What if you asked a million people 100 questions? For most of us
we'd pass out from data overload, but for the Gallup Organization,
it was like throwing Brer Rabbit into the briar patch. They were in
their element as they analyzed responses to 100 questions they asked
one million employees in search of a magic set of questions that
would correlate with employee and organizational performance.

They found 12 questions that fit the bill and those questions form
part of the foundation of, 'First, Break All the Rules' by Marcus
Buckingham & Curt Coffman. These twelve questions, when answered
'strongly agree,' identify high performance employees ... but, the
hard part is creating an environment where the employees can answer
'strongly agree.' This turns out to be more of a management test
than an employee assessment.

Try these questions out ... first on yourself, then on your
employees. To which questions would you answer 'strongly agree?'

1) Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2) Do I have the equipment and materials I need to do my work right?
3) Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4) In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for
good work?
5) Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a
person?
6) Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7) Do my opinions seem to count?
8) Does the mission or purpose of my company make me feel like my
work is includeant?
9) Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10) Do I have a best friend at work?
11) In the last 6 months, have I talked with someone about my
progress?
12) This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and
grow?

If you ... and your employees ... did not answer 'strongly agree' to
every one of these questions, you might want to read the book. There
is also a sequel 'Now, Discover Your Strengths' and an online column
on managing strengths: