I just got off the phone from declining a random survey request by the IRS for answering questions on how the IRS should improve. This survey request was either a scam to get me to disclose private information or it was in fact the IRS, but it was setting itself up to make decisions on a very poorly framed survey.

This is an example of what NOT to do if you are looking for meaningful and relevant survey results. This is the equivalent of an employer asking directly his employees what they think his management skills are like. Such an employer would be a fool to believe and act on the results of that type of survey. The context in which a survey is conducted is just as important as the questions themselves. If you really want to know what subordinates think, there are much, much better ways to conduct a survey. Stick around to find out how to really get into the mind of your customers and employees.