Trend Tracker is a quick and visual activity to capture each team member’s perception of trends in key areas. It helps surface individual insights and opens the door for a rich group discussion or deeper exploration in follow-up activities.

a matrix with people names as rows, important areas as columns and arrows (up, down or straight) for each cell

Running the activity:

1. Prepare the Canvas

    • Draw a matrix on a physical or virtual board.
    • Rows: List each participant’s name.
    • Columns: Add important areas to assess. Sample areas:
      • Collaboration
      • Technical Debt
      • Process & Ways of Working
         (You should adjust these areas based on your team’s context.)

2. Mark the Trends

    • Ask each participant to go to their row and, for each area, draw a trend line representing their perception:
      • ↗ Arrow up – improving
      • → Straight arrow – stable
      • ↘ Arrow down – declining

3. Next Step

    • Use the insights as a springboard for a deeper conversation or activity to explore areas of concern or opportunity.

This activity is an effective check-in tool to quickly gauge individual and collective sentiments across multiple dimensions. It helps teams align on their current state and identify areas that may need attention.

 

Remote-team advice: This activity works well for remote teams. Use a remote board of your choice.