Weekly update: 7 Claude prompts so you stop writing it from scratch
Keep a running note of what you did, paste it into Claude, and these 7 prompts turn it into the update your manager reads. Prompt 1 is the one from the reel, run there on a sample note; prompts 2 to 7 cut it down, rewrite it for other readers, roll 4 weeks into a month and set up the note itself.
What you need
A Claude account. Any plan works for pasted text. File uploads and connectors depend on what your plan includes.
A running note of your week: what you got done, what's stuck, and any numbers you have. Prompt 7 sets one up if you don't have one yet.
Check your company's AI policy before you paste work documents, and don't paste anything you wouldn't put in an email to a vendor.
The 7 prompts
Paste your note first, then the prompt, and run them in the same chat. Change the words in [brackets].
1. The 5-line update
Use it at the end of the week, on whatever your running note looks like.
Turn this into a 5-line update for my manager: wins with numbers, blockers, what I need from them, and my top 3 for next week.The reel version stops there. Add this line under it so Claude flags gaps instead of filling them: "Use only numbers that are in my note, and list each one under the update with the line it came from. If a win has no number, write [number?] next to it instead of making one up."
2. Cut what your manager wouldn't miss
Use it right after prompt 1, when the update is accurate but still too long.
Now cut anything my manager wouldn't miss. My manager is [their role] and cares most about [their top priorities]. For each line you cut, tell me in a few words why. Don't add anything, and keep every number exactly as it appears in my note. Keep every blocker and every ask, even if they're short. If you can't tell whether my manager would miss a line, keep it and ask me.3. A version for a skip-level or a client
Use it when someone further from the work needs the same week in fewer words.
Rewrite this update for [who it's for: my manager's manager, or a client]. They don't know the day-to-day, so drop internal names, tools and jargon they wouldn't know, and lead with results and anything they need to decide. Leave out [anything that stays internal]. Keep it to 5 lines. Use only what's in my note, with no added context or numbers, and keep each number exactly as I wrote it. Under the draft, list each number with the line of my note it came from. If a line only makes sense with background they don't have, flag it so I can decide.4. Wins with numbers from a messy log
Use it when your note is a pile of half-sentences and you need to find what counts as a win.
Here's my messy log for the week. Pull out every win and the number that goes with it: hours, money, a count, a percentage or a date. Quote the line of the log each number came from. If a win has no number in the log, don't estimate one. List it under "Needs a number" with a suggestion for where I could look it up, and label the suggestion as a guess.5. Blockers phrased as asks
Use it when your blockers read like complaints and you want someone to act on them.
Take every blocker in my note and rewrite it as an ask: who I need something from, what exactly I need, and by when. 1 sentence each, neutral tone, no blame. Quote the line of my note each blocker came from. If my note doesn't say who can unblock it or when I need it, write [who?] or [by when?] instead of guessing.6. A monthly roll-up from 4 weekly updates
Use it at the end of the month, or before a 1-to-1 where you want to show a trend.
Here are my last 4 weekly updates. Turn them into a monthly roll-up for [who it's for]: the 3 biggest results with their numbers, what's still blocked and for how many weeks, and what I asked for and whether I got it. Say which week each item came from. If the updates contradict each other, or a number changes from week to week with no reason given, flag it instead of picking one. If something isn't in the updates, leave it out. End with a blank line for my focus next month, which I'll fill in.7. A running note template
Use it once, so next week's update starts from a note you've been adding to all week.
Make me a running note template for my week that I can keep in a doc and add to each day. Give it these sections: Done (with a number if I have one), Stuck (and who could unblock it), Need from my manager, and Next week. Add 1 sample line per section, marked as a sample, so I can see the format. Keep it plain text so it pastes anywhere, and short enough that I'll keep it up.The mistake to avoid
Asking for "wins with numbers" when your note has no numbers. Claude will try to give you what you asked for, so "sped up the report" can come back with a percentage you never measured, and your manager may repeat it to theirs. Write the number in your note when you have it, keep the [number?] line from prompt 1, and check every number in the update against your note before you send it.