Command Climate survey. Should it be optional?

Why would you want to turn it down? We do these, so we know what you think? If you won't respond, we will not know?

The pooh-bahs listen to it. You can bet that the higher level commanders pay attention when issues come up on a command climate survey with subordinate commanders.

With the new system it is optional if you think about it. You are given a link to go to and you do the survey when you want but please before date X. Under the old way everyone was herded into a room and took the survey. But the Commander does not see the data like 43 year old Hispanic SPC said X. That data is used for other purposes and the Commander does not see it....the demographics are compiled to show how the command team does with certain ages, ranks and so on. The survey is an important tool and a good way to fix issues or to sustain things that are going right in an unit.

I am curious as to how you feel "put on-the-spot". It is an anonymous survey that is used to measure many things within a unit and if used properly can let unit leadership know where they stand. If it is a criticism of the unit then so be it. No unit is perfect and any leader worth his salt should expect to have some constructive criticism. I have also seen changes made due to the survey so not sure why you think no one listens. Even if they don't listen in your unit, if you don't voice your opinion, then you have no right to complain, imo. If you use the command climate survey and truthfully voice your opinion and no changes are made... at the least you can say you brought it to their attention.

No it should not be optional. It is important to see if patterns come to light that are of concern. It is important for a CDR to know what must be worked on to improve.

I had to live through the climate surveys for years. As a systems type, I'd abhor them because the survey set of questions were not properly configured, hence garbage in, garbage out. Also the reaction and typical command mentality in dealing with them was also well wide of the mark. All the skippers cared about was being well ahead of everyone else, hence letting the 3000 mile Flag screwdriver work someone else over. The companies that hawk this stuff could never answer basic survey validity questions like "normalized against what?". Lot's of unsupported assumptions in the data crunching. So the best you could really get out of them were some indicators that it would likely be worth while to tease out a thing or two that you likely already knew. The narratives tended to be gripe or brown nosing sessions. So my bottom line with all the faults in them were to use only what's valid, which wasn't much. Most draw unsubstantiated conclusions with the help of the companies that create the test to keep the Feds paying for next year's version.

BTW, you'll notice what the Flags are most scared of with what is the first topical area. Haven't seen anything related to mission in 20 years.

These are great tools for a command, as annoying as we sometimes find them on the lower levels. It's not like your name is attached to them anyway so just be honest and if they do hear you out then those 5 minutes spent saying your piece will be well worth it.

http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_20.pdf

This is why.

SPC (Join to see) I have absolutely no problem answering, but it has to be fully anonymous.
Rank SPC
Age: 33
Ethnicity: Latin

Let me see how many 33 years old, latin Specialists we have in our Company? ha!

More data even if it is "null data" is better than Less data.

Making it Optional is going to SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the amount of data available, making the ability to determine actual climate significantly harder. It makes "outlyers" stand out more.

As an example, if you have 100 people, and 1 person says really great things and one person says really bad things, but most everyone else says "average" things you end up with a fairly balanced picture. But making it optional changes that to where you get only 25~ responses and "maybe" you get the great one, OR the bad one (but most likely neither). If a command is judged by "that single" outlier, they can't adjust anything. Not with any degree of confidence.

However.. when you bump that up to 1000 folks and 20~ or so reports saying the same thing....