1.5 Survey to Prioritize Topics

This survey is for organizations that plan to:

1. Have a cohort of managers go through the program together
2. Want to pick and choose topics, not do the entire program

Allowing each respondent to rate each topic from low to high risks a situation in which all the topics receive a high rating.

Therefore, we recommend forcing respondents to make a choice, either by ranking their top 5 topics, or just selecting up to 5 topics that they would most value.

The survey could be administered with a Google Form or whatever survey tool the organization has available.

Survey Instructions:

We are planning to begin a new cohort-based manager skills training program for managers at your level. We want to prioritize the topics that you’ll find most valuable.

Your name: __________ [organizations might elect to eliminate this question and make the survey anonymous]

From the following list of potential topics, please select up to 5 that you would most want to receive training on. 

1. Know Your People: Explores the importance of understanding each team member’s background, motivations, and personal constraints.
2. Role Modeling: Focuses on how managers set the standard through their own behavior, habits, and professionalism.
3. Oral Communication: Covers active listening, clear messaging, non-verbal cues, and feedback methods for effective in-person interactions.
4. Written Communication: Teaches concise writing, asynchronous updates, and best practices for digital communication.
5.  Managing Tasks: Explains how to define tasks, match them to capabilities, set priorities, monitor progress, and handle procrastination.
6. Managing Projects: Outlines creating project charters, breaking down work into tasks, scheduling, governance, and reporting.
7. Managing Purpose: Discusses how to define the team’s role in the larger organization and connect daily tasks to a broader mission.
8. Building Capabilities: Looks at identifying skill gaps, training methods, hands-on practice, and long-term development strategies.
9. Delegation: Details why, what, when, and how to delegate tasks effectively for team growth and personal time management.
10. Managing Stress: Provides tools and strategies for handling personal and team stress.
11. Managing Mistakes: Examines fact-based analysis, learning opportunities, root causes (skill vs. will), and corrective/preventive actions.
12. Solving Problems: Reviews structured methods for defining problems, root-cause analysis, hypothesis-driven approaches, and solution implementation.
13. Running Meetings: Offers techniques for effective one-on-one, small-group, and team meetings with clear objectives and agendas.
14. Process Excellence: Introduces business process definition, SOPs, checklists, streamlining workflows, and building quality into operations.
15. Upward Management: Explains how to align with boss priorities, keep them informed, present completed staff work, and request help wisely.
16. Metrics and Targets: Covers identifying KPIs, setting targets, distinguishing between leading/lagging indicators, and closing performance gaps.
17. High-Performance Teams: Discusses what makes a true team (vs. a group), setting goals, defining roles, establishing norms, and building cohesion.
18. Managing Change: Focuses on understanding change, gaining commitment, role modeling, ensuring necessary skills, and monitoring progress.
19. Managing Conflict: Guides managers in recognizing conflict sources, applying resolution strategies, and maintaining a positive environment.
20. Self-Awareness: Encourages personal introspection and emotional regulation.
21. Empathy: Examines the role of empathy in leadership and team rapport.
22. Fostering Diversity and Inclusion: Explores creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.
23. Managing managers: Stepping up to manage those who manage front-line employees.