Progress Updates Your Boss Will Actually Appreciate
Stop listing activities! start building trust with concise, outcome-driven updates.
Your boss doesn’t want a play-by-play of your week. They want clarity, outcomes, and confidence that you’ve got things under control… even if they aren’t going as planned.
Here’s how to deliver updates that impress.
You probably want to show you’ve been working hard, even if the results aren’t what your manager hopes for.
But the first thing you must understand is this: your manager cares about outcomes, not busyness.
A clear, strategic progress update builds trust and credibility, while a laundry list of activities only frustrates and wastes time.
Follow these 5 steps to keep your updates sharp and valuable:
1. Be concise and outcome-focused.
Stick to where things stand, not how you got there. Details like meeting 5 people, revising things 3 times, or reading 6 documents aren’t the point. Highlight what’s different since the last update. Managers don’t want to scroll through activities, they want to know if progress is happening.
2. Be blunt and honest.
If things aren’t going well, don’t be Willy Wonka, there’s no need to sugarcoat it. Share your honest perspective, even if the data is approximate or directional. Your unique proximity to the project gives your assessment weight, and your manager values candor over spin.
3. Present actionable next steps.
If progress is off-track, suggest alternatives to move forward. Make it clear you’re thinking ahead and taking ownership of the situation. If it’s on-track, a simple “continue as planned” is enough.
4. Recommend a path forward.
When presenting options, don’t leave your manager to choose blindly. Highlight your preferred option and briefly explain why. It shows leadership and confidence in your judgment while making their decision easier.
5. Balance firmness with flexibility.
Firmness is about confidence in your recommendations. You don’t need seniority to back your point of view, you just need to know what you’re talking about.
Flexibility means staying open to feedback and being ready to adjust based on new insights.
Writing a great progress update isn’t easy. It’s far harder than whipping off a list of tasks. You probably have heard that quote falsely attributed to Mark Twain: “If I had more time, I would write a shorter letter.”
Clear, concise updates take practice, but the effort is worth it. They’ll not only impress your boss but also help you organize your thoughts and take control of your work.
Pro tip: Even if your manager doesn’t ask for updates, write them for yourself.
Writing a good, concise progress update takes time, but you can get better at it just by practicing every day. Even if your manager doesn’t ask for it, you should write one for yourself. It’s a habit that builds clarity and accountability.