Surveys can be high stakes. When families and staff answer your surveys, do you know what they really mean?
Closed-ended surveys give you data; open-ended listening gives you understanding. And in times like these, understanding is high stakes.
Over the years, we’ve worked with districts and organizations to dig deeper into survey results. Closed-ended surveys give you a glimpse into what people think- but leaders are often left with more questions than answers.
We hear this time and again from our partners who’ve been conducting surveys for years with other platforms, yet still find themselves yearning for why. They come to Possip seeking better.
One leader shared, “We’ve been doing this same 50-question survey with families, students, and staff for three years, and we still can’t tell you what they really think- or why they feel the way they do.”
That’s a real risk- especially because the stakes are so high.
In some communities, over 30% of schools are closing due to insufficient enrollment.
While staff turnover is lower than the past, it always costs organizations tens of thousands of dollars at least.
Many nonprofits are facing shrinking funding resources and must rely on the strength of their communities- funders, participants, volunteers, and supporters. In times like these, surface-level insights just won’t do.
That’s why the power of open-ended listening and qualitative insights is so important.
Case Study Example:
One of our partners wanted to understand why families were leaving their district. In their closed-ended survey they conducted before using Possip, most parents chose “academics” as the reason. They found themselves with a lot of data but little information. What about academics?
Within days- through Possip’s Pulse Check and qualitative insights- they discovered that “academics” meant very different things to different families.
For some, it meant their students needed more support for IEP supports and diverse learning needs.
For others, it meant wanting more rigorous academic opportunities.
Still others had questions about the curriculum – what was being taught – they had not gotten resolved.
That insight changed everything. The district could now see which schools had which needs- and begin addressing the real issues behind “academic needs.”
Listening Isn’t Easy.
We all carry our own lenses and biases. We jump to conclusions, think we know what people are saying, and fill in the gaps with our own interpretations. That’s why creating space for people to share in their own words- without filters- is so important.
For a long time, this kind of listening felt impossible- it was too much to process. But that’s no longer the case. Possip’s technology (and others) now makes it easy to quickly digest and act on qualitative insights.
Whatever community or organization you care about, think about how you can power the richness of quantitative data with the depth of qualitative understanding.
That’s how you truly listen- and lead.
