This document discusses data feedback, which is the process of presenting data collected through surveys or other means back to an organization. It provides information on why data feedback is important for organizational change and success. Specifically, it notes that data feedback provides empirical evidence that can help organizations see the need for change. It also outlines several key features that make data feedback effective, such as being relevant, understandable, descriptive, and timely. The document then discusses the feedback process, including common goals, feelings that may arise, and the role of the organizational development practitioner in facilitating productive discussions. It also presents survey feedback as a common technique and provides steps for administering and analyzing survey feedback within an organization.

1. PART 1: DATA FEEDBACK

3. • “The check on how successful we have been in
transferring our messages as originally intended. It
determines whether understanding has been achieved”
(Robbins & Judge, 2009, p. 387).
• “The degree to which, carrying out the work activities
required by the job, results in the individual obtaining
direct and clear information about the effectiveness of
his / her performance” (Robbins & Judge, 2009, p.
251).

4. ?
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5. • ALSO KNOWN AS FEEDING BACK DATA (DIAGNOSTIC
INFORMATION)
• THE RE-PRESENTATION OF FEEDBACK DATA TO THE CLIENT
• DONE BY THE ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT (OD)
PRACTITIONER
• THE ORGANISATION AND PRESENTATION OF THE DATA
COLLECTED VIA FEEDBACK TO THE CLIENT

6. • IN ORDER FOR AN ORGANISATION TO SURVIVE IT MUST
ADAPT TO CHANGE AND EMBRACE THE PROCESS OF
CHANGE WITHIN ITSELF.
• IN ORDER FOR THE ORGANISATION TO SEE THE
NECESSITY FOR THIS CHANGE THEY OFTEN REQUIRE
PROOF THAT THIS CHANGE IS NECESSARY
• DATA FEED BACK PROVIDES EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FOR
THE CASE OF CHANGE

7. Energy to use
data to identify and
solve problems
Is the energy created
by the feedback?
What is the
direction of the
feedback?
Do structures and
processes turn
energy
into action?
Energy
to deny or
fight data

8. IN ORDER FOR FEEDBACK TO BE EFFECTIVE IT MUST
BE :
•RELEVANT
• ONCE THE INFORMATION IS DEEMED MEANINGFUL BY THE
ORGANISATION IT IS MORE LIKELY TO BE USED
•UNDERSTANDABLE
• THE FEEDBACK DATA BUST BE ORGANISED IN SUCE A AWY
AS TO ENABLE EASE OF UNDERSTANDING AND
INTERPRETATION
•DESCRIPTIVE
• PRACTICAL RELATION OF THE DATA WILL AROUSE DIRECT
ENERGY FOR CHANGE AND MAKES THE DATA ‘REAL’ TO
THOSE PRESENTED
•VERIFIABLE
• THE INFORMATION PRESENTED MUST BE ACCURATE AND

9. • TIMELY
• THE TIMING OF DATA PRESENTED IS VERY IMPORTANT.
• VERY LITTLE DELAY BETWEEN COLLECTION, PROCESSING
AND PRESENTING DATA
• LIMITED
• INFORMATION SHOULD BE CONCISE AND PRECISE
• SIGNIFICANT
• INFORMATION PRESENTED SHOULD BE LIMITED TO
PROBLEMS THAT CAN BE SOLVED – ENERGY TO REALISTIC
ACTION
• COMPARATIVE
• INFORMATION MUST HAVE A BENCHMARK FOR REFERENCE –
EG. THEN VS. NOW, THIS VS. THAT – GROUP IN BROADER
CONTEXT
• UNFINALISED
• SHOULD SPUR DISCUSSION ACTION AND FURTHER DIAGNOSIS
&PROBLEM SOLVING.
• DATA IS ONLY STARTING POINT FOR DEEPER DISCUSSION OF
ORG. ISSUES.

10. PART 2:
FEEDBACK PROCESS

11. Feedback Process
Context
Meetings
Aim
Discuss data
Draw conclusions
Generate action plans
Objective
Client’s ownership of the data
 Acceptance of change
 Willingness to bear responsibility

12. Feedback Process Cont’d
Feelings
Anxiety
Fear
Stimulation
Hope for change
OD Practitioner/ Consultant
Facilitator/ Guide
 Constructive discussion
 Effective problem solving
 Motivate change

13. 5 Features for Successful Feedback

14. Feedback Process- Techniques/
Tools
Survey Feedback
Questionnaire/ Survey
 Collecting and feeding back of data
 Data analyzed
 Data used to diagnose, identify, or clarify issues and problems.
 Data used to develop interventions
 Data used to assess attitudes
 Data used to solve differences.

15. Feedback Process- Techniques/
Tools Cont’d
Steps
1. Members if the organisation, including those at the top are
involved in preliminary planning of survey.
2. The survey instrument is administered to all members of
the organisation or department.
3. The OD practitioner/ consultant usually analyzes the
survey data, tabulates the results, suggests approaches to
diagnosis, and trains client members to lead the feedback
process.
4. Data feedback usually begins at the top of the organisation
and cascades downward to groups reporting to managers at
successively lower levels.
5. Feedback meetings provide an opportunity to work with
the data.

16. Feedback Process- Techniques/
Tools Cont’d
Feedback Survey Limitations
Ambiguity of purpose
Distrust
Unacceptable topics
Organisational disturbances

17. END