Weekly Check-in Template

A check-in only works if people actually do it, which means it has to be short. This template is four lines per goal: where it stands, how confident the owner is, what changed this week, and what is blocked. The one rule that keeps it honest is the last line: confidence should reflect the work, not the mood. An amber with a real blocker is more useful than a reflexive green.

WEEKLY CHECK-IN — ________  Week of: ______

Per goal / Key Result:

  GOAL: __________________________
  Progress: ____ (e.g. 0.4 /1.0, or current metric value)
  Confidence: RED / AMBER / GREEN
  What changed this week: __________________________
  Blocked on / need help with: __________________________

  GOAL: __________________________
  Progress: ____
  Confidence: RED / AMBER / GREEN
  What changed this week: __________________________
  Blocked on / need help with: __________________________

ONE LINE FOR THE TEAM
  Biggest thing I need from someone else this week: __________

How to use this template

1. Keep it to a few minutes per owner. The moment a check-in feels like a report, people stop doing it weekly.
2. Rate confidence against the work, not the mood. The point of the colour is to flag risk early, not to look reassuring.
3. Always fill the blocked line. An empty blocker field every week usually means the check-in has become a formality.
4. Read the check-ins before the weekly meeting so the meeting is spent on the blockers, not on collecting status.

Frequently asked questions

How often should check-ins happen?

Weekly is the standard for active goals. Less often and a stall hides for too long; more often and the update becomes noise that owners resent.

Why do confidence scores drift to green?

Because amber invites questions and green does not. The fix is a culture where flagging risk early is rewarded, and where confidence is tied to observable work rather than to how the owner feels.