Goodyear reports record Gallup Q12 engagement; city launches Phase 4 action planning

Goodyear City Council heard June 9 that Gallup Q12 survey results show record employee engagement for the city, with a 96% participation rate and an average score of 4.29 on a five‑point scale. Human Resources Director Lyman Lockett and Francis Coggins, regional director for Gallup, presented the results and described next steps in the city’s multi‑phase culture journey.

"Goodyear's culture continues to be a defining point in our ability to attract top talent and even more importantly, deliver high quality services to the citizens of Goodyear," said Lyman Lockett, human resources director. Coggins told the council the city reached an "all time high" on the Q12 measures and that participation was "world class" at 96%.

Why it matters: Gallup says engagement predicts organizational performance, including retention, productivity and public‑facing service quality. Council members and staff framed the survey results as evidence the city’s multi‑year strategy on culture and leadership is affecting employee experience and, by extension, service delivery to residents.

Key results and benchmarks - Participation: 96% (up from 91% in the previous administration), which Gallup described as "world class." - Average (mean) across all 12 Q12 drivers: 4.29 on a five‑point Likert scale (up from about 4.15 in the prior administration). - Overall Q12 median/aggregate engagement: 84% (Gallup presentation). - Benchmarks: Goodyear placed in the 60th percentile against Gallup’s global client database and in the top quartile when compared to the Gallup public‑sector peer group. - Employee categories: the "actively disengaged" population was reported at about 6%; Coggins said the "not engaged" cohort declined from roughly 41% in the prior administration.

Which survey items moved most: Gallup highlighted meaningful increases (changes of 0.10 or more were described as meaningful for the sample size) on items tied to recognition, supervisor conversations about progress and opportunities to learn and grow (identified in the presentation as Q4, Q7 and Q11). Gallup and staff told council that peer‑to‑peer recognition and managers holding career‑progress conversations were drivers of the gains.

Council reaction and next steps Councilmembers praised the results and the staff work behind them. "These are an exceptional results, and, congratulations to you, Lyman and your team," said Councilmember Anita. Councilmember Molly emphasized leadership tone and the roadshow approach, calling the roadshows "the best way to get people engaged." The city manager thanked the council for support and said a community survey will be presented next week.

Implementation actions described to council included: releasing team‑level survey data to departments; scheduling roadshows and team action‑planning sessions throughout June; and a Phase 4 rollout with a WIG (wildly important goal) focused on becoming a Gallup best‑practice organization. Staff said they will use Gallup data and organizational metrics to develop a three‑to‑five‑year staffing plan and that staffing and succession plans are scheduled for inclusion in FY27 materials to council.

What was discussion only vs. direction - Discussion only: Gallup framed the broader national decline in engagement and explained survey methodology and item‑level variance. Council members offered praise and asked clarifying questions. - Direction/assignment: staff directed that team data be released to departments and that roadshows and action planning proceed; staff will return to council with a staffing plan and succession planning as part of FY27 materials. - Formal action: none. The work session reported results and planned administrative follow‑up; no motions or votes were taken.

Background and context Goodyear launched the multi‑phase "culture journey" in prior years, starting with defining behaviors and core values, adopting CliftonStrengths and an internal performance development system called "Threads," and moving to Gallup Q12 as a primary engagement measure. Gallup said Goodyear's progress is notable because it improved across all 12 drivers between survey administrations, a rare result for organizations over a single cycle.

The city will continue action planning at the department level in June and said it will study top‑quartile teams to replicate practices elsewhere in the organization. Staffing and succession planning informed by the Q12 and other organizational data are scheduled for council consideration in FY27.