1. The Status Report Nobody Reads — But Everyone Needs
Let’s be honest: weekly status reports fall into that glorious category of “mandatory but mostly ignored” artifacts. They’re fine… until something goes sideways. Then suddenly, people are rifling through every update you've ever written, looking for clues like it’s CSI: PMO Edition. Which means, you need to have these organized chronologically in some sort of repository.
Weekly reports are like flossing — easy to skip, but painful to skip consistently. The good ones keep things calm. The bad ones cause meetings. The missing ones cause escalations.
So, let’s make sure your weekly status report isn’t just a box-ticking exercise. Here’s what to include, what to avoid, and how to build a report that communicates progress without triggering a meeting invite.
2. The Non-Negotiables: What Absolutely Must Be in There
✅ Project Name + Date
This should go without saying, and yet. Don’t call it “Weekly Update.” Be specific. “Data Platform Modernization | Status Report | 12/04/2025” tells us what we’re looking at and when it applies. It also helps when someone’s digging through SharePoint at quarter-end, wondering what went wrong.
✅ Executive Summary
Three to five lines, max. This is the TLDR for actual humans. Focus on key progress, blockers, and the general direction of travel. If someone reads nothing else, this should be enough to fake a hallway conversation about the project.
✅ Current Status (RAG)
Red. Amber. Green. Pick one. Don’t invent new colors or dodge the truth with “Light Green with Slight Concerns.” If it's off-track, say so. And yes, this should tie back to metrics — ideally something measurable you’ve defined in your project controls or PMO reporting. “It’s more than a feeling”
3. Milestones & Deliverables: What’s Done, What’s Next, What’s Late
Bullets. Always bullets. If I wanted to read prose, I’d pick up a novel.
List what was delivered, what’s in progress, what’s behind schedule. Highlight anything coming up next week, and flag the things that are slipping. If people leave your report unclear on what’s due next — that’s a problem (for you). Which means, you need to ensure you have a good tracking system in place for the project work.
No ambiguity, no sugar-coating. This section is your proof of progress. i.e. report the weather.
4. Risks & Issues: The Real Talk Section
This is not the section to bury at the bottom like an HR policy. Risks are things that might happen. Issues are things that already did. Know the difference and be upfront.
If your status report says “all green” for six weeks straight and then you suddenly need a rescue plan, people will wonder what else you’re not saying. Include the real stuff. Your job isn't to make the project look pretty. It's to make it successful.
5. Decisions Needed: Help Me Help You
The most ignored section in most reports. Which is ironic since this is where actual change happens.
Don’t just write “We need leadership support.” That’s a wish, not an action. Be specific. Who needs to decide what, by when, and what happens if they don’t? This is why we have minimum standards for a risk, a task, an issue, etc. to be entered into the PMIS.
Name names. Attach dates. Make it uncomfortable enough that someone feels the need to act. That's when decisions get made.
6. Dependencies: Because You Don’t Live in a Bubble
Your project does not exist in a vacuum. If you’re waiting on another team, another vendor, or an environment that’s “in process” for the third week in a row, say it here.
List upstream and downstream dependencies clearly. If your progress is blocked because Team X prioritizes other work, surface it. You're not throwing them under the bus. You're documenting reality.
7. Budget / Burn / Time Reporting (If Applicable)
Not every project has budget visibility baked in. But if someone’s watching the numbers (they usually are), include:
Keep it tight. This is not the time for five-slide financials. No one needs another bar chart unless you're invoicing by the pixel. Just simple Earned Value Management (EVM). Separate post coming soon on this.
8. Formatting Rules: Make it Readable or Don’t Bother
Look. If your report makes people squint, scroll excessively, or wonder what font that is — start over.
And please… no tables that collapse on mobile. You’re not building a dashboard for NASA. You’re communicating to decision-makers on Outlook mobile while they’re in an Uber. We’ve found that most executives look at these while on their phones.
9. Delivery and Cadence: Set It and Don’t Forget It
If you want your status reports to be taken seriously, you need consistency.
Consistency builds trust. It also lets you avoid mid-week check-ins that start with “Hey, just wondering where we are on…”
10. Closing: The Weekly Report is a Signal, Make Sure It’s the Right One
This isn’t just admin work. A well-crafted status report sets tone, pace, and expectation. It says, “I have control of this project,” or “Here’s where I need help.” It shows leadership. It reduces ambiguity.
Write it clearly, deliver it consistently, and let it speak for you when you’re not in the room.
Because if you do it right? You’ll spend less time defending your project — and more time delivering it.
BONUS: if you have a slick dashboard that fulfills the needs. Simplifies the effort you need to put in to the weekly status update.
