Gallup, as described in the book, First, Break All the Rules, determined through rigorous analysis the 12 questions which are the most useful in describing the strength of a workplace, and created a story describing the strength of your job in terms of climbing a mountain. And because a company who has figured out the world’s organizational problems using hard-core statistics can’t be wrong - here are the 12 questions:
Base Camp: “What do I get?”
1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the right materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
Camp 1: “What do I give?”
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
Camp 2: “Do I belong here?”
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission / purpose of my company make me feel like my work is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
Camp 3: “How can we all grow?”
11. In the last six months, have I talked with someone about my progress?
12. At work, have I had opportunities to learn and grow?
So how high on the mountain are you in your job?