When was it difficult to raise a concern?
Optional short textRetain the specific point or condition described; avoid replacing it with an unexplained rating.People at work / Survey guide
People at work · Practical survey guide
Speaking-up barriers survey
Understand what makes raising concerns difficult.
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DESIGN THE ANSWER SPACE
What response would make speaking up easier?
Optional written explanationKeep context that distinguishes different experiences. Never promise anonymity without verified handling.Which channel feels suitable for questions?
Optional improvement suggestionKeep the suggested change separate from whether it has been tested. Test a smaller discussion channel.Suggested formats to adapt, not preconfigured product fields.
A useful starting point
Questions to understand the actual experience.
Understand what makes raising concerns difficult. Use the prompts relevant to your audience and allow people to skip situations they did not encounter. Keep response handling consistent with what you explain in the invitation.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate.
When was it difficult to raise a concern?
The difficult concern-raising situation identifies the setting or interaction that inhibited participation. Keep disclosure optional and avoid identifiable incident details.
What response would make speaking up easier?
A desired response identifies an interaction that may reduce hesitation when raising a concern. Discuss appropriate team practices without soliciting identifiable incidents; anticipated comfort does not establish psychological safety or absence of harm.
Which channel feels suitable for questions?
A suitable question channel identifies where a respondent would feel able to ask; channel preference alone does not establish safety or freedom from harm.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate. When was it difficult to raise a concern? What response would make speaking up easier? Which channel feels suitable for questions?
Download the questions as text ↓
Examples to adapt, rather than a validated research instrument.
A worked interpretation example
From a comment to a practical next step.
Illustrative scenario. These are not customer results.
Keep the finding specific
People avoid challenging decisions during large meetings.
Choose an action to test
Test a smaller discussion channel.
Check the experience again
After trying the change, repeat “When was it difficult to raise a concern?” with people who experienced it. Check whether they still describe the original issue: people avoid challenging decisions during large meetings. Compare explanations and sample context, rather than claiming the change caused an improvement.
Choose the response format
Make room for the explanation.
| Question | Suggested format | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| When was it difficult to raise a concern? | Optional short text | Retain the specific point or condition described; avoid replacing it with an unexplained rating. |
| What response would make speaking up easier? | Optional written explanation | Keep context that distinguishes different experiences. Never promise anonymity without verified handling. |
| Which channel feels suitable for questions? | Optional improvement suggestion | Keep the suggested change separate from whether it has been tested. Test a smaller discussion channel. |
Make questions optional where appropriate. If you add a rating scale, label its endpoints, keep one idea per question, and retain a follow-up for reasons. These examples are not a validated measurement instrument.
Before you send it
Check what your wording assumes.
Would you agree that everything about speaking-up barriers was clear and easy?
When was it difficult to raise a concern?
The first wording combines an assumed positive outcome with two different judgments. The revised prompt asks about a specific experience and permits an inconvenient or uncertain answer.
From question to next step
Make the feedback useful.
Set the decision
Start with the decision: Understand what makes raising concerns difficult.
Invite relevant voices
Invite people with relevant experience. Ask after someone has encountered the situation described in “When was it difficult to raise a concern?”, while they can still recall the details. For material testing, show the actual draft first; for planning, ask before the next relevant activity.
Choose an action
Test a smaller discussion channel.
Read the answers carefully
Keep the conclusion within the evidence.
Never promise anonymity without verified handling.
People avoid challenging decisions during large meetings. This is a synthetic example, not a customer result. Never promise anonymity without verified handling.
Before you send it
Questions, answered.
Who should receive this questionnaire?
People and team leaders who experienced the working arrangement. Ask only about steps each person encountered; do not treat a voluntary response sample as representative.
When should I ask these questions?
Ask after someone has encountered the situation described in “When was it difficult to raise a concern?”, while they can still recall the details. For material testing, show the actual draft first; for planning, ask before the next relevant activity.
What should I investigate in the answers?
People avoid challenging decisions during large meetings. This is an illustrative pattern to look for, not a claim about your respondents. Never promise anonymity without verified handling.
What would a practical follow-up look like?
Test a smaller discussion channel. After trying the change, repeat “When was it difficult to raise a concern?” with people who experienced it. Check whether they still describe the original issue: people avoid challenging decisions during large meetings. Compare explanations and sample context, rather than claiming the change caused an improvement.
How should I ask “What response would make speaking up easier?”?
A desired response identifies an interaction that may reduce hesitation when raising a concern. Discuss appropriate team practices without soliciting identifiable incidents; anticipated comfort does not establish psychological safety or absence of harm. Use an optional written explanation when predefined choices would hide relevant context.
Can I use the questions in SurveyTeams?
Copy the prompts or download TXT, CSV, JSON, or a Markdown worksheet, then adapt them in your own survey. The CTA opens registration; it does not import this example automatically. Verify available features in your account.
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Draft your own speaking-up barriers questionnaire.
Use these examples to draft your questionnaire. Create a survey draft, add questions, and check the respondent preview in SurveyTeams. Additional features depend on your account and plan.
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