How to use a Word Cloud to present employee change readiness to stakeholders.

Use a Word Cloud to synthesize employee change readiness survey results.

Preparing for a Successful Change

FarWell Change Advisors use Word Clouds to report one collective response to leadership. Try this method for checking in on employee change readiness within an organization’s culture.

What is a Word Cloud?

Word Clouds work very simply. The more a specific word appears, the bigger and bolder it appears in a visual word cloud. Word Clouds can be generated using free online tools like Wordle. See example below.

Gather and Organize Employee Feedback for Stakeholders

Word Clouds are an easy, quick method to communicate feedback from multiple individuals in seconds. Here’s an example of a word cloud answering the question:

“What three words describe how you are currently feeling about this change?”

Employee Change Readiness Survey Results to One Question

To create this Word Cloud, we pulled the results from one employee change readiness survey question, captured all the words provided, and reported the responses back to stakeholders using the Word Cloud tool Wordle.

This Word Cloud acts as a visual snapshot. The cloud communicates the most common feelings about the change bigger and bolder. The Word Cloud gives stakeholders a sense of how most of the group is feeling in just a few seconds.

You don’t have to spend time building charts or synthesizing mounds of data. It is quick, simple, and effective. The Word Cloud can help leadership determine what areas of a culture need more attention. Some departments may need focused follow-ups or extra resources.

Employee Feedback Word Cloud Examples

The Word Cloud example below displays how impacted employees were feeling about a particular change initiative and how those feelings changed over time.

Employee Change Readiness Survey Results Over Time

The Word Cloud results early in the project timeline (to the top left of the arrow) indicated that impacted employees were feeling “Frustrated”, “Confused”, “Slow” and “Overwhelmed”. These results provided information to leaders that additional training and resources were needed based on this feedback.

The survey was conducted again weeks later after additional change management activities were implemented The result can be seen in the second Word Cloud (to the bottom right of the arrow). This second survey indicated that the same group of employees were now feeling “Comfortable”, “Good” and “Confident”. The results clearly reflected an increased level of adoption and acceptance of the change. This feedback reassured stakeholders. This subjective data served as evidence of successful adoption within the culture. Dedicated change managers can monitor cultural change adoption and report to stakeholders.

Why Word Clouds?

The use of Word Clouds isn’t intended to replace other methods of measurement. Instead, this Word Cloud exercise can be used to supplement the way you display and share information related to readiness. It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to read Word Clouds; they make the process of synthesizing employee data easier. Stakeholders will need to review lots of feedback to manage the organization’s change effort.

Get help consolidating employee feedback and making Word Clouds.

Contact Farwell and we will connect you with a consultant.