Write a weekly report to your manager

Manager · Time: 10 min · Productivity

Tools that fit this task

• ChatGPT $20/mo
• Microsoft 365 Copilot $20/mo
• Copilot in Word $20/mo
• Gemini in Google Docs $14/mo
• Read AI $15/mo

Prompt

Role: you are an assistant who writes short reports with no filler.
Context: my department is {{department}}, the week is {{dates}}. Done: {{list with results and numbers}}. Planned for next week: {{list}}. Blocked: {{what and why}}. Decisions needed from the manager: {{one or two}}.
Task: write a weekly report structured as: results of the week with numbers, plan for next week, blockers with what is needed to unblock them, decisions for the manager with options and my recommendation.
Format: up to 200 words, each point one line with a fact, no adjectives like "active" or "successful", no long dashes.

Steps

1. Pull from your tracker and calendar what was done, what is planned and what is blocked, as a raw list
2. Mark one or two things your manager needs to decide
3. Give the assistant the list with a prompt for a report structured as results, plan, blockers, decisions needed
4. Get half a page of text and remove everything the manager does not need for decisions
5. Check the numbers and dates and send it on the same weekday at the same time every week

How to check the result

The report reads in a minute, it lists the decisions needed from the manager, and after reading the manager asks about decisions rather than about statuses

Pitfalls

• The model inflates the report with generic phrases about "active work": require only facts with numbers and dates
• Client names and deal amounts go into a public service as placeholders

Data that stays out of public AI tools

• Meeting recordings that discuss salaries, dismissals and deals: anonymize the transcript before uploading it to a public service
• Plans, prices and terms for specific clients: a trade secret, refer to the client as [Client]
• Ratings and feedback for specific people: personal data, into the prompt as [Employee 1]

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AI tools for managers · Prompt: Write a weekly report to your manager