Internal Communications Writer

## Communication Formats ### 3P Updates (Progress/Plans/Problems) ``` 3P Update Template: **Week of [Date Range]** **Team/Project: [Name]** ## Progress ✅ What was accomplished this week: - [Accomplishment 1 with metrics/impact] - [Accomplishment 2 with metrics/impact] - [Key milestone reached] ## Plans 📋 What's planned for next week: - [Priority 1 - Owner - ETA] - [Priority 2 - Owner - ETA] - [Priority 3 - Owner - ETA] ## Problems ⚠️ Blockers or challenges needing attention: - [Problem 1] - Impact: [High/Medium/Low] - Needed: [What's needed to resolve] - [Problem 2] - Impact: [High/Medium/Low] - Needed: [What's needed to resolve] **Asks**: [Specific requests from leadership or other teams] ``` #### Example 3P Update ``` **Week of January 13-17, 2025** **Team: Platform Engineering** ## Progress ✅ - Deployed new caching layer, reducing API latency by 45% (P50: 120ms → 65ms) - Completed security audit remediation (12/12 findings addressed) - Onboarded 3 new team members; all completed orientation ## Plans 📋 - Finalize database migration testing (Sarah, Wed) - Launch feature flags infrastructure (Mike, Fri) - Complete Q1 roadmap planning session (Team, Thu) ## Problems ⚠️ - AWS cost increase +22% due to unexpected traffic spike - Impact: High (budget overrun) - Needed: FinOps review and optimization plan **Asks**: Need Finance approval for Q2 infrastructure budget by Friday ``` ### Company Newsletter ``` Newsletter Template: ## TL;DR [2-3 bullet summary of key items] --- ## 📢 Company Announcements [Major company-wide news] ## 🏆 Wins & Celebrations [Team achievements, customer wins, milestones] ## 👋 New Faces [New hires with brief intros] ## 📅 Upcoming Events [Important dates and events] ## 📚 Learning Corner [Training opportunities, recommended resources] ## 💬 From Leadership [Quote or message from executives] --- *Questions? Reach out to [contact]* ``` ### Status Report ``` Status Report Template: **Date**: [Date] **Owner**: [Name] **Status**: 🟢 On Track / 🟡 At Risk / 🔴 Off Track ## Executive Summary [2-3 sentences summarizing current state] ## Key Metrics | Metric | Target | Current | Trend | |--------|--------|---------|-------| | [Metric 1] | [X] | [Y] | ⬆️/⬇️/➡️ | | [Metric 2] | [X] | [Y] | ⬆️/⬇️/➡️ | ## Accomplishments This Period - [Achievement 1] - [Achievement 2] ## Upcoming Milestones | Milestone | Due Date | Status | Owner | |-----------|----------|--------|-------| | [Milestone 1] | [Date] | [Status] | [Name] | ## Risks & Mitigations | Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation | |------|-------------|--------|------------| | [Risk 1] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [Plan] | ## Resource Needs [Any additional resources or support needed] ## Next Steps 1. [Action 1 - Owner - Date] 2. [Action 2 - Owner - Date] ``` ### Leadership Update ``` Leadership Update Template: **To**: [Leadership Group] **From**: [Your Name/Team] **Date**: [Date] **Re**: [Topic] Update --- ## Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) [1-2 sentences: What you need leadership to know or decide] ## Context [Brief background - keep it short, they're busy] ## Current State [Where things stand now] ## Options/Recommendations If a decision is needed: 1. **Option A**: [Description] - Pros/Cons 2. **Option B**: [Description] - Pros/Cons *Recommendation*: [Your recommendation and why] ## Ask [Specific request - approval, decision, resources, etc.] ## Timeline - [Key date 1]: [What happens] - [Key date 2]: [What happens] --- *Happy to discuss further. Available [times].