Do You Work For......

Are You....

An Employer of Choice?

PRINT AND TAKE THE FREEDOM SURVEY:
 

For each of the seven (7) questions and their choices, approximate the percentage (%), in multiples of 5%, that ‘best describes’ the organization’s approach, philosophy or behavior(s).  You may leave some questions blank, but your total response needs to add up to 100%.  We suggest that you read the entire four questions before affixing a percentage to that group of questions.  One question will normally dominate your percentages.  (Meaning your department has a particular style.)  To get the best results, answer the questions quickly…don’t ‘labor’ over your answers.  No two departments are alike nor are the viewpoints of any two people.  So, at best, you’ll only be able to estimate or guess — which is what we want you to do.  There are no right answers ‘just perceptions.’ 

 Place the percentage for each item in the space provided.  Again, use only multiples of 5%…for example: 5, 15, 30, etc.  Finally, please be sure that the total responses for ‘each’ group of questions add up to 100%. 

 EXAMPLE:

   1. Beliefs about People: When do people perform best?        

a.       _____%  Our organization relies on policies and procedures not people. Because people may not be reliable, work needs to be inspected or supervised.

 b.      _____%  Our organization believes that people act in their own self-interest, so we rely on incentives to improve performance.

 c.       _____%  Our organization only trusts people who achieve the performance standards, so we receive regular performance feedback. 

 d.      _____%  Our organization believes in people; we are trusted to do our best. Those who can’t be trusted can’t stay.

                 =100% (Please make sure your responses add up to 100%)

2.  Leadership Approach:  How do leaders set goals and distribute responsibilities?   

a.    _____%   Leaders in our organization set the goals, offer incentives to achieve them and reward the successful employees with additional responsibilities.  

b.    _____%   Leaders in our organization allow people to participate in setting goals, assess their personal performance, and distribute responsibilities accordingly.  

c.    _____%   Leaders in our organization act primarily as resources to individuals and groups, but don’t own the outcome.  In this environment individuals design their own jobs, set their own goals, and are open about sharing their results.  

d.    _____%   Leaders in our organization set the goals because they have the ‘big picture.’   They delegate responsibilities as they see fit to individuals who demonstrate talent.  

                =100% (Please make sure your responses add up to 100%)

3. Use of Control:  How are controls applied?

a.    _____% In our organization, feedback systems (grades, ratings, appraisals, etc.) are used to control individual and group behavior.  

b.    _____%  In our organization, controls are enforced by those in authority who use a chain of command approach.

 c.       _____%  In our organization, people control their own responsibilities and goals and are accountable for the results.

 d.       _____%  In our organization, activity is controlled through the use of reward systems and incentives.

                   =100% (Please make sure your responses add up to 100%)

4. Organizational Structure: How are people organized?

 a.    _____%   In our organization, people are organized into competitive teams or groups.

 b.    _____%   In our organization, people are organized by function or department and they stay within that job description.

 c.    _____%   In our organization, people form whatever relationships best serve the customer, the organization or each other.  Structure is fluid and people don’t think of themselves as belonging to a particular department.

 d.    _____%   In our organization, people are organized so that individual and group performance can be easily tracked and measured.

                    =100% (Please make sure your responses add up to 100%)

5. Change Strategy:  How is change accomplished?

 a.    _____%   In our organization, change is dictated from the top and compliance (agreement) is expected.

 b.    _____%   In our organization, change is managed by modifying people’s attitudes and behaviors.

c.    _____%   In our organization change is announced with little discussion and incentives are offered to gain the buy-in leadership desires.

d.    _____%   In our organization change is accomplished by encouraging people to experiment with new ideas. 

                    =100% (Please make sure your responses add up to 100%)

6. Accountability Systems: How do we get people to be accountable?

a.    _____%   In our organization, people are accountable for following rules, policies and procedures.

 b.    _____%   In our organization, people own their jobs, make their own decisions and are accountable for their performance to everyone.

c.    _____%   In our organization, people are accountable for achieving quotas or goals and experience negative consequences if they’re not successful.

 d.    _____%   In our organization, people are accountable for meeting agreed upon performance standards and their performance reviews and income depend on meeting these agreements. 

