The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing

Truth 25. Writing good progress reports is worth your time

Let’s look at something that most people hate doing but can really make you look good if done well: regular reports to your boss on your work progress or what you’ve been doing all week.

Goal—Think past the idea that your goal is simply to get an onerous task out of the way. You want to demonstrate that you’ve used your time well, made progress on your current project, and get the support you need (supplies, equipment, resources, discussion).

Audience—The “what’s in it for me?” idea is always important. So why does the boss impose this task on you and your colleagues? Distrust? No…he or she hopes to hear you are performing well. In a department with more than a handful of staff members, ...