Alternatively, you can use our recommended metrics (below). These have been developed to deliver insights into team health and effectiveness based on validated research into high-performing teams, plus Safe Work guidance on managing psychosocial hazards and Teamgage's own experience working with thousands of teams.

Recommended Huddle Metrics

• 5 Core Metrics asked every month for consistent trend data on team health and effectiveness.
• 2 Rotating Metrics (updated monthly on a quarterly cycle) to capture wider cultural and engagement insights while avoiding survey fatigue.
  
  

Recommended Core Metrics

1. Review the clarity and frequency of messages to the team.
2. Ask how team members prefer to receive updates or important information.
   
3. Share context and rationale behind recent decisions to improve understanding.
   

Why we recommend this metric: Poor communication is a key driver of misalignment, stress, and disengagement. Research on high-performing teams shows that clarity and context in communication correlate strongly with team effectiveness. Addressing information gaps also aligns with guidance on reducing psychosocial hazards.

1. Review goals, priorities, and expectations with team members.
2. Highlight how individual tasks align with team goals and objectives.
   
3. Check that work is meaningful and impactful.
   

Why we recommend this metric: Role clarity reduces stress, enhances performance, and is a leading predictor of psychological safety. Safe Work guidance highlights clarity as essential for managing psychosocial risk.

1. Facilitate opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
2. Proactively address any conflicts or obstacles to maintain cohesion.
   
3. Review team processes and rhythms to ensure they support effective collaboration.
   

Why we recommend this metric: Teamwork drives trust, accountability and supports strong social connections. Research into high-performing teams has identified shared goals and mutual support as critical to team success.

 
Manager Prompts:

1. Review current workload distribution and deadlines - adjust priorities if needed.
   
2. Encourage saying “no” to non-priority work to protect team capacity.
   
3. Identify process improvements or resource gaps to reduce pressure.
   

Why we recommend this metric: High or unmanaged workloads are a major predictor of burnout, absenteeism, and stress-related hazards. Safe Work guidance recommends monitoring workload to ensure time pressures and demands can be safely managed. 

1. Review what support or resources team members feel they’re missing.
2. Offer guidance and mentoring where needed.
   
3. Highlight available support tools or training.
   

Why we recommend this metric: Feeling supported reduces stress and increases engagement. Research into high performing teams demonstrates that support enables high-performing teams, while Safe Work guidance emphasises support as a key psychosocial safety factor.

Additional Rotating Metrics

Month 1

These metrics explore connection, respect, and appreciation within teams, key drivers of engagement and retention.

6. Belonging

Question: Does your team create an environment where everyone is included and respected?

Anchor Points: 100 – Always | 75 – Often | 50 – Sometimes | 25 – Rarely  | 0 – Never

Manager Prompts:

1. Promote inclusive behaviours and actively involve quieter team members.
2. Address behaviours that undermine respect or inclusion.
   
3. Encourage mentoring, collaboration, and social connection.
   

Why we recommend this metric: Teams that foster inclusion and respect reduce the risk of interpersonal conflict and stress-related hazards, aligning with Safe Work guidance for fostering psychosocial health. Research shows these behaviours also increase engagement, collaboration, and innovation in teams.

Why we recommend this metric: Recognition drives engagement, motivation, and retention. Research shows high-performing teams thrive on mutual appreciation and it supports psychosocial safety by reinforcing positive workplace relationships.

Month 2

8 Improvement

1. When challenges arise, shift the conversation to what the team can influence rather than external blockers.
   
2. Break down big challenges into small, manageable steps the team can implement immediately.
   
3. Create ownership for implementing improvements and make progress visible.

Why we recommend this metric: Continuous improvement and adaptability are hallmarks of high-performing teams. Research shows that teams who actively learn and adapt outperform those who resist change. Proactive change management has also been shown to reduces stress, uncertainty, and psychosocial risk.

1. Clarify expectations and responsibilities in team rituals.
2. Reinforce recognition and consequences for follow-through.
   
3. Model accountability as a leader in daily actions.
   

Why we recommend this metric: Accountability ensures standards are upheld and teams foster a culture of dependability. This has been highlighted in research as a key driver of team effectiveness, while Safe Work guidance links accountability and dependability to reduced stress and safer work environments.

Month 3

These metrics focus on creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel supported and healthy, which is critical for high performance and compliance.

10. Trust

Question: Do you feel safe and empowered to raise concerns, share ideas and make contributions to how work is done?

Anchor Points: 100 – Always | 75 – Mostly | 50 – Sometimes | 25 – Rarely | 0 – Never

Manager Prompts:

1. Provide opportunities for all voices to contribute to discussions and decisions affecting work.
2. Actively encourage raising concerns without fear of negative consequences.
   
3. Demonstrate receptiveness to suggestions and ideas.
   

Why we recommend this metric: Psychological safety and job control are critical for innovation, engagement, and reducing stress. Research has found psychological safety to be the single most important factor in high-performing teams, enabling open communication and collaboration. Safe Work compliance highlights both psychological safety and sense of job control as key to reducing psychosocial hazards.

11. Wellbeing

Question: Rate your overall wellbeing (physical, mental, social) at work?

Anchor Points: 100 – Excellent | 75 – Good | 50 – Adequate | 25 – Poor | 0 – Very poor

 Manager Prompts:

1. When scores are low proactively check in individually with team members 
2. Share access to wellness resources and programs
   
3. Encourage healthy work-life balance practices
   

Why we recommend this metric: Wellbeing is a direct outcome of psychosocial safety, workload, and support. Tracking it aligns with Safe Work guidelines and research into team effectiveness shows that wellbeing underpins team performance and engagement.

Recommended Metric Rotation

Here’s the recommended metric rotation visualised across a 12-month period:

• Consistency for Early Warnings: Core questions track critical drivers like clarity, workload, and wellbeing, allowing leaders to spot emerging issues quickly.
• Rotation for Broader Insights: Rotating questions capture engagement, culture, and innovation signals - empowering action while avoiding survey fatigue.
• Evidence-Based: Based on validated recommendations and research on organisational behaviour and management, team performance and psychosocial safety - plus Teamgage’s own data and experience working with thousands of teams.

 Best Practice Tips

• Communicate the Why: Let teams know why questions are being asked and how feedback will be used.
• Review Trends Over Time: Use dashboards to track monthly core metrics and compare rotating themes quarterly.
• Link Insights to Action: Share results and actions being taken to highlight how feedback is being used to drive improvements 
  
  

Related Articles

• Components of a metric

• Create a metric

• Edit a metric

• Create a metric set

• Change a metric set

• Updating/Rotating Huddle Metrics