For a successful team, there is nothing more important than clear communication.
While the modern team has many tools to communicate - Slack, Video Chat, Google Docs - many teams lack processes that make communication effective. Important details get lost in the shuffle of meetings and message threads, making it difficult to stay on the same page.
The traditional answer to keeping your team on the same page is “status update meetings,” where everyone gives an update about what they are working on, while the rest of us are half paying attention. When updates are just discussed verbally, they are likely to become the important details lost in the shuffle - a big problem.
The solution to this problem is surprisingly simple: write it down.
We created Weekly Update to make it ridiculously easy to share quick written status updates each week.
When updates are in writing, ambiguity melts away and progress becomes clear. Your team can hold each other accountable for delivering on commitments, because progress and results are written down in black and white, right in everyone’s inbox.
With written updates, the need for those boring status update meetings melts away as well. Meetings become focused on discussion and decision making. Goals are clear, and problems are identified before they become fires.
Oh, and written status updates are quick and easy. We’re talking 10 minutes per week from each person, summarizing their plans, progress and problems.
The goal is to make your team more effective and reach their full potential. It worked for our team, and we’re confident it’ll work for yours as well.
- The Weekly Update Team
