How to write the perfect progress report – dos and don’ts

Posted by on Aug 4, 2022 in PMChat Bloggers, Uncategorized | Comments Off

If you work as a project manager, chances are that you have completed dozens of progress reports during your career – if not hundreds! But how effective have they been? Have you had a clear purpose when writing the reports, for instance by wanting your stakeholders to take certain action as a result of them? Or did you fill them in because it was one of those routine tasks that had to be done? Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net You may have been very conscientious and particular when filling in your reports, but unfortunately not everyone is, and as a result the weekly status report becomes one of those artifacts that is part of the process without adding much value.  Top mistakes Some of the classic mistakes that project managers make is that they include too much static information and not enough about what the real project issues are. In that way the report is not a true reflection of what is really going on. If you just write about what happened during the last reporting period and what you will do during the next reporting period, without mentioning how that compares to plan and what the real risks and issues are, there is no incentive for executives to pay attention to it. In many cases the report is even attached in an email without any context or description, meaning that executives who rely on smartphones are unlikely to ever get to the information.

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How to write the perfect progress report – dos and don’ts