A pulse check survey can be divided into three phases: survey, ideas and implementation. All three phases are completed in a very short time and ideally repeat once a month. You run the survey itself with the LamaPoll survey tool; for the basics, see our pulse check overview.
Table of Contents
How to run phase 1 with LamaPoll. Start with a clearly defined topic:
- Create – Create an online questionnaire in LamaPoll with no more than 5–10 questions
- Conduct – Survey your employees and send out the online questionnaires
- Analyse – Analyse the results and gather ideas for your organisation. Now the improvement process can begin!
Repeat the pulse check after about a month, either on the same topic or on a new, clearly defined one.
The classic three-phase pulse check model
The three phases form a cycle: what the implementation phase achieves feeds into the topic of the next pulse check. This lets you see from month to month whether your measures are working.
The three phases in detail
Phase 1: Survey on a clearly defined topic
First, the actual survey on a clearly defined topic takes place on a PC, tablet or smartphone.
Phase 2: Ideas – assess new ideas critically and put them to use
Next comes the ideas phase: respondents get anonymous access to their colleagues’ responses and are asked to submit suggestions for improvement on the issues flagged as critical. The submitted ideas are rated, showing the relevant department which topics and suggestions matter most and should therefore be implemented.
Phase 3: Projects – implementing ideas and developing projects
In phase 3, those responsible set up project teams to implement individual ideas. Here too, all employees can see the team members, costs, effort and progress of each project.
Timeframe for a pulse check cycle
For the monthly rhythm to work, each phase needs a fixed timeframe. As a guide, the following split works well:
- Survey: runs for about 1 week
- Ideas: 1 to 2 weeks to collect and rate suggestions
- Implementation: the remaining time until the next pulse check
Share the results with your employees
Share the results promptly with all respondents and state clearly what actions will follow. If employees never find out what happens to their responses, participation drops at the next pulse check. This also applies when a topic is deliberately not pursued: a brief explanation builds trust.
Assign responsibilities
Before the first pulse check, decide who does what: who analyses the results, who moderates the ideas phase and who is responsible for implementing the projects. Clear responsibilities stop good suggestions from getting lost between cycles.
Tip: You’ll find suitable sample questions for your pulse check and a checklist to help you prepare in our pulse check series.
