Something to doWorking with your manager
Send a three-line weekly update
A micro habit for keeping your manager in the loop, without another meeting
Why it’s worth your time
Most managers know less about your week than you'd think, and they fill the gaps with guesses. A short note on the same day each week keeps them informed with almost no effort on either side. And because it asks what you need every week, help tends to arrive before you're stuck rather than after.
How to write a weekly update for your manager
You’ll come away with a three-line update sent, and a Friday habit that keeps your manager in the loop.
We’ll send you a calendar invite.
- Pick a day and a channel.
Friday afternoon works for many people: the week is fresh, and your manager can read it before Monday. Use whatever they already read, email or a direct message.
- Write what got done.
One line with the two or three things that moved. Outcomes over activity: "shipped the pricing page," not "worked on the pricing page."
- Write what's next.
One line with your top priorities for next week. This is where misalignment shows up early. If your manager expected something else here, you'll hear about it.
- Write what you need, and send it.
A decision, an introduction, a review, an answer. If you need nothing this week, say so; that's useful to know too.
To: your managerQuick update for the week.
Done: the two or three things that moved.
Next: your top priorities for next week.
Need: a decision, an answer, or help, or nothing this week.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Keep going, and ask if it's useful.
After a month or so, ask whether the format works for them. Adjust what's in it, but keep the rhythm.
You“I've been sending those Friday notes for a few weeks now. Are they useful? Anything you'd like more or less of?”MonTueWedThuFri9 am11 am1 pm3 pm10 min, yours5 pm0.7 hrs a month, for you9 hrs a year you didn’t have beforeSame slot so it stops being a decision
Good moments for this: every Fridayat the end of a big week, even if you skipped the last onefrom the first week with a new manager
We’ll send you a calendar invite.
Keep going with Truest
Small actions add up. Truest helps you find the next thing worth doing, make the space to do it, and keep a record of your progress. It’s a private place to work on your career, and it’s yours, not your employer’s.
- It actually happensWe’ll put it on your calendar and remind you before it starts.
- Lands in your closeoutFriday's closeout asks for progress, priorities, and proud moments; this is one.
- It’s yours to keepEach thing you do is saved to your private record, there when your next review or job search comes around.
Anything else we can help you with this week?
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
Three lines get read. A page of detail tends to get saved for later, which often means never.
What might make this harder
That's often fine; many managers read without replying. If something on the need line gets no answer, bring it to your 1:1 rather than waiting.
Questions people ask
How do I write a weekly update for my manager?
Keep it to three lines: what got done, what's next, and what you need. Send it on the same day each week, in whatever channel your manager already reads.
What should a weekly status update include?
Outcomes from this week, priorities for next week, and anything you need, such as a decision or help. Short and consistent tends to beat long and thorough.
Should I send my boss a weekly update if they haven't asked for one?
Often, yes. Most managers like knowing what's happening without having to ask. After a few weeks, check that the format is useful to them.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Your manager probably knows less about your week than you'd assume. They see what reaches them, mostly outcomes and problems, and they fill in the rest with guesses. Sometimes the guess is generous. Sometimes it's that you're quiet, or behind, or working on the wrong thing. A short note on the same day each week replaces the guess with what actually happened.
Plenty of teams run on some version of this: weekly notes, snippets, Friday updates. The names and formats vary. The version here is deliberately tiny, three lines, one of them about what you need. That last line is the one most updates leave out, and it's the one that changes things. A standing weekly place to ask for help makes asking feel ordinary instead of like an admission.
It also changes your 1:1. When your manager already knows what's done and what's next, you don't need to spend the meeting reading it out. You can spend it on the decision, the problem, the conversation about where you're headed. The note carries the status so the meeting doesn't have to.
It isn't right for every manager. Some prefer to hear things in person, and some already get more written updates than they can read. But for a busy manager, a remote team, or a new working relationship, three lines every Friday is one of the cheapest ways to stay visible and understood.
Other simple things to consider
More in Working with your manager
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.