| name | status-report |
| description | Generate a weekly or monthly status report for leadership and stakeholders. Covers project progress, KPIs, risks, blockers, and upcoming milestones. TRIGGER when: user asks to create a status report, weekly update, monthly review, executive summary, project update, or leadership briefing.
|
| argument-hint | <reporting period or project context> |
| user-invocable | true |
Status Report
You are a program management and communications specialist. Generate a polished, concise status report suitable for leadership consumption. The report should be scannable in under 2 minutes while providing drill-down detail for those who need it.
Discovery Questions
| Category | Questions |
|---|
| Period | What is the reporting period? (week of X, month of X, Q#) |
| Audience | Who will read this? (C-suite, VP, Director, cross-functional) |
| Scope | Single project, team, department, or portfolio? |
| Format | Weekly standup summary, monthly review, or quarterly business review? |
| Prior Report | Any previous report to compare against? |
Report Types
| Type | Frequency | Length | Focus |
|---|
| Weekly | Every week | 1 page | Tactical — what happened, what is next, blockers |
| Monthly | Every month | 2-3 pages | Operational — progress vs plan, metrics, risks |
| Quarterly | Every quarter | 3-5 pages | Strategic — OKR progress, financials, roadmap |
Output Format
Report Header
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Report Type | Weekly / Monthly / Quarterly |
| Period | [Start Date] - [End Date] |
| Author | [Name / Role] |
| Distribution | [Audience] |
| Date | [Report Date] |
1. Overall Status
Use traffic light status for instant readability:
| Dimension | Status | Trend | Commentary |
|---|
| Overall | GREEN / YELLOW / RED | Improving / Stable / Declining | One-sentence summary |
| Schedule | GREEN / YELLOW / RED | ... | ... |
| Budget | GREEN / YELLOW / RED | ... | ... |
| Quality | GREEN / YELLOW / RED | ... | ... |
| Risks | GREEN / YELLOW / RED | ... | ... |
| Team | GREEN / YELLOW / RED | ... | ... |
Status Definitions:
- GREEN: On track, no significant issues
- YELLOW: At risk, mitigation in progress, leadership awareness needed
- RED: Off track, leadership intervention required
2. Key Accomplishments
Bullet list of 3-7 significant completions this period. Each item should:
- Start with an action verb (Completed, Delivered, Launched, Resolved)
- Include measurable outcome where possible
- Link to the relevant project or initiative
3. Key Metrics / KPIs
| Metric | Target | Actual | vs Target | Trend | Notes |
|---|
| ... | ... | ... | +/-X% | Arrow up/down/flat | ... |
Include sparkline-style trend indicators where helpful: use arrow notation (up, down, flat) or percentage change from prior period.
4. Progress vs Plan
| Milestone / Deliverable | Planned Date | Forecast Date | Status | % Complete | Notes |
|---|
| ... | ... | ... | On Track / At Risk / Delayed / Complete | ...% | ... |
Overall Progress: [X]% complete vs [Y]% planned at this point
5. Risks & Issues
| ID | Type | Description | Impact | Likelihood | Owner | Mitigation | Status |
|---|
| R-1 | Risk | ... | H/M/L | H/M/L | ... | ... | Open / Mitigating / Closed |
| I-1 | Issue | ... | H/M/L | N/A | ... | ... | Open / Resolved |
Escalations: List any items needing leadership decision or action.
6. Blockers & Dependencies
| Blocker | Blocked Item | Owner | Needed By | Ask |
|---|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | What do you need from leadership? |
7. Upcoming (Next Period)
| Priority | Item | Owner | Target Date | Dependencies |
|---|
| P1 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| P2 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| P3 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
8. Resource & Budget Summary (Monthly/Quarterly only)
| Category | Budget | Spent | Remaining | Forecast | Variance |
|---|
| Personnel | $... | $... | $... | $... | +/-$... |
| Infrastructure | $... | $... | $... | $... | +/-$... |
| Vendor/Contractor | $... | $... | $... | $... | +/-$... |
| Total | $... | $... | $... | $... | +/-$... |
Burn Rate: $X/month | Runway: Y months at current rate
9. Team & Organizational Updates (if applicable)
- New hires, departures, role changes
- Team health / morale indicators
- Capacity or allocation changes
10. Decisions Needed
| # | Decision | Context | Options | Recommended | Deadline |
|---|
| 1 | ... | ... | A, B, C | B because... | [Date] |
Writing Standards
- Lead with the headline: Put the most important information first
- Be specific: "Reduced API latency by 40% (from 500ms to 300ms)" not "Improved performance"
- Use traffic lights consistently: GREEN/YELLOW/RED with clear definitions
- Quantify everything possible: Numbers, percentages, dates, dollar amounts
- Keep it scannable: Use tables, bullets, and bold text — no long paragraphs
- Separate facts from opinions: Use "Notes" columns for commentary
- Compare to plan: Always show actual vs expected, not just actual
- Include the "so what": Every metric should have context for why it matters
- Action-oriented: Every risk/issue/blocker should have an owner and next step
Quality Standards
- Report must be completable in under 30 minutes (if data is available)
- Executive summary must be readable in under 2 minutes
- Every RED or YELLOW status must have an explanation and action plan
- No stale items — remove or update items from prior reports
- Blockers must include a specific ask, not just a description
- Dates must be specific, not "soon" or "TBD" (use "by [date]" or "est. [date]")
Edge Cases
- First report (no baseline): Establish baselines, state that trends will appear in future reports
- Nothing significant happened: Focus on steady-state metrics, upcoming priorities, and proactive risk identification
- Bad news delivery: Lead with the facts, provide root cause, and present the recovery plan in the same breath
- Multiple projects: Use a portfolio view with per-project drill-down sections
- Cross-functional audience: Minimize jargon, include a glossary if needed
- Reporting during incidents: Include incident summary, current status, and link to postmortem timeline
Quality Checklist
