A useful status update answers three questions: what changed, what is at risk, and what decision is needed next.
Most status updates report activity.
“We had two meetings and continued analysis” may be true. It does not help a client decide whether the project is healthy.
Use every update to answer three questions: what changed, what is at risk, and what do you need from the client?
Lead with the outcome
Start with one sentence: “This week, we moved from ___ to ___.” The sentence should describe progress in the work, not time spent.
Examples include a draft completed, a decision narrowed to two options, or a dependency cleared.
Separate done from in progress
Use two short lists. The first shows what is complete. The second shows what is moving and when the next milestone is expected.
This keeps a partial deliverable from sounding finished and makes the remaining work visible.
Call out risk early
If timing, access, feedback, or scope is at risk, name it plainly. Add the consequence and the action that would reduce it.
“The interview schedule is two days behind; if the final interview moves past Thursday, synthesis shifts to next week” is useful. “There are some scheduling concerns” is not.
End with one client ask
Do not bury decisions in a paragraph. Put the ask last and make it specific: approve the outline, introduce the subject-matter owner, or confirm which option to develop.
The best status update reduces the number of questions the client has to send back. It turns communication into delivery support.
[Keep client communication tied to the work](https://getconsultkit.com)
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