Writing Right: The Art of the Status Report
August 29, 2007 – 9:30 pmStatus reports are a dreaded thing that most of us have to do in the corporate world, no matter our jobs. Often we fluff, embellish, or exaggerate out of fear of not showing enough progress. We are vague to help our accomplishments seem bigger. We improvise. We adapt. We try to overcome.
We fail.
A Status Report is about reporting status and progress. It is not a report card; it is not a marketing piece. It is not part of your resume. It is a document intended to impart exactly where things stand currently, preferably as succinctly and in as few a words as possible.
When writing a status report, keep to the facts. Include:
- Items completed
- Were the items completed within scope? On schedule? Within resource budget?
- Were any risks realized?
- Were any risks identified?
- Were any opportunities discovered or realized?
- Are any new actions required? By who? By what time? What resources will be needed?
- What is your next set of actions planned?
Present a status report like this, and you will not only inform, you will impress.
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