Leadership team health monitor template

You’ll start off with the easy stuff. Use the table at the very top of the template to jot down the name of your leadership team (if you have one), your sponsor, and how often you’re checking in. Keep in mind that health monitors work best when they’re done on a frequent basis. So, plan to run one monthly at the very least.

Running the health monitor should be done together as a leadership team – it’s not something that you should do alone and then share the results with everybody else. Plan for at least an hour of time together (don’t forget the snacks and caffeine!), especially if this is your first time doing this.

The bulk of the template is dedicated to the Team health assessment table, as this is where the magic really starts to happen. Each row of the table lists an attribute of a healthy, high-performing team (such as team cohesiveness or effective decision making). 

Read the first attribute aloud to your group. On the count of three, ask everybody to rate how they think your team is doing compared with that definition. Use this system: thumbs-up (green), thumbs-sideways (yellow), and thumbs-down (red). 

Agree on a rating together, record it in the table along with some notes about your reasoning, and then assign the appropriate color to that cell. Repeat that same process for every attribute in the table. 

Each time you run a leadership team health monitor in the future, record the date at the top of the next column and add your ratings there. You’ll be glad to have that historical record of how you’ve progressed.

Throughout this conversation, you’ll uncover some things your team is doing exceptionally well, along with some areas where you’re falling short. To start, ask your team to agree on one area that they think you should focus on in the next month. You should also work together to identify some specific, actionable ways you can move from red or yellow to green. 

In this Focus areas section of the template, list the date and your chosen focus area. Underneath that attribute, add action items with due dates and team member assignments so that you can take steps toward improving. Remember, information isn’t worth much if you don’t take action on it.