I Value Your Opinion

It’s time again for the annual Values Survey, and this year, I want to take you behind the scenes, and share with you just how useful this data is for me when it comes to determining the health of our organization. The results obtained from the Values Survey provide me with an understanding of the overall climate for our entire division as well as the climate of each department individually. This data helps gauge where we are currently successful and where improvements need to be made so that we continue to be the finest division within the CSU.

It may seem like a simple process: a survey comes through your inbox; you complete the survey; and then the results appear. However, there is quite a bit more to this process than seen on the surface.

I want you to know that I take these results seriously and spend hours reviewing every comment that is entered on this survey - - - the comments are the most telling piece for me. I want to know what you have to say. Your feedback provides me with a window into your department and gives me an understanding for what is going well and what is not. The feedback helps me to see where I need to take action.

And I do. Each year, after I review the survey data, I discuss the results with my direct reports. I discuss with them areas where improvements are needed and I commend them for the praise they receive. As always, we do not discuss who may have written a comment or provided a certain answer. The survey is anonymous - your identities are unknown because we choose not to collect that information. We don’t collect IP Addresses and we have even stopped asking the questions relating to whether you are a manager or staff member to avoid the possibility of identifying an employee.

I want you to feel comfortable sharing your feedback with me, I am making an additional change to the survey this year - - - I am the only person who will see the comments in their raw form. Once I have reviewed them, I will work with my quality improvement team to scrub the comments and pull out general themes. My direct reports will only see the generalized themes.

Rest assured, we take anonymity seriously and will ensure that employees cannot be identified for their comments and survey responses.

The survey will be administered on June 1st and we (I take the survey too) will have three weeks to complete it. Please take the survey and share your comments with me – the good, the bad, and the in-between. I cannot make changes and improvements without knowing what is going on in your departments - - - utilize this survey as a way to share your thoughts with me.

Be watching for the survey to arrive in your inbox!