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Team survey: 14 questions that measure team effectiveness

Fourteen questions on how work moves through one team, answered in about three minutes. Try it below.

  • 14questions
  • About 3 minto answer
  • 1 to 5frequency scale
  • 4 to 12people per team
Use this template Take the survey first
Team Survey · answer to move through it
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Question 1 of 14 Your team
How much of your own work depends on what other people in this team produce?
Almost none of it
A small part of it
About half of it
Most of it
Almost all of it
Question 2 of 14 Getting work through the team
When a piece of work has to move from one person in this team to another, it moves without anyone chasing it.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 3 of 14 Getting work through the team
When two pieces of this team's work overlap, it is clear who finishes which part.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 4 of 14 Getting work through the team
When something this team owns is going to be late, the rest of the team hears early enough to react.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 5 of 14 Getting work through the team
The work that lands on this team is shared out across the whole team rather than the same few people.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 6 of 14 Deciding and disagreeing
This team can name the two pieces of work that matter most to it this month.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 7 of 14 Deciding and disagreeing
A week after this team settles something, people are working from the same version of what was settled.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 8 of 14 Deciding and disagreeing
A disagreement inside this team ends in a decision rather than in silence.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 9 of 14 Deciding and disagreeing
After something in this team goes wrong, the way the team works is different the next time.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 10 of 14 Conditions around the team
Enough of the same people stay in this team for it to keep what it has learned.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 11 of 14 Conditions around the team
This team can finish a piece of work without waiting on a decision from outside the team.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 12 of 14 Results
This team delivers what it promised.
1
2
3
4
5
Almost neverAlmost always
Question 13 of 14 In your own words
What is the one thing that slows this team down most?
Question 14 of 14 In your own words
What does this team do well that would be missed if it stopped doing it?

The 14 team survey questions

A team survey asks the members of one team how well the team works: whether work passes between people cleanly, whether decisions hold, and whether the team delivers. This one has eleven ratings on one frequency scale, one question about the team and two open questions. All fourteen open ready to edit in the online survey builder.

Plain text, one question per line, with the answer scale.

Your team (1 question)

One question about the team before the ratings.

  1. How much of your own work depends on what other people in this team produce?Pick one of 5Put the team's name in the survey title before you send.

Getting work through the team (4 questions)

Handoffs, overlaps, early warning and how the load is shared.

  1. When a piece of work has to move from one person in this team to another, it moves without anyone chasing it.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost always
  2. When two pieces of this team's work overlap, it is clear who finishes which part.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost alwaysHigh above and low here means work is being done twice.
  3. When something this team owns is going to be late, the rest of the team hears early enough to react.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost always
  4. The work that lands on this team is shared out across the whole team rather than the same few people.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost always

Deciding and disagreeing (4 questions)

What happens to a decision after the team makes it.

  1. This team can name the two pieces of work that matter most to it this month.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost alwaysTest it at the next meeting: ask everyone to write the two.
  2. A week after this team settles something, people are working from the same version of what was settled.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost always
  3. A disagreement inside this team ends in a decision rather than in silence.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost always
  4. After something in this team goes wrong, the way the team works is different the next time.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost always

Conditions around the team (2 questions)

Stable membership, and the authority to finish work.

  1. Enough of the same people stay in this team for it to keep what it has learned.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost always
  2. This team can finish a piece of work without waiting on a decision from outside the team.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost alwaysTake a low score to whoever set the team up.

Results (1 question)

The outcome the ten ratings above feed into.

  1. This team delivers what it promised.1 to 5, Almost never to Almost alwaysThe headline number to compare from one quarter to the next.

In your own words (2 questions)

Two open questions, both optional, both about the work.

  1. What is the one thing that slows this team down most?Long text, optionalRead these before the ratings: they explain the surprises.
  2. What does this team do well that would be missed if it stopped doing it?Long text, optional

How to use the team survey

Send one link to every member of one team, once a quarter. The first question and the eleven ratings are required, and the two open questions are optional. It asks for no names, but in a small team people can recognize each other's wording, so say who will read the answers.

Read each rating as a count of answers: six people who all choose 3 and six who split between 1 and 5 share an average. Take the lowest-rated question to the team, agree one change, and ask again next quarter.

To judge one recurring meeting, send a post meeting survey. Before a sprint retro, the agile retrospective survey is shorter.

If the ratings point at the person leading the team, use the manager effectiveness survey. An organizational network analysis survey shows who works with whom when the team's boundary is unclear.

Isometric diagram of five blocks of different heights joined by short lines into one closed ring, with one connector picked out in coral, and a sixth block standing apart with no line to it
Five people joined by the work, and one who is not on this team.

Team survey FAQ

What should a team effectiveness survey ask?

Ask about things members can see: whether handoffs happen without chasing, whether decisions hold, and whether the team delivers. Research tools cover similar ground. The Team Diagnostic Survey, tested with 2,474 members of 321 teams, assesses how well a team is structured, supported and led.[1]

How often should you run a team survey?

Once a quarter suits most teams. That leaves time to make one change and see the rating move. Keep the questions the same so the runs can be compared.

Should a team survey be anonymous?

This one asks for no name or email, so it can go out without them. In a team of six, people may still recognize the wording of an open answer, so tell the team who will read the responses before question 1.

What questions should a team collaboration survey ask?

Questions 2 to 5 cover collaboration inside one team: handoffs, overlaps, early warning and shared load. For collaboration between two teams, send the same four to both and change "this team" to the name of the pair.

If the unit is not one team

Six templates for a different unit or moment, all in the employee survey templates library.

EmployeeEmployee Engagement SurveyWhen the unit is the whole organization and the reading is done once a year.20 questions, 6 min EmployeePost Meeting SurveyWhen the thing being judged is one recurring meeting rather than the team that holds it.8 questions, 2 min EmployeeRetrospective SurveyWhen a sprint has just closed and the team is about to talk about it.13 questions, 3 min EmployeeEmployee Morale SurveyWhen the question is how people feel rather than whether the work moves.12 questions, 3 min EmployeeManager Effectiveness SurveyWhen the person running the team is the subject and the team is rating them.15 questions, 4 min EmployeeOrganizational Network Analysis SurveyWhen you need to see who actually works with whom before you draw a team boundary.14 questions, 8 min

Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 2 October 2026 · How templates are reviewed

Sources (1)
  1. Wageman, R., Hackman, J. R., and Lehman, E. (2005). Team Diagnostic Survey: Development of an Instrument. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 41(4), 373-398. doi.org/10.1177/0021886305281984

Start with one team

Fourteen questions, one scale, about three minutes. Add the team's name to the title and it is ready to go.

Use this template