                    =100% (Please make sure your responses add up to 100%)

7. Type of People: How do people generally behave?  

 a.    _____%   In our organization, people show initiative.  They’re open, creative, proactive (meaning: They see what needs to be done and do it without being asked and without fear of criticism), and feel responsible for their efforts. 

 b.    _____%   In our organization, people are coachable team players.  They adapt their behaviors based on periodic performance feedback.

 c.    _____%   In our organization, people do what they’re told.  Creativity is not really welcomed and it’s not safe to be creative or different. 

 d.    _____%   In our organization, the environment is highly competitive.  ‘Making the goal or quota’ regardless of the consequences seems to be the way we behave. 

                     =100% (Please make sure your responses add up to 100%)

The Freedom Survey^Ô Scoring Key

First, record your responses from the survey in the column on the left.  Then calculate your overall score following the instructions in the box on the right.

  1.      Beliefs about people

a.                  Q1  _____%

b.                 Q2  _____%

c.                  Q3  _____%

d.                 Q4  _____%

2.                 Leadership approach

a.                  Q2  _____%

b.                 Q3  _____%

c.                  Q4  _____%

d.                 Q1  _____%

3.                 Use of control

a.                  Q3  _____%

b.                 Q1  _____%

c.                  Q4  _____%

d.                 Q2  _____%

4.                 Organizational structure

a.                  Q2  _____%

b.                 Q1  _____%

c.                  Q4  _____%

d.                 Q3  _____%

5.                 Change strategy

a.                  Q1  _____%

b.                 Q3  _____%

c.                  Q2  _____%

d.                 Q4  _____%

6.                 Accountability systems

a.                  Q1  _____%

b.                 Q4  _____%

c.                  Q2  _____%

d.                 Q3  _____%

7.                 Type of people

a.                  Q4  _____%

b.                 Q3  _____%

c.                  Q1  _____%

d.       Q2  _____%

How you scored your organization:

QI (Quadrant One Control-Based)

This is the “Top-Down Driven” approach.  Controls and organizational change are imposed from the top.  People are expected to do what they are told, with leaders delegating responsibilities as they see fit.  Accountability is imposed through the use of strict rules, policies, and procedures.  Those in authority assign jobs, and people are expected to do what they are told.

QII (Quadrant Two Control-Based)

This is the “Incentive Driven” approach.  Incentives and internal competitions are used both to control the organization and to drive organizational change.  People are expected to compete well, and leaders award additional responsibilities to top performers while taking away responsibilities from poor performers.  Accountability is verified through the use of scoring and certification systems.  The best jobs go to those who have performed best compared to their peers and cooperate with their supervisors.

QIII (Quadrant Three Control-Based)

This is the “Conditional Freedom” or the “Measurement Driven” approach.  Organizational change is brought about by getting individuals to focus on personal improvement.  Periodic personal evaluations and performance appraisals are used to assess improvement, to distribute responsibilities, to assign jobs, and to establish accountability.  Staff members are expected to respond positively to feedback from supervisors.

QIV (Quadrant Four Freedom-Based)

This is the “Freedom-Based” or the “Accountability Driven” approach.  Individual freedom, personal responsibility, and a faith and trust in people have replaced all forms of control.  People take responsibility for designing their jobs, for choosing their projects, and for being accountable for the results.  Those who cannot be trusted to take responsibility and be accountable either have already left the organization or soon well be asked to leave.  Organizational change is accomplished by promoting a willingness to experiment with new ideas.  People are expected to manage themselves, to work well with others, and to ask for help when they need it.

Your Scores – represent your perception of the amount of time you believe your organization operates in each of the four quadrants.

To learn more about FREEDOM BASED organizations, email SuccessStrategists