Introduction
Weekly updates are essential for keeping a team aligned, informed, and accountable. They ensure transparency, help identify blockers early, and create a shared understanding of progress and priorities.
I found inspiration in Christina Wodtke’s approach, as outlined in her book The Team That Managed Itself, which focuses on clarity and action over bureaucracy. She transformed the dreaded status report into something teams actually benefit from. You can read more about her approach in her article . I took these ideas and adapted them into a simple, structured format for weekly updates, making it easy for teams to share progress, blockers, and wins in a way that actually drives results. I believe written updates are more effective than meetings because they force clear thinking. Writing ensures clarity, accountability, and better decision-making, while also reducing unnecessary discussions. Additionally, it allows everyone to read at their own pace and think deeply about the topic, leading to more thoughtful insights and discussions.
I chose Coda.io because it simplifies and improves the update process. It’s easy to use, keeps all updates in one place, and allows teams to track progress over time. Everyone can see what others are working on, fostering transparency and accountability. The ability to comment, add context, and include data or screenshots makes discussions more productive. Plus, structured updates make it easier to compile reports and spot trends without extra effort.
Update types
Each week, share a brief update on your work. This keeps everyone aligned, helps tackle challenges early, and highlights progress. Keep it simple and to the point:
Tasks – What are your top priorities for the week? Focus on the 1–3 most important tasks. Add due dates and status so everyone knows what’s happening. Blockers – What’s slowing you down? It could be a missing resource, an unanswered question, or a technical issue. Identifying blockers early helps us fix them faster. Learning – What did you learn this week? A new tool, client insight, or workflow improvement? Sharing what you learn helps the whole team. Wins – What went well? A completed task, great feedback, or a problem solved? Notes – Anything else worth mentioning? A quick observation, a shout-out to a teammate, or a heads-up about upcoming time off. Data – Any key numbers to share? Sales figures, engagement stats, performance metrics—data helps us make smarter decisions. You don’t need to fill in every category each week—just what’s relevant. The goal is to keep updates useful, not busywork.rovide a snapshot of your week, so we're all informed and can support each other effectively
Week
When writing your update, specify which week it covers. Keep it focused:
Tasks and Blockers – Look ahead to the next seven days. Only include tasks you aim to complete, not just start. Break big projects into smaller, doable steps. Learning, Wins, Notes, and Data – Reflect on the past week or provide relevant updates on the current situation. Status
The "Status" field applies only to Tasks. Here’s how to use it:
Done – Mark a task as "Done" if you complete it by the time you write the next weekly update. Not Done – If a task isn’t completed, mark it as "Not Done." Add a quick note on why it wasn’t finished—this helps us learn and improve. If a task continues into the next week, mark it “Not Done”, duplicate it and add it to your next update. Coda’s duplication feature makes this easy. Not finishing every task is fine. But if you’re completing everything too easily, it might mean your plans aren’t ambitious enough or you’re only choosing straightforward tasks.
Miscellaneous
Fixed Updates Post-Meeting – Once the weekly meeting ends and plans for the next week are set, past updates should not be changed. This keeps the record clear and ensures updates serve as a communication tool rather than a constantly shifting task list. Updating Task Status – For past tasks, only update the status to "Done" or "Not Done." If you have a major achievement or insight, link it to the current week's update to maintain context. Communicating KPIs – Use the Data section to share key metrics relevant to your role. Keep the numbers specific and useful so they help the team understand progress. Clarity and Accessibility – Write updates so anyone in the organization can understand them. Use full sentences and add context in the Notes section if needed. Remember the Purpose – Weekly updates are for alignment and support, not exhaustive task reports. Share only the most important information that helps the team stay on track and work better together.
Setting up
When are the updates due each week? It is important to know when all updates are expected to be entered and are ready to be read. Is everyone expected to read them or just the manager? What is the process to work through topics? Individually or in a meeting? If in the meeting, which topics would be discussed and who decides that? Should team members comment topics in writing or communicate with the reporter directly? Make sure that the is pre-populated with data. You can add to the calendar additional columns with important events: OKR review dates, monthly report and meeting dates, etc. This creates additional clarity and predictability for the team. Resources
Team weekly updates