Innovation thrives on a foundation of feedback and data. Organizations that embrace curiosity and actively seek insights from their customers and employees are better equipped to create meaningful changes and adapt to new challenges.
To explore how industry leaders put these ideas into practice, we recently hosted a conversation at our annual event, Curiosity Con, with leaders from FranklinCovey, LinkedIn, and Hornblower. The forward-thinking group shared their strategies for using feedback and curiosity to fuel innovation and improve how they work, both internally and with their customers. Read on to learn how these values are put into practice.
To replay any of our Curiosity Con sessions on demand, click here.
Turning data into action through storytelling
One of the most powerful ways to drive change is by transforming data into compelling narratives. Numbers and stats alone aren’t enough—data needs to tell a story that resonates with stakeholders at all levels. By framing insights as narratives, companies can more effectively engage their teams and provide clear direction for improvement efforts.
Related: How to turn survey data into compelling narratives
For instance, FranklinCovey uses data storytelling to provide value to their customers, helping them understand where they stand in their industry and within their own organization. Similarly, Hornblower leverages customer feedback stories to justify changes in their tour offerings, such as adjusting chartered sailing times to accommodate group preferences.
To facilitate this storytelling process, many organizations use survey creation and analysis platforms that offer customizable dashboards and automated reporting features. These features help translate complex data into visually appealing and easy-to-understand formats, making it simpler to share insights to teams across the organization.
Democratizing decision-making and fostering innovation
An added benefit of becoming more data driven is that data can be used to empower employees and drive innovation. For example, FranklinCovey created a system where any employee can challenge decisions at any level if they have data to back it up. This practice removes bureaucracy around decision-making processes and encourages a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement.
LinkedIn takes a similar approach by running a workplace experimentation program. They use surveys and other data collection methods to test new ideas, from furniture arrangements to tech implementations. By involving employees in the data collection and decision-making process, they foster a sense of ownership and encourage innovative thinking.
To support such innovations, these companies use the SurveyMonkey platform for its flexibility to quickly create and deploy surveys, as well as its robust analytics capabilities to analyze the results.
Balancing data-driven decisions with experimentation
While data is crucial for informed decision making, our speakers stressed the importance of not relying solely on historical data. Sometimes, building the future you want may require steering away from what current data suggests and trying new approaches.
Hornblower, for example, conducts ad hoc research to get ahead of trends and break out of the loop of standard metrics. This approach has led to significant changes in their offerings, such as redesigning their corporate website based on fresh insights about customer motivations.
Related: Website feedback surveys
LinkedIn emphasized the value of prototyping and testing new ideas, even when they might not align with current data. They use surveys to measure the impact of these experiments, creating a feedback loop that informs future innovations.
To support this balance of data and experimentation, many organizations use survey platforms that offer a variety of question types and data collection methods, allowing for both structured, quantitative data and rich qualitative insights.
Cultivating a culture of curiosity
Despite their diverse industries, the leaders on our panel share a common commitment to fostering environments where questions are encouraged and insights drive action. Here are some of the ways they're putting this shared philosophy into practice:
- Empowering employees at all levels to ask questions and gather data. They do this by providing access to user-friendly survey tools that allow anyone to create and analyze surveys.
- Creating feedback loops that show employees and customers how their input leads to tangible changes. Using automated reporting features can keep stakeholders informed of progress.
- Encourage experimentation and be open to challenging existing processes based on new data. Leverage flexible survey platforms that can support various types of research and data collection.
- Invest in data storytelling skills across the organization. Use data visualization tools and customizable dashboards to make insights more accessible and actionable.
- Recognize and reward curiosity-driven initiatives. Consider implementing programs that highlight innovative uses of data and feedback.
Remember, success doesn't come from having all the answers—it comes from daring to ask the right questions. By cultivating a culture of curiosity and leveraging the right solutions, organizations can unlock innovation and drive continuous improvement.
Want to learn more about how you can leverage curiosity? Explore all the ways you can use SurveyMonkey to employee and customer insights. Click here for more details.
