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I have always been sceptical about the value of organisational-climate surveys - annual surveys that ask employees how they feel about working for the company. The premise is that results from these surveys will help management create a happier, healthier workforce and lead to better business performance.

At best, surveys can only provide a rough idea about how people collectively feel about certain aspects of an organisation's culture. What is needed is a deeper understanding of what survey results really mean.

For example, one popular survey question asks employees whether the company communicates a clear strategic direction. The theory is, if employees know where they are going, they are motivated and can pull together in the same direction. 

So, what does a collective "no" mean? Does it mean communicating a clear, strategic direction will help people focus and enhance business performance? Not if individual performance measures are misaligned. Not if translating the strategy into implementation means different things to different functions.

What about empowerment? What if survey scores indicate people feel management does not give them the freedom to do their jobs? Is the solution to be more hands-off? Not if employees do not have the experience or knowledge to make good decisions on their own.

Many surveys evaluate areas they should not. Some surveys ask if employees are satisfied with their salaries. A better way to assess salaries is to benchmark them against the marketplace and work from there. 

It is important to evaluate the results of organisation surveys to understand their true implication on business performance. Otherwise, improving survey scores may not have any effect on business results.