write-a-work-status-update

name	write-a-work-status-update
category	write
description	Turn working notes into a concise status update covering outcomes, evidence, risks, decisions, and next actions. Use when reporting project or operational progress.

write-a-work-status-update

Lead with what changed and what needs attention. Separate completed work from activity, forecast, and assumption.

Procedure

1. Confirm audience, reporting period, project scope, format, and decision needs.
2. Gather commitments, completed artifacts, measured results, open work, risks, decisions, and dependencies.
3. Verify status against the system of record, owner, test, link, or dated evidence.
4. Classify each item as completed, in progress, blocked, at risk, planned, or unknown using the team's definitions.
5. Write an outcome-first summary, then material progress, risks, decisions needed, and next-period commitments.
6. Give each risk an impact, evidence, owner, mitigation, and decision date.
7. Make requests explicit with one owner and deadline.
8. Remove narrative that repeats unchanged work and redact unnecessary sensitive detail.
9. Check that dates, numbers, links, and status labels agree before sending.

Failure plan

• Never call work complete because it was started, coded, submitted, or discussed.
• Do not hide bad news in passive language or bury a decision request.
• If evidence conflicts, report the discrepancy instead of selecting the favorable version.
• Keep people issues and confidential incidents in the proper restricted channel.

Done

• Every material status is checked against dated evidence
• Risks, decisions, owners, and next actions are clearly listed
• The sent update is saved and any response commitments are logged