A success-criteria workshop asks stakeholders to agree on what is known, what is assumed, what still needs to be learned, and how the findings will be used. That discussion belongs before questionnaire design.
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Gather everything already known.
Start by unearthing the organization's existing knowledge. Agree on what is genuinely known versus merely assumed. The distinction helps define the research questions.
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Pull in the whole organization.
Reach past Marketing and Research. Bring in the C-suite, Product, Operations, Distribution, Sales, Customer Service, and Finance. Each function may bring different information needs and assumptions.
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Meet live when practical.
Block at least two hours and, when practical, bring participants together in person. Give them time to hear the objectives, ask questions, prioritize topics, and agree on how the findings will be used.
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Give people tools to think with.
Use structured exercises rather than relying on open discussion alone. Empathy maps, Like/Wish/Wonder, and key-topic boards give the group specific issues to evaluate.
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Leave room for real discussion.
The purpose of the workshop is to make decisions. Getting everyone onto the same page now is useful, but allow enough time to discuss disagreements rather than rushing to apparent consensus.
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Mine the different perspectives.
Use the session to compare what different functions know, assume, and need from the study. The discussion may reveal gaps or constraints that one group would not see on its own.
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Prioritize ruthlessly.
You can't answer everything in one study. Identify the most pressing information needs and put the rest in a parking lot for next time.
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Define what success looks like.
Pin down the specific answer you're after and what you'll do once you have it. That question keeps the discussion focused on the decision rather than the questionnaire alone.