A status update is a key tool for establishing trust with your team and demonstrating your proficiency in handling difficult conditions. It is a summary of your work tasks for a regular period, like monthly, weekly, or fortnightly. A status update is a good opportunity to restate your project-related efforts and establish timeline expectations, such as any delivery delays. 

But a status update is also a chance for engineers to demonstrate their leadership skills. It’s a useful session for engineering managers and product managers to understand how everyone is handling their tasks.  So here are a few tips to deliver your status update like a pro.  

What topics should you cover in a status update?  

The quickest way to provide a status update in a stand-up meeting is to discuss what you accomplished yesterday, what you plan to accomplish today, and whether any obstacles remain.   

Don’t be afraid to talk about what you did yesterday, even if you don’t have any PR or documentation ready. It includes letting the team know that you’ve spent the entire day attempting to comprehend the new architecture or the product definition.   

The manager wants to know if you are blocked while they update your status. However, what they really want to know is how you differed from yesterday to today.  

They want to know why you are still in the same spot from yesterday if you are waiting on a response from someone or trying to locate information that is difficult to find. The group wants to assist you in being unblocked as well.     

For instance, a status update is a good place to bring up issues like being constrained by specific third-party API definitions or getting stuck on a particular bug. Your manager can help you get past a roadblock by setting up a meeting with the other team to expedite the process, for example, if you are waiting for another team’s API specs to advance.   

You want to let the team know about blockers so that they can offer advice on how to fix it while also letting them know that you have tried several different solutions on your own.   

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4 Ways of Delivering Your Status Update Like a pro-Software Engineer  

Even if you have something interesting to say, updating your status can be tedious and dry. An engineer may occasionally include a comprehensive list of everything they’re doing in their daily status update. Laundry lists are an especially dull update that makes people nod off. When people talk about things that are unrelated to my current task or project, I occasionally lose focus.  

 These suggestions will help you make your stand-up more interesting.  

1. Compile a summary list.  

Make a quick list of the things you did and a list of the actions you plan to take before the stand-up. You can create a better flow of status updates by organizing your thoughts and concentrating on the tasks that must be completed. For instance, the evening before the status update, I’ll make an unorganized list of the things I did, the things I’ll do, and any obstacles or other crucial information.  This 5-minute habit can change a lot and help you with many things.  

2. Language Matters  

Keep in mind that stand-up meetings serve as a status update for both product managers and engineers. You should describe your situation in simple terms so that everyone can follow your development.  

Remove excessive amounts of weeds. Product managers and your manager don’t need to hear such a detailed, granular description, aside from engineers who may understand what you are talking about. 

3. Don’t hide other commitments  

During stand-up, don’t keep other work a secret from your team.  

A typical day is packed with ideas, planning, family time, and numerous projects. We frequently work on multiple tasks or projects at once. We occasionally need to conduct interviews while working on several different projects. During the status update, you should let the team know if you suddenly need to take care of a sick child or deal with a pressing production issue.  

4. Explain your importance  

You must think about how to make your work relevant to other people as you advance into more senior roles. Create a story so that others can see your impact.  

As engineers, it is our job to influence the business from a variety of perspectives. Even though your status update may seem irrelevant, the “why” encourages people to pay attention to it.  

 Conclusion  

Though intimidating, status updates are the best setting for building trust.   

What you did yesterday, what you’ll do today, and if there are any obstacles are a good format for a status update. If you run into obstacles, try contextualizing them and seeking assistance with specific questions.  

To make a good impression on the team, keep in mind that you only have 1-2 minutes to present your status update. Your manager shouldn’t think less of you because of the time and effort you’ve put in.