Leadership Team Health Monitors
Use this health monitor to...
Understand your strengths and weaknesses as a leadership team.
Identify plays your team should run (and why).

People
Your team

Prep Time
5 min

Time
60 min

Download
HEALTH MONITOR AT-A-GLANCE
- With your team, read the definition of each attribute (displayed below) of healthy, high-performing teams out loud. On the count of three have each person rate how they feel the team is doing compared to each definition (thumbs-up/green, thumbs-sideways/yellow, thumbs-down/red). Record the results of each attribute team rating on a Health Monitor grid.
- Choose one or two of the attributes rated yellow or red. Select plays that will strengthen these areas.
- Schedule your next Health Monitor checkpoint (we recommend monthly).
PREPARATION - WHAT YOU NEED TO COMPLETE A HEALTH MONITOR
Get a Health Monitor grid
A Health Monitor grid is where you record the team ratings for each attribute. It is best to keep a reference of past Health Monitor ratings so you can see how results change over time. You can draw the grid on a whiteboard or download a PDF. View example of a completed Health Monitor grid.
Are you facilitating the session?
Step 1
Team health assessment (10-40 min)
Read the name and definition of the first attribute out loud to the group.
On the count of three have everyone give their rating for that attribute.
Thumbs up / green: "We're strong here"
Thumbs sideways / yellow: “We're ok... but a little shaky"
Thumbs down / red: "We're not healthy"
Repeat for each attribute.
Note how many reds, yellows, and greens there are. Then decide on a rating and record it on your Health Monitor grid. Keep the discussion brief and don't try to solve problems yet. Just understand why everyone chose the rating they did.
Over time, your Health Monitor grid might look something like this:
Attribute | Checkpoint1 | Checkpoint2 | Checkpoint3 | Checkpoint4 | Checkpoint5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balanced teams | Checkpoint 1
| Checkpoint 2
| Checkpoint 3
| Checkpoint 4
| Checkpoint 5
|
Team cohesiveness | Checkpoint 1
| Checkpoint 2
| Checkpoint 3
| Checkpoint 4
| Checkpoint 5
|
Shared understanding | Checkpoint 1
| Checkpoint 2
| Checkpoint 3
| Checkpoint 4
| Checkpoint 5
|
Value and metrics | Checkpoint 1
| Checkpoint 2
| Checkpoint 3
| Checkpoint 4
| Checkpoint 5
|
Decision making | Checkpoint 1
| Checkpoint 2
| Checkpoint 3
| Checkpoint 4
| Checkpoint 5
|
One-pager | Checkpoint 1
| Checkpoint 2
| Checkpoint 3
| Checkpoint 4
| Checkpoint 5
|
Managed dependencies | Checkpoint 1
| Checkpoint 2
| Checkpoint 3
| Checkpoint 4
| Checkpoint 5
|
Velocity | Checkpoint 1
| Checkpoint 2
| Checkpoint 3
| Checkpoint 4
| Checkpoint 5
|
Step 2
Next steps: choose plays to strengthen yellow and red areas
Here are a few suggested plays for improving in each area. Don't treat these as prescriptions! You know your team better than anyone, so check them out, explore other plays, and do what you think is best.
One-pager
Step 3
Schedule your next Health Monitor checkpoint
Health Monitors work best when done on a regular schedule; results will change as a projects change. Most teams schedule Health Monitor sessions on a monthly basis. If your team has a lot of red areas, consider a weekly or bi-weekly cadence until you're feeling a bit stronger. Weekly checkpoints can be super-quick (15-30 minutes) since there is already a baseline for your team to work from.
Tips for facilitating a Health Monitor
Not so sure about all this?
No worries. We answered users' most common questions about the Health Monitor in this handy-dandy blog post.
Want even more Playbook?
Drop your email below to be notified when we add new Health Monitors and plays.
Got feedback?
Drop a question or comment on the Atlassian Community site.