Any phase · Ways of working
Report progress to a board or steering group
Steering groups need a clear, honest picture of progress, risks and decisions needed. Good reporting builds trust and gets you help when you need it.
About 2-4 hoursEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Communication and influenceDelivery and execution
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- Hybrid / stage gates
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Find out what the group wants to know and how often.
- Lead with a one-line summary: on track, at risk or off track, and why.
- Show progress against milestones and outcomes.
- List the top risks and any decisions you need from the group.
- Keep it to one page and be honest about problems.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Lead with status and decisions needed.
- Show outcomes and milestones.
- Be honest about risks.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Shape reporting around outcomes rather than activity.
- Use the group to unblock problems.
- Pre-brief the chair on difficult news.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Delivery Manager: Prepare the report
- Performance Analyst or Data Analyst: Provide outcome data
Reviewed by: Delivery Manager
Tool examples
- Power BI
- Use a one-page dashboard for the steering group.
- SharePoint / Word
- Use a one-page report template.
- Confluence
- Publish the report where members can read it before the meeting.
Definition of done
- One-page report with status, progress, risks and decisions
- Shared before the meeting
- Decisions recorded
Common pitfalls
- Everything always shown as on track
- Too much detail
- No clear ask