Improving Employee Engagement: Active Questions

For years, employee engagement surveys have focused on passive questions—questions that ask about workplace conditions rather than personal responsibility.

The Problem with Passive Questions

Passive questions shift responsibility away from the individual and onto the company. For example:

• Do you have clear goals? → If the answer is no, people blame the company for not providing direction.

• Do you have meaningful work? → If the answer is no, people blame the company for assigning trivial tasks.

• Do you have a friend at work? → If the answer is no, people blame their coworkers.

By framing engagement as something done to them, employees take no personal ownership of their own experience.

The Power of Active Questions

Instead of asking what the company is doing for you, active questions shift the focus to personal effort by beginning with:

"Did I do my best to…?"

This approach removes blame and forces self-reflection.

The Six Active Questions

Ask yourself these questions daily, rating each on a 1 to 10 scale:

1. Did I do my best to set clear goals?

   • Not “Did my company give me clear goals?” but “Did I define my own priorities?”

2. Did I do my best to make progress toward my goals?

   • Not “Did someone help me move forward?” but “Did I take action?”

3. Did I do my best to find meaning in my work?

   • Not “Is my work meaningful?” but “Did I make my work meaningful?”

4. Did I do my best to be happy?

   • Not “Did my company make me happy?” but “Did I choose happiness today?”

5. Did I do my best to build positive relationships?

   • Not “Do I have a friend at work?” but “Did I make an effort to connect with others?”

6. Did I do my best to be fully engaged?

   • Not “Was I engaged today?” but “Did I actively engage myself?”

The Impact of Active Questions

People who ask themselves these six questions daily report significant improvement:

• 34% improve in all six areas.

• 66% improve in at least four areas.

• 91% improve in at least one area.

• Almost no one gets worse—because these questions focus on what we control.

Your Homework Assignment

1. Write down these six active questions.

2. Each day, rate yourself from 1 to 10 on each question.

3. Track your scores over time and challenge yourself:

   • What can I do to raise my average?

When you focus on what you can control, engagement becomes a personal choice—not something dictated by your environment.