More help with writing status reports

1. Advice & examples for writing good status updates
Selena Sol
selena@selenasol.com
http://sg.linkedin.com/pub/eric-tachibana/0/33/b53/
http://www.slideshare.net/selenasol
http://www.selenasol.com/selena
SUMMARY
This guide argues that there are 3 types of events that warrant reporting in a progress
report, provides advice, and gives examples of effective update content.
EVENT SITUATION ADVICE AVOID UPDATES LIKE THIS.... REFERENCE EXAMPLE
Big project  A generally  Make clear what  Pilot environment security The Messaging Component was
completed acknowledged big business value was and risk reviews requested completed and put into production on
chunk or work, or the delivered  Assessment of Option A March 20th. This component will allow
entire project, was  Say what’s next initiated us to feed 100% of the Indonesian
finished.  Recognize  Continued building out Commodities transactions through
 A meaningful contributors messaging component Straight-Through Processing (STP)
milestone was passed.  Improved single-sign on leading to faster settlement times
 A key project risk was module and fewer transaction errors due to
mitigated  Supporting Korea human error. We’ll be monitoring the
 The project advanced Reliability Audit production code for the next few
to a point where  Worked with project team weeks but the team will start turning
tangible business and stakeholders to define its focus towards the next Asset Class,
value began accruing Project Metrics Equity Derivatives. Thanks to Frank
demonstrably (beta  Kicked off working group to Miller and Jeph Loeb for high quality
launch or minimal define requirements for code and after-hours support during
viable product Cloud Operating Platform productionization.
released)  System X successfully
integrated into System Y
Key meeting  Project Steering Do not turn this into  Operations IT Since the last report, the Operations
held Committees meeting minutes, but Design Council met IT Design Council (OPSDC) met twice,
 Function do communicate: covering 1) APAC Enterprise
Governance/Board Architecture proposal, 2) Project Z
Meetings  Key formal agenda update, and 3) Vendor Q analysis.
 Design Committees / items With respect to Enterprise
Standard Setting  Key Statements Architecture, the OPSDC agreed to
Bodies / Quality for the record adopt the proposed model (URL to
Reviews  Key Decisions document) and extend Phase 2
 Meetings with  Key action items deliverables until June 16th. Meeting
external parties minutes including outstanding actions
(auditors/regulators) are available at (URL).
Syndication  I have finished sharing  Include an  We syndicated ETRS Completed regional syndication of
completed a strategy deck with all embedded link to related eBanking target the, “Electronic Transaction Reporting
relevant stakeholders the document architecture with IBIT CTO System (ETRS) eBanking Target
and am now ready to  List 1-3 critical stakeholders Architecture” (URL to document). At a
publish it as final syndication high-level, key themes included 1)
 I made a decision, set messages as part decommissioning of System X, 2)
a standard, or defined of the update. procurement of System Y, and 3)
a business process and Don't tell us "that" support for Regulatory requirement
have finished notifying you syndicated, of 6-factor authentication.
all stakeholders. tell us "what" you Syndication was completed for
 I have made a syndicated Investment Banking Tech (IBIT)
significant change to  List key stakeholders from the Chief
strategic intent, stakeholders Technology Office (CTO). No issues
objectives, program impacted, were raised that might derail further
goals or scope, or especially if there progress, though it is worth repeating
organizational are business that the rollout plan has an
structure and have benefits or costs aggressive timeline. Minutes from the
meetings are available at (URL).

2. finished sharing this to them
with stakeholders.  List key
themes/decisions/
changes that came
out of any related
discussions
1. BIG PROJECT COMPLETED
Hopefully most of what we do is work on projects that lead to tangible business value. And
when we make significant progress against such a project, it is worth shouting about.
However, shouting effectively assumes that a meaningful phase of project work was actually
completed such as:
 A generally acknowledged big chunk or work, or the entire project, was finished.
 A meaningful milestone was passed.
 A key project risk was mitigated
 The project advanced to a point where tangible business value began accruing
demonstrably (beta launch or minimal viable product released)
Whatever the case, the key to a good project update is that it should communicate why the
reader, who is usually not in the direct project team, should care. The update should make
clear what business value was delivered. For example, what can now be accomplished as a
result, or how much revenue can be made, or cost avoided, as a result of the
accomplishment, or what risks are now mitigated? If you cannot define what business value
was delivered, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the project is bad, it’s just that this is
probably not a time to report on it. Wait until it is newsworthy.
Also, because the audience of reports tends to include secondary or tertiary stakeholders,
who do not attend in-person project meetings, when you describe the event, you need to
add enough detail so that someone, not in the immediate project team, can immediately
understand the relevant context without needing a one-on-one project briefing.
Further, it is useful to place the delivery within the larger context. What’s next?
Finally, it is worth recognizing folks who made an outstanding contribution to the delivery.
Here are some examples of updates that are not newsworthy or updates that are
newsworthy, but not detailed enough:
 Pilot environment security and risk reviews requested
 Assessment of Option A initiated
 Continued building out messaging component
 Improved single-sign on module
 Supporting Korea Reliability Audit
 Worked with project team and stakeholders to define Project Metrics
 Kicked off working group to define requirements for Cloud Operating Platform
 System X successfully integrated into System Y

