philadelphia Human Resource Planning Society - www.phrpg.org
The Entrepreneurship Institute - www.tei.net

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