Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Setting up your report
• Part 2 of 2: Putting it all together

A status report may seem like a chore, but writing it can actually be a good opportunity to communicate with management. Regardless of the project you are working on, you should focus on providing specific details that describe the budget and progress of the project. Put the most important information in a summary at the beginning. Then continue with the main details describing the project in terms of results and challenges. Keep things short but informative and the management is delighted.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Setting up your report

1. Focus on the costs and timetable. Regardless of the project you are working on, managers want to know how things are going in terms of budget and progress. Set up your report gathering information about how the project is doing financially. In addition, make some comments about whether or not the project is on track in time.
2. Be honest about problems. If you know there are project cost and progress issues, don't hide them. That will only lead to bigger problems later on. Instead, think about how these problems relate to things that are going well.
   • For example, if your project involves producing and shipping 1,000 T-shirts for $ 1,000, you might be concerned if you've only made 300 but already spent $ 500.
   • You could also find yourself two days ahead of schedule and comment on that.
3. Offer solutions to problems. Part of the purpose of a status report is to help the manager decide the next steps. You can help by suggesting solutions to certain problems you notice. As you set up the report, take notes on how your solutions are relevant to costs and progress.
   • For example, if your T-shirt business is ahead of schedule and behind budget, you might see this as a reason to ramp up production and balance things out.

Part 2 of 2: Putting it all together

1. Give the report a title. Start your written report with a brief summary, title and date. Because status reports should be short, they don't have to be on a separate title page. If you are submitting the report by email, a clear subject will suffice so that your manager knows what the email is about.
   • Something like “Parker Transport August 2017 Report” is fine.
   • Always provide data so that it is clear about which period you are reporting.
   • If your company uses specific reporting formats, make sure you use those too.
2. Start with a summary. Managers are busy and need to see the most important information immediately. A few lines at the beginning of the report go to the heart of the matter, briefly explaining how the project is going in terms of budget and progress.
   • Try to ensure that your manager sees all the information in the first minutes of reading the report.
   • For example, you could start your report right away with something direct like, “The Parker Transport is currently ahead of schedule. We spent 50% of the budget and produced 30% of the product. We can reduce costs by accelerating production. ”
   • If managers are happy with what they see at the start, they may already know enough. If there is anything in the summary that indicates a problem, they can quickly move from there to the relevant information further down the report.
3. Please provide the most relevant details. List the most important results so far, focusing on milestones and key data. Inform your manager in terms of results rather than activities.
   • For example, don't write something like “Our production leaders, Frank and Sandra, have done a good job. Frank is always there very early and Sandra's always the last to leave, to make sure we have everything produced on time. ”
   • Instead, emphasize key data: "We are 20% ahead of schedule as production leaders (Frank and Sandra) have increased production time by two hours a day."
4. Organize the facts. Here you can tailor the report to your manager's style. If you know your manager's way of working, you can adapt the report accordingly. If you're not sure, focus on a short, direct summary in a style you know well.
   • If your manager wants to see the big story, you can name one chapter "Results", another "Challenges" and a third "Solutions".
   • For a manager who likes to see things chronologically, try a chapter "Progress This Week" followed by "Next Steps".
5. Use bullets. Managers must be provided with the information they need quickly and in an easy-to-read manner. Paragraphs are too long to read and disguise key information. But with lists it is easy to scan through the report.
   • If your manager or company specifically asks for a fully written report, you must of course fulfill that wish.
6. Add visual elements as needed. Some managers find it helpful to add visual cues to explain how a project is going. For example, you could put a green light next to a bullet about costs, if that goes well, but an orange light next to one about progress, if you are running a little behind.
7. Review and amend your report as necessary before submitting it to your manager. Spelling mistakes and non-running sentences are never valid, not even in a short, relatively informal status report. Don't rely solely on electronic spelling and grammar checkers. To keep the report short and direct, consider what can be removed (such as unnecessary adverbs and adjectives).
   • For example, avoid phrases like "August sales are going well, the best month yet, thanks to the truly excellent efforts of Marie and Sam."
   • You can say the same much more succinctly: "The August sales are the best yet, thanks to the hard work of Marie and Sam."
8. Report at least once a month unless you have other instructions. Your company may ask you to provide status reports according to a specific timeframe, such as weekly or biweekly. Reporting at least once a month is generally good for keeping your manager informed. Contact him if you are not sure when the status reports should be in.
   • If your manager wants to get reports less often, you will of course do as you are asked.