Unlike corporate espionage, sounding boards provide you with intel you desire. These panels consists of members of the organization whom you can ask any and all questions regarding the transformation endeavor. Are the company calls too long? Do employees like where we are headed? - These are just a few examples of potential topics for discussion. I have worked with sounding boards in the past and my verdict is that you should also consider setting them up when you seek honest feedback regarding product innovation or whether that new HR software tool... is user friendly or not.