Writing A Status Update

---
name: writing-a-status-update
description: Use when drafting a recurring stakeholder update (weekly status, monthly report, project update)
kind: content
audience: knowledge-worker
ai-tools: any
complexity: simple
time: 5 min
version: 1.0.0
source: bundled
---

# Writing a Status Update

## What this does

Drafts a short, scannable status update for a manager, board, or team. Headline + wins + blockers + next.

## When to use

- Weekly status to your manager
- Monthly project update to stakeholders
- Quarterly board update
- Any recurring "what happened, what's next" message

## What you bring (Inputs)

- This period's wins (raw list)
- This period's blockers (with the asks)
- Next period's focus
- Optional: relevant metric

## What you get (Output)

A 5-bullet update with a one-sentence headline.

## How it works (Steps)

1. Write the headline: one sentence naming the most important thing this period.
2. List wins as results, not activities. "Shipped X" beats "worked on X."
3. List blockers, max 1. For each: name the blocker, name the ask, name the deadline.
4. State next period's focus in one sentence.
5. Optional: add one metric line.
6. Trim ruthlessly to 5 bullets total.

## Quality bar

- Under 5 bullets total
- Every win is a result, not an activity
- Every blocker has an explicit ask + deadline
- Headline stands alone (someone could read just it)
- No jargon outside the team's shared vocabulary

## Variations

- **Board update**: add a "decisions needed" section
- **Team-internal**: add a "shoutouts" line (one or two names with the specific thing)
- **Project update**: replace wins/blockers with "milestones hit / at-risk / next milestone"
- **Rush mode**: 3 bullets max — wins + asks only

## Example

**Input**: Wins: shipped onboarding redesign, hired senior PM, fixed billing bug. Blocker: legal review on terms-of-service pending 2 weeks. Next: ship pricing page A/B test.

**Output**:

> **Headline**: Shipped onboarding redesign + hired senior PM; pricing test is gated on legal.
>
> **Wins**:
> - Shipped onboarding redesign (activation +12% week-1)
> - Hired senior PM (Sam, starts Apr 28)
> - Fixed billing bug (zero recurrences in 7 days)
>
> **Blocker**:
> - Legal review on new ToS pending 2 weeks. Need: Sara to push by Wed, else pricing test slips a week.
>
> **Next**: ship pricing page A/B test by EoW.