In 30 seconds
- A quick rating, often 1 to 5, asked regularly.
- Trends reveal problems before they hit delivery.
- Pair the number with a short "why" to make it useful.
How to run it
- Ask each sprint or week: "How happy are you with your work?" (1 to 5)
- Add: "What would make it better?"
- Collect anonymously if trust is still building
- Plot the team average over time
Why it matters
Morale often drops before delivery suffers. A falling happiness trend is an early sign of overload, conflict or frustration. Jeff Sutherland and others have recommended a happiness check as part of the retrospective.
Acting on it
Discuss trends, not individual scores. Pick one improvement from the "what would make it better" answers. Ignoring the results quickly kills honest responses. It works best alongside psychological safety.
Myth vs reality
Myth · Happiness is a soft metric.
Reality · It predicts problems that hard metrics show later.
Myth · Managers should see individual scores.
Reality · Team-level trends protect honesty.
Myth · Happy teams are less productive.
Reality · Engaged teams tend to deliver better.
FAQ
How often should we ask?
Weekly or every sprint.
What if scores stay low?
Dig deeper in a retrospective and act on causes.
Is this the same as eNPS?
Related; eNPS asks about recommending the workplace.