Templates for team leads
Ready-to-use templates for performance reviews, onboarding, one-on-ones and team cover planning. Digital downloads, available in our Etsy shop.
Leadership Kit – Performance Review & Employee Onboarding
Prepare performance reviews and onboard new hires with a clear structure. The kit contains editable Word forms, printable PDFs in A4 and US Letter, and a 12-week onboarding plan in Excel – each with a filled-in example. Made for managers and team leads in any industry.
What's included
- Performance review preparation form for the manager
- Performance review preparation form for the employee (same five sections)
- Meeting guide with six steps, sample questions and helpful phrases
- Review notes with goal plan (goal, measure, deadline, support)
- New hire onboarding checklists: before day one, first day, first week
- Check-in guides after week 2 and week 6, plus a day-90 check-in
- 12-week onboarding plan in Excel (no macros): topics, contact person, progress per week
- Filled-in examples of every file and a quick guide (PDF)
Formats
- Word (.docx) and PDF – in A4 and US Letter
- Excel (.xlsx), no macros
- Works with Microsoft Word and Excel 2016 or later, Microsoft 365 (Windows and Mac); also tested with LibreOffice
Digital download, sold on Etsy. The templates help you plan and take notes – they do not replace a check by HR or a specialist.
One-on-One Meeting Template for Managers (Excel)
Keep your regular one-on-one meetings on track. Pick a meeting frequency per person – the template shows who is overdue or due soon, collects agreed action items and goals, and prints a one-page prep sheet before each meeting. For managers and team leads with up to 30 people.
What's included
- Team sheet: last meeting, next due date, color-coded status per person
- Meetings log (1,000 rows) with topics as keywords and an optional planned next date
- Action items with owner, due date and status
- Goals with measure, deadline and support
- Prep sheet: last 5 meetings, open action items and active goals on one printable page
- Year overview: meetings per person and month
- Example file with a fictional team and a quick guide (PDF)
Formats
- Excel (.xlsx), no macros – Excel 2016 or later, Microsoft 365, Windows and Mac; also tested with LibreOffice
- Prep sheet and year overview print on one page in A4 or US Letter (printer setting)
- Quick guide as PDF in A4 and US Letter
Digital download, sold on Etsy. The template helps you plan and record meetings – it does not rate people.
Skills Matrix & Cover Plan Template for Teams (Excel)
See at a glance who in your team can do what independently and who covers for whom. Enter absences and the template shows whether every task is still covered – for a chosen date and the next 14 working days. For team leads with up to 30 people and 40 tasks.
What's included
- Skills matrix with levels 1–3 (learning, independent, can train others) and the minimum per task
- Knowledge silos: tasks only one person can do are flagged
- Cover plan: responsible person, 1st and 2nd backup – ready to print
- Coverage check: absences (no reason), status per task, next 14 working days
- Training plan: who learns what by when
- Example file with a fictional team and a quick guide (PDF)
Formats
- Excel (.xlsx), no macros – Excel 2016 or later, Microsoft 365, Windows and Mac; also tested with LibreOffice
- Matrix, cover plan and coverage print on one page each, in A4 or US Letter (printer setting)
- Quick guide as PDF in A4 and US Letter
Digital download, sold on Etsy. Levels describe how independently someone does a task – they do not rate the person.
Want the thinking behind the templates? Read Success Blockers – the guide to the patterns that hold teams back.