* ``` ### Incident Report ``` Incident Report Template: **Severity**: P1/P2/P3/P4 **Status**: Active / Monitoring / Resolved **Date/Time**: [When incident started] **Duration**: [Total duration] **Author**: [Your name] --- ## Summary [1 paragraph describing what happened] ## Timeline | Time (UTC) | Event | |------------|-------| | HH:MM | [First detection/symptom] | | HH:MM | [Response initiated] | | HH:MM | [Key actions taken] | | HH:MM | [Resolution/current state] | ## Impact - **Users affected**: [Number/percentage] - **Revenue impact**: [If applicable] - **Data impact**: [Any data loss/corruption] - **Downstream effects**: [Other systems affected] ## Root Cause [Technical explanation of what caused the incident] ## Resolution [How the incident was resolved] ## Action Items | Action | Owner | Due Date | Status | |--------|-------|----------|--------| | [Preventive action 1] | [Name] | [Date] | ⬜ | | [Preventive action 2] | [Name] | [Date] | ⬜ | ## Lessons Learned - [What we learned] - [What we'll do differently] ``` ### FAQ Response ``` FAQ Response Template: ## Q: [Question as asked] **Short Answer**: [1-2 sentence direct answer] **Full Explanation**: [Detailed answer with context] **Related Questions**: - [Link to related FAQ 1] - [Link to related FAQ 2] **Still have questions?** Contact [appropriate channel/person] --- Last updated: [Date] ``` ## Writing Guidelines ### Tone & Style ``` Internal Comms Best Practices: 1. **Be Concise** - Busy people skim - Lead with the most important info - Use bullets and headers liberally 2. **Be Clear** - Avoid jargon when possible - Define acronyms on first use - Use simple, direct language 3. **Be Specific** - Include dates, numbers, names - "45% improvement" > "significant improvement" - "Due Friday" > "Due soon" 4. **Be Actionable** - Clear calls-to-action - Specific owners and deadlines - What you need from the reader 5. **Be Professional but Human** - Match company culture - Celebrate wins genuinely - Acknowledge challenges honestly ``` ### Formatting Standards ``` Formatting Guidelines: 1. **Headers**: Use clear hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3) 2. **Lists**: Bullets for unordered, numbers for sequences 3. **Tables**: For comparative or structured data 4. **Emphasis**: Bold for key points, italics sparingly 5. **Emojis**: Light use for visual scanning (🟢🟡🔴) 6. **Links**: Descriptive text, not raw URLs 7. **Dates**: Consistent format (e.g., "Jan 15, 2025") ``` ## Example Session **User**: "Write a 3P update for our mobile app team" **Response**: > Here's a professional 3P update: > > --- > > **Week of January 13-17, 2025** > **Team: Mobile App** > > ## Progress ✅ > > - Released iOS v3.4.1 with crash fixes (crash-free rate: 99.2% → 99.8%) > - Implemented new onboarding flow A/B test (2,000 users enrolled) > - Completed accessibility audit for Android (15 improvements identified) > > ## Plans 📋 > > - Launch Android v3.4.0 to production (Maria, Tue) > - Finalize push notification redesign mockups (Design, Wed) > - Begin performance profiling for startup time (Alex, ongoing) > > ## Problems ⚠️ > > - Google Play key expiring Feb 1 - need DevOps support for rotation > - Impact: High (blocks Android releases if not resolved) > - Needed: 2 hours DevOps time before Jan 25 > > **Asks**: Confirm Android release go/no-go in Tuesday standup ## Best Practices 1. **Front-load Important Info**: Busy readers skim from the top 2. **Use Templates**: Consistency builds trust and speed 3. **Know Your Audience**: Adjust depth and detail accordingly 4. **Proofread**: Errors undermine credibility 5. **Archive**: Keep records for reference and continuity ## Related Resources - [Pyramid Principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minto_Pyramid_Principle) - [Plain Language Guidelines](https://www.plainlanguage.gov/) - [The Elements of Style](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37134)