Gallup Q12 Survey: How Leaders Can Successfully Act On Question 6

The sixth question in Gallup’s Q12 engagement survey is, "There is someone at work who encourages my development."

This question refers to someone within the organization - whether that be a manager, mentor, or peer - that encourages their professional development. This refers to someone who takes an active interest in their personal and professional growth.

It’s not only about a promotion or training - it's about ongoing support, feedback, and advocacy to help them become better at what to do to continue to progress in their career. 

In this sixth of twelve articles on Gallup’s Q12 engagement survey, we unpack this important question by covering the following topics:

• What High-Performing Organizations Do for Q6
• Where Organizations Can Go Wrong on Q6
• Suggestions for Improvement
• Tips for Managers to Support Q6
• Tip for Employees to Support Their Own Engagement on Q6
• Bonus: Q6 Engagement Activity

What High-Performing Organizations Do for Q6

1. Frequent and Constructive Feedback: High-performing organizations prioritize feedback, ensuring that employees receive both positive reinforcement and constructive criticism regularly.
2. Development-Focused Conversations: These companies regularly engage in development conversations, helping employees track their progress and set goals for improvement.

High-Performing School Example: Mentorship programs are in place, where experienced teachers provide guidance to newer educators. Administrators actively work with teachers to identify areas for growth and provide opportunities for professional development, including workshops, conferences, or graduate courses. Teachers are given clear career advancement pathways and opportunities to take on leadership roles, whether it’s leading professional learning communities or being part of the school’s strategic planning committees.

Where Organizations Can Go Wrong on Q6

1. Annual-Only Feedback: Limiting feedback to annual reviews can leave employees unsure of their progress. Continuous feedback is crucial for employee development.
2. Ignoring Employee Development Needs: If managers fail to discuss progress, employees may feel unsupported and uncertain about their career growth.

Suggestions for Improvement

1. Implement Regular Check-ins: Establish a cadence of one-on-one meetings where managers can offer feedback, discuss goals, and provide direction for growth.
2. Encourage Self-Reflection: Encourage employees to regularly assess their own progress, which can create a proactive mindset around feedback and development.
3. Create a Development Plan: Work with employees to create personalized development plans, outlining goals, feedback areas, and progress checkpoints.

Tips for Managers to Support Q6

1. Schedule Regular Feedback Sessions: Make feedback a continuous process by scheduling monthly or quarterly check-ins with each employee to discuss their progress.
2. Be Constructive and Supportive: Ensure your feedback is specific, actionable, and framed in a way that encourages improvement rather than discouragement.

Tips for Employees to Support Their Own Engagement on Q6

Request Feedback: Don’t wait for feedback to come to you. Be proactive in seeking guidance from your manager on how to improve and where you can make progress.

Bonus: Q6 Engagement Activity

Q6: "There is someone at work who encourages my development."

Activity: "Mentorship and Development Planning"

Goal: To encourage professional development through mentorship and clear career growth paths.

Instructions:

1. Mentorship Pairing: Pair employees with mentors (could be senior employees or team leaders) who will help guide their career development and provide support for growth.
2. Development Plans: In a one-on-one meeting, work with employees to create personalized development plans. Identify short-term and long-term goals, as well as the skills and experiences they’d like to develop.
3. Feedback & Support: Set up regular check-ins to track progress and provide the necessary resources or training to help employees achieve their goals.

Outcome: Employees feel supported in their development and have a clear roadmap for career advancement.

Conclusion

Regular feedback is key to employee development and engagement. By fostering a feedback-rich environment, both managers and employees can work together to ensure that progress is tracked, celebrated, and continuously improved upon.

As we move through 2025, let’s make Q6 a priority in fostering an engaged and high-performing workforce. Stay tuned for next month’s issue, where we’ll dive into Q7: “At work, my opinions seem to count.”

Need help with employee engagement? Contact us for guidance on measuring, analyzing, and improving employee engagement to drive better outcomes. Let’s work together to create a more engaged and successful workplace.