Status Madlib
I introduced this template to make status update simpler on my team.
Template
Definitions:
| Color | Description |
|---|---|
| Red | Needs outside action to succeed. Blocked or will definitely miss planned milestones |
| Yellow | Has internal issue(s) or unexpected surprises, but already has a plan to resolve them. If plan doesn’t work, could potentially miss planned milestones. |
| Green | Likely to hit planned milestones, no active issues or surprises. |
We are {Red/Yellow/Green} to complete {name of project or task} by {time}
(optional – if Red) I am Red and not Green because {SHORT description of blocker}.
The next action is for {name} to {deliverable: task AND communication method} by {time}
(optional – if Yellow) A potential future challenge is {SHORT description of stumbling block}. My plan to mitigate is {one SHORT of mitigation}.
Example
I’m Green on the Foobar project. The next action is for me to send a Slack message to Paul with the link to my code review for the new dashboards.
Notes
There are a few subtle but important points here:
- Keep it Short and Sweet! You should be able to complete the whole update in seconds, not minutes.
- This template deliberately avoids talking about past work. When giving a status update, focus on the futureDavid Allen’s Getting Things Done was the inspiration for the focus on the “next action.”
(don’t need to celebrate wins or give proof of effort – those are for a sprint report/weekly update/other venue). A common mistake is to confuse reporting on work with a status update.This blog post has some excellent templates for reporting on work.
- A deliverable includes both task and the reporting strategy. For example, “finish the code for X feature” is a task, but “put a link to the code review for X feature in the team channel” is a deliverable.For more, see Manager Tools on Deliverables Basics or Fixing Deliverables
- Vary how much detail (e.g. the amount of next actions) based on how much context/interest the person receiving status has. Default to less information; they can ask questions to learn more.