No Surprises
It’s that time again… time to put together another status report for your project. Although it may seem like unnecessary red tape, the status report is a key part of project communications. It keeps the project stakeholders on the same page as the team so that everyone knows where the project has been, where it’s at now and where the project is heading.
A key focal point for my project management practices is “no surprises". The status report should recap the key developments that have happened since the last report so that even those who were not involved in those developments are made aware of them. And as the project manager, it is your responsibility to document both the good and the bad (or the “could be bad") so that everyone knows what’s going on during the project as things happen… not weeks or months later.
Although costs and timelines can be key metrics in a status reports, the less tangible items must also be included. Could upcoming vacations impact the project schedule? Will vendor negotiations affect the project budget? Are there still some ill-defined requirements that need to be examined? These questions and more need to be recognized and addressed within the status report in an open and honest way so that there will be “no surprises".