Which task has unclear ownership?
A task with unclear ownership identifies a responsibility gap that neighboring roles need to resolve. Preserve the task context instead of rating either role.
People at work / Survey guide
People at work · Practical survey guide
Role boundaries survey
Clarify responsibility gaps between neighboring roles.
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ILLUSTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE3 prompts
Try the first three questions here. Nothing is submitted or saved.
A useful starting point
Questions to understand the actual experience.
Clarify responsibility gaps between neighboring roles. 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.
Where do responsibilities overlap?
Overlapping responsibilities identify decisions that may have multiple owners or unclear handoff boundaries. Agree task-specific authority and consultation points, without assuming every overlap is duplication or that a role map resolves all coordination problems.
What handoff rule would help?
A proposed handoff rule identifies the event, owner or confirmation needed between roles. Check authority and dependencies before adopting the rule.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate. Which task has unclear ownership? Where do responsibilities overlap? What handoff rule would help?
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Examples to adapt, rather than a validated research instrument.
Choose the response format
Make room for the explanation.
| Question | Suggested format | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Which task has unclear ownership? | Optional short text | Retain the specific point or condition described; avoid replacing it with an unexplained rating. |
| Where do responsibilities overlap? | Optional written explanation | Keep context that distinguishes different experiences. Distinguish unclear design from individual blame. |
| What handoff rule would help? | Optional improvement suggestion | Keep the suggested change separate from whether it has been tested. Assign a named handoff owner. |
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 role boundaries was clear and easy?
Which task has unclear ownership?
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.
Read the answers carefully
Keep the conclusion within the evidence.
Distinguish unclear design from individual blame.
Two roles both assume another handles follow-up. This is a synthetic example, not a customer result. Distinguish unclear design from individual blame.
A worked interpretation example
From a comment to a practical next step.
Illustrative scenario. These are not customer results.
Keep the finding specific
Two roles both assume another handles follow-up.
Choose an action to test
Assign a named handoff owner.
Check the experience again
After trying the change, repeat “Which task has unclear ownership?” with people who experienced it. Check whether they still describe the original issue: two roles both assume another handles follow-up. Compare explanations and sample context, rather than claiming the change caused an improvement.
From question to next step
Make the feedback useful.
Set the decision
Start with the decision: Clarify responsibility gaps between neighboring roles.
Invite relevant voices
Invite people with relevant experience. Ask after someone has encountered the situation described in “Which task has unclear ownership?”, 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
Assign a named handoff owner.
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 “Which task has unclear ownership?”, 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?
Two roles both assume another handles follow-up. This is an illustrative pattern to look for, not a claim about your respondents. Distinguish unclear design from individual blame.
What would a practical follow-up look like?
Assign a named handoff owner. After trying the change, repeat “Which task has unclear ownership?” with people who experienced it. Check whether they still describe the original issue: two roles both assume another handles follow-up. Compare explanations and sample context, rather than claiming the change caused an improvement.
How should I ask “Where do responsibilities overlap?”?
Overlapping responsibilities identify decisions that may have multiple owners or unclear handoff boundaries. Agree task-specific authority and consultation points, without assuming every overlap is duplication or that a role map resolves all coordination problems. 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 role boundaries 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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