Three audiences
| Audience | What they want | Cadence | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsor / steering | Outcome status, key risks, decisions needed | Bi-weekly / monthly | 1-page summary |
| Peers / dependencies | What you need from them, what they get from you, dates | Weekly | Email / Slack thread |
| The team | Sprint health, blockers, upcoming | Daily standup + weekly check-in | Verbal + board |
The sponsor's one-pager
Best format: RAG status (Red / Amber / Green) per dimension (schedule, scope, budget, risk), one paragraph on what changed since last report, three bullets of decisions needed. If the sponsor reads only the colors and the decisions, they have what they need. Anything longer is for them to dig into if they want.
↳ the watermelon problem
Green on the outside, red on the inside. Reports that stay green every week and then suddenly go red are the watermelons. Sponsors trust PMs whose reports show the actual color shifting — green to amber to green. Constant green is a credibility problem, not a competence signal.
Decisions needed: the under-used section
The most valuable section in a status report is "decisions needed." Sponsors who read this section first feel like their time is well-spent. PMs who write it well drive decisions that would otherwise drift for weeks.