Internal communications

Good internal comms respect the reader’s time. Lead with the point, keep it skimmable, and say only what the audience needs to act or stay informed.

Principles

• Lead with the takeaway (BLUF). The first line should carry the most important information — the decision, the status, the ask. Don’t bury it under context.
• Know the audience. A leadership update is terser and more outcome-focused than a team update. Match the altitude.
• Make it skimmable. Short paragraphs, headers, and bullets. Bold the few words that matter.
• Be specific. Dates, owners, numbers, and links beat adjectives. “Shipped to 100% on Tuesday” beats “made great progress.”
• State the ask. If you need a decision, a review, or nothing at all, say which.

Formats

3P update (Progress / Plans / Problems) — a recurring team update:

• Progress — what got done since the last update.
• Plans — what’s next, with rough timing.
• Problems — blockers, risks, and where you need help.