A weekly meeting with you and your supervisor is an opportunity. You get a shot at telling them what you’re kicking ass on, and also give them the heads up if you need extra help in any area. It’s a promotional vehicle wrapped around news. So, why do people make their weekly status so MUDDY?
It’s all about EASY
Your boss has other things to do. They hired you because they want you to be fire and forget. Your status report should be a quick and simple document to view, with you there to answer any questions the document prompts. OR, it can be you giving a reading of how things are going, but using the document as a reference, so that it doesn’t ramble. It CANNOT be just you talking off the top of your head.
It’s about alignment
A good weekly status session gives your supervisor an understanding of what you’re focusing your time on. This also gives her the opportunity to RE-focus you, if you’re off in the weeds, or if you should be doing B first instead of A all of a sudden. Showing your actions and intentions on paper makes for a great way to keep everyone together.
It’s about promotion!
Status reports show your supervisor how you think, how you prioritize, what you’re putting into the job. They are a GREAT, tangible way to show your boss why you deserve the big bucks.
Overall Tips
Make it brief.
Make it brief.
Make it concise.
Make it brief.
Tell the story simply.
(Make it brief).
You’re not being paid by the word.
The free form
Go here for the free form (scroll down to the bottom left to download). It’s in .doc format so that you can edit it as will. If you’re using MS Word, save it as a .DOT when you get it the way you like, and add it to your templates. If you’re a Mac user, god bless you. Get OpenOffice.org and translate it to whatever format you like.
You’ll note that the form is broken into three main sections:
*Most Important Items
*Project 1 (2, 3)
*Other Activities
This document, when completely filled out, should total no more than 2 full pages. If you’re spilling into 3 and 4, you’re not following the rules. Be CONCISE. Cut out words. You’re not being paid by the word.
Any questions?
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