Write a Status Update That Answers What's Next
Added 2026-11-01
Do not just report what you did; lead with blockers, next steps and who needs to act.
I need a project status update (details below). Do: 1) open with the conclusion — on track, delayed or blocked; 2) three lines for done, in progress, next step; 3) name the real blocker and who needs to do what; 4) give an expected completion date and its precondition; 5) delete every sentence that only proves I worked hard. Under 200 words, suitable for a team chat.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
状态汇报的主角是下一步，不是过去。
Try tweaking it
- Ask for three columns: conclusion, owner, deadline — ready to paste into a table.
- Let it organise only your notes; do not add decisions that were never made.
What you should get
- Task list with owner, deadline and blocker
- Escalations that need a decision, listed separately
Common mistakes
- Feeding raw notes and letting it fill in decisions that were never made.
- Getting owners without deadlines, so no task can be created.
How to check the output
- Every item has an owner and a date — ready to become a task.
- It does not record decisions that were never made.
Where it works
- Good for: turning verbal discussion into owner, deadline and blocker.
- Watch out: let it organise only the notes you supply — never let it infer decisions that were not made.