Interpreting Team Leader Reports: Your Weekly Team Pulse

Updated by Amy Thomas

The Weekly Manager Check-ins Team Leader Report is your primary tool for managing direct reports. Delivered each Monday morning, it provides a complete snapshot of your team's health, specific challenges, and recommended actions for the week.

The report comprises of:

• Executive summary highlighting key themes and immediate needs

• Team Response Overview showing completion rates and aggregate patterns

• Priority Actions ranked by urgency (IMMEDIATE, TODAY, THIS WEEK)

• Individual Focus Areas for each team member

• Week Ahead outlook with potential risks and opportunities

This report will be sent to you if you manage direct reports OR lead a team.
- If you manage 5 direct reports AND lead a cross-functional team, you will receive two separate Team Leader reports (one for each group).
- If you manage multiple teams where everyone is an individual contributor, you will receive Team Leader reports.

If you manage other managers, you will receive the Senior Manager Report for that team.

Key Metrics to Watch

Completion Rate
This is the percentage of your team members who completed their Weekly Manager Check-ins. Completion rates signal engagement and enable AI analysis accuracy

• Healthy benchmark: Aim for 90%+ completion
• If low (<70%):
- Review whether check-in timing works for your team's schedule
- Send a brief reminder emphasizing the value (insights help YOU support them better)
- Ensure team members understand this is a 2-3 minute investment in their development
Energy Level
This is the overall team sentiment and resilience score. If this is dropping, don't wait for next week: address issues in this week's 1:1s.

What different scores indicate:
• 4.5-5.0: Team is energized and performing well; focus on sustaining momentum
• 4.0-4.5: Solid performance; monitor for emerging issues
• 3.5-4.0: Alert status; look for patterns in who's affected and why
• 3.0-3.5: Intervention needed; investigate specific blockers immediately
• Below 3.0: Critical – this signals burnout risk; prioritize support
Progress Score
This is the team's perception of forward momentum on goals and projects.

• Why it matters: Strong progress despite challenges builds confidence; stalled progress indicates blockers
• Action if declining: Review whether goals are clear, whether dependencies are being addressed, or if resources are adequate
Recurring Themes
These are AI-identified patterns appearing across multiple team members' responses. Themes are prioritization signals; focus on root causes, not symptoms.

• Why it matters: Themes reveal systemic issues affecting your team (not individual problems)
• Examples: "ATS system limitations," "benefits enrollment complexity," "unclear priorities"

Interpreting Priority Actions

The report lists 3-5 prioritized actions ranked by urgency:

IMMEDIATE (This Morning/Today)
• Definition: Issues that block productivity or create escalating risk
• Your action: Stop other activities and address this today
• Common examples: System failures, customer escalations, critical deadline misses, team conflicts
• Required: Schedule meetings, authorize resources, make decisions NOW
TODAY
• Definition: Issues that need manager involvement but have slightly more flexibility
• Your action: Complete these within the next 24 hours
• Common examples: Resource requests, individual performance conversations, authorization approvals
• Required: 1:1 check-ins, approvals, or brief touchpoints
THIS WEEK
• Definition: Strategic actions supporting team development and long-term success
• Your action: Schedule and complete during the week
• Common examples: Process improvements, cross-training planning, capacity reviews, one-on-one development conversations
• Required: Dedicated 1:1 time, planning discussions, follow-up

Reframe your 1:1s: Instead of spending time catching up, use the prepared context from your report to have deeper, more strategic conversations focused on what your team cares about most.

Individual Focus Areas: Person-by-Person Insights

Each report includes a breakdown of key focus areas for each team member.

What to look for:

• Focus: What's consuming this person's mental energy this week

• Need: What they're asking for (support, resources, clarity, recognition, development)

• Action: Specific recommendation for you as their manager

How to use this in 1:1s:

• Reference the focus area to show you're paying attention

• Acknowledge the challenges they're facing

• Either take action on the need, discuss alternatives, or explain context about why something can't be done

Key principle: Being heard matters as much as getting what you want

Additional Resources

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