3. Here are some updates that might be more effective:
The Assessment of Option A was completed. Using a rubric that included A, B, and C,
the project team determined that Option A was unsuitable given the project
requirements. The complete assessment report is available at (URL). The next major
project milestone will be to agree on pricing and contractual terms for Option B by
August 15th. Thanks to Mickey Mouse for preparing the market research report and
meeting deck.
The Messaging Component was completed and put into production on March 20 th.
This component will allow us to feed 100% of the Indonesian Commodities
transactions through Straight-Through Processing (STP) leading to faster settlement
times and fewer transaction errors due to human error. We’ll be monitoring the
production code for the next few weeks but the team will start turning its focus
towards the next Asset Class, Equity Derivatives. Thanks to Frank Miller and Jeph
Loeb for high quality code and after-hours support during productionization.
2. KEY MEETING HELD
Communicating decisions made as well as making the process of decision-making
transparent, is critical if you want people to actually own those decisions. There are many
types of key meetings including:
 Project steering committees
 Function governance/board meetings
 Design Committees / Standard Setting Bodies / Quality Reviews
 Meetings with external parties (auditors/regulators)
While most banter at a meeting will be relevant only to those present, most meetings can
be summarized quickly but effectively:
 Key formal agenda items
 Key statements for the record
 Key decisions
 Key action items
If readers of your report have reason to be interested, but meeting minutes are too
detailed, these things should be communicated in a report within reason.
Here is an example of a status update that leaves significant value on the table:
Operations IT Design Council met
Here is how you might improve it:
Since the last report, the Operations IT Design Council (OPSDC) met twice, covering 1)
APAC Enterprise Architecture proposal, 2) Project Z update, and 3) Vendor Q analysis.
With respect to Enterprise Architecture, the OPSDC agreed to adopt the proposed

4. model (URL to document) and extend Phase 2 deliverables until June 16 th. Meeting
minutes including outstanding actions are available at (URL).
3. SYNDICATION COMPLETED
There are many circumstances in which you want to communicate messages throughout an
organization, and finishing that communication is a key milestone because you will now
move from Syndication to Operationalization, and you need to mark this state change. After
this milestone, there will be no more talking and sharing. It is now time for everyone to be
onboard and execute.
Examples could include:
 I have finished sharing a strategy deck with all relevant stakeholders and am now
ready to publish it as final
 I made a decision, set a standard, or defined a business process and have finished
notifying all stakeholders.
 I have made a significant change to strategic intent, objectives, program goals or
scope, or organizational structure and have finished sharing this with stakeholders.
At the same time, because syndication is usually a dialog, rather than a broadcast, it is
important to ensure that key statements of record, changes, or compromises that came up
during syndication are communicated as well.
Because this is an important milestone, it is appropriate to report. But make sure that all the
relevant information is included. For example:
 Include an embedded link to the document
 List 1-3 critical syndication messages as part of the update. Don't tell us "that" you
syndicated, tell us "what" you syndicated
 List key stakeholders impacted, especially if there are business benefits or costs to
them
 List key themes/decisions/changes that came out of any related discussions
Here is an example of a status update that leaves significant value on the table:
We syndicated ETRS related eBanking target architecture with IBIT CTO stakeholders
Here is how you might improve it:
Completed regional syndication of the, “Electronic Transaction Reporting System
(ETRS) eBanking Target Architecture” (URL to document). At a high-level, key themes
included 1) decommissioning of System X, 2) procurement of System Y, and 3)
support for Regulatory requirement of 6-factor authentication. Syndication was
completed for Investment Banking Tech (IBIT) stakeholders from the Chief
Technology Office (CTO). No issues were raised that might derail further progress,
though it is worth repeating that the rollout plan has an aggressive timeline. Minutes
from the meetings are available at (URL).

5. 4. APPENDIX: SPELL OUT ACRONYMS
And remember, always Spell Out Acronyms (SOA).