Survey Quick Start Guide
This guide covers the essentials for deploying a Superintelligent survey as part of the Orion AI Outcomes Pillar 1 engagement. For comprehensive training and advanced configuration, Superintelligent provides dedicated onboarding support.
Core Principles
1. Frame Around Work, Not AI
Employees respond more honestly when questions focus on their work experience rather than AI specifically.
| Instead of... | Ask... |
|---|---|
| "What AI tools do you want?" | "What parts of your job feel repetitive or frustrating?" |
| "Are you ready for AI?" | "Where do you wish you had better support or information?" |
| "What AI do you already use?" | "How do you currently solve problems when you're stuck?" |
2. Non-Evaluative Framing
Employees must believe their responses are confidential and won't affect their performance reviews.
Key messages in survey introduction:
- Responses are aggregated, not attributed
- The goal is understanding work patterns, not evaluating individuals
- Leadership genuinely wants to hear friction and frustration
3. Lightweight Deployment
Target 10-12 minutes maximum. Superintelligent's AI adapts the conversation depth based on signal quality, so shorter deployments often yield richer insights than exhaustive questionnaires.
Example Survey Questions
Use these as starting points. Superintelligent will help customize for your client's industry and context during onboarding.
Workflow Discovery
These questions surface where AI agents might add value:
| Question | What It Reveals |
|---|---|
| "Walk me through a typical task that takes longer than you think it should." | Time-intensive workflows ripe for automation |
| "What information do you regularly need that's hard to find?" | Knowledge access gaps and retrieval opportunities |
| "Describe a recent situation where you had to wait for someone else before you could proceed." | Handoff friction and approval bottlenecks |
| "What's something you do repeatedly that you wish you could skip?" | Repetitive tasks with automation potential |
AI Readiness
These questions reveal organizational preparedness:
| Question | What It Reveals |
|---|---|
| "How comfortable are you trying new tools or processes?" | Change readiness and adoption likelihood |
| "When you encounter a problem, who do you typically ask for help?" | Information flow and informal networks |
| "What's your biggest frustration with current technology at work?" | Technology friction and unmet needs |
| "How often do you work around official processes to get things done?" | Shadow workflows and governance gaps |
Pain Point Identification
These questions surface friction:
| Question | What It Reveals |
|---|---|
| "What's the most tedious part of your job that you'd happily delegate?" | High-impact automation candidates |
| "Where do mistakes typically happen in your work?" | Error-prone processes needing support |
| "What information do you wish you had at your fingertips?" | Knowledge access and decision support needs |
| "Describe a time when you had to make a decision with incomplete information." | Information gaps and judgment support opportunities |
Governance Concerns
These questions reveal trust and control needs:
| Question | What It Reveals |
|---|---|
| "What decisions in your work require careful judgment?" | High-stakes areas needing human oversight |
| "Where would you want a second opinion before acting?" | Trust boundaries and verification needs |
| "What information in your work is sensitive or confidential?" | Data governance requirements |
| "How do you verify that your work is accurate?" | Quality control patterns and audit needs |
Distribution Strategy
Timing
- Deploy 2-3 weeks before the Decision Workshop
- Allow 5-7 business days for responses
- Send reminder at day 3 and day 5
Target Population
Aim for broad coverage across:
- Multiple levels: Individual contributors, managers, directors
- Multiple functions: Operations, finance, IT, customer-facing
- Multiple locations: If applicable, geographic diversity
Leadership Endorsement
Survey participation correlates strongly with visible executive support:
- CEO/COO sends brief email endorsing the survey
- Department heads remind their teams
- Results sharing commitment builds trust for future surveys
Response Quality Checklist
Before the Decision Workshop, verify:
- Response rate meets threshold (40%+ target)
- Cross-functional representation is adequate
- No obvious response patterns suggesting gaming
- Open-ended responses show genuine engagement
- Superintelligent synthesis report is complete
What Happens Next
Survey results feed directly into the Decision Workshop:
- Superintelligent Analysis - AI synthesizes patterns across all responses
- Hypothesis Validation - Compare executive assumptions against employee reality
- Opportunity Identification - Surface candidate AI agent use cases
- 5-Lens Prioritization - Score opportunities using structured framework
Superintelligent Support
Superintelligent provides comprehensive onboarding including:
- Custom survey configuration for your industry
- AI prompt engineering for your specific context
- Response analysis and synthesis
- Facilitation support for results presentation
Contact: Work with your Orion engagement lead to initiate Superintelligent onboarding.
Related Resources
- Pillar 1 Methodology Guide - Full Pillar 1 delivery approach
- Decision Workshop Guide - Where survey results are used
- 5-Lens Prioritization Framework - How opportunities are scored