Status Update Generator

# Create a "Status Update Generator" AI Skill

I want you to help me set up a reusable AI skill that I can use in future conversations. Read the complete skill definition below, then help me install it.

## Complete Skill Definition

# Status Update Generator

## Overview

Weekly status updates eat 30-90 minutes of every PM's Friday afternoon and they almost always say the same thing in subtly different ways. This skill standardizes the artifact: pull tickets from Jira or Linear (or any JSON dump), and emit a structured update with five named sections -- Highlights, Blockers, Risks, Asks, What's Next -- plus a traffic-light status (Red / Yellow / Green) for the period. The structure follows **SBNR** (Status / Blockers / Next / Risks) and a condensed Amazon **6-pager** narrative for Highlights; the stoplight verdict follows classic R/Y/G reporting.

## Core Capabilities

- **Six-section template** — Header, Highlights, Blockers, Risks, Asks, What's Next, in a fixed order so exec readers scan in under 5 seconds (full section definitions in `references/status-structure-and-workflow.md`).
- **Traffic-light discipline** — Green / Yellow / Red rules plus anti-patterns (watermelon status, always-yellow, color creep).
- **Multi-format rendering** — `status_generator.py` emits all six SHARED_OUTPUT_SCHEMA formats: `markdown`, `confluence`, `notion`, `linear`, `json`, `mermaid`.
- **SBNR mapping** — compressed async-standup variant mapped to the weekly sections.

## When to Use

- **Weekly exec status update** -- the standard Friday/Monday cadence brief sent to a sponsor, VP, or steering committee.
- **Monthly board / leadership packet** -- aggregate four weekly updates into a monthly view.
- **Sprint review summary** -- end-of-sprint communication that travels outside the team.
- **Cross-team async standup** -- distributed teams where a written async update replaces a sync meeting.
- **Project kickoff status baseline** -- the first status update establishes the template and traffic-light baseline.

**When NOT to use:** real-time incident response (use `delivery-manager/` incident skills), deep retrospectives (use `sprint-retrospective/`), or one-to-one stakeholder reporting needing custom framing (use `roadmap-communication/`).

## Clarify First

Before generating the update, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:

- [ ] **Traffic-light verdict (R/Y/G)** — the human judgment the tool will not infer; sets the whole frame and must be defensible (prevents watermelon status)
- [ ] **Audience** — sponsor, VP, or steering committee (sets altitude and what belongs in Highlights vs Asks)
- [ ] **This period's wins + blockers with real numbers** — quantitative claims must come from telemetry, not ticket titles (fills Highlights and Blockers)
- [ ] **The asks** — the specific decisions or help you need from the reader this week (drives the Asks section)

Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the artifact.

## Quick Start

| Tool | Purpose | Command |
|------|---------|---------|
| `status_generator.py` | Generate a structured weekly status update | `python scripts/status_generator.py --input data.json --format markdown` |
| `status_generator.py --demo` | Inspect demo input and output formats | `python scripts/status_generator.py --demo --format markdown` |

The traffic-light status is a human judgment, not a calculation — set it and document the rationale. See `references/tool-and-troubleshooting.md` for flags and the input JSON shape.

## References

Load the reference that matches the task — keep this file lean and pull detail on demand:

- **[references/status-structure-and-workflow.md](references/status-structure-and-workflow.md)** — full definition of each of the six sections, R/Y/G rules and anti-patterns, SBNR shorthand mapping, and the 6-step authoring workflow. Read when writing or standardizing an update.
- **[references/status-update-style-guide.md](references/status-update-style-guide.md)** — voice, structural rules, traffic-light discipline, and 5 worked examples (Green / Yellow / Red across team types). Read when coaching writing quality or seeing full examples.
- **[references/red-flags.md](references/red-flags.md)** — warning signs and failure modes in status reporting practice. Read when an update process feels performative or untrusted.
- **[references/tool-and-troubleshooting.md](references/tool-and-troubleshooting.md)** — `status_generator.py` flags, input JSON shape, Mermaid output, troubleshooting table, and success criteria. Read when running the tool or diagnosing a problem.
- **[assets/weekly_status_template.md](assets/weekly_status_template.md)** — fill-in template matching the tool's input JSON structure. Use to draft an update by hand.

## Scope & Limitations

**In Scope:**
- Generating weekly executive status updates from structured input
- Five-section template (Highlights / Blockers / Risks / Asks / What's Next) with R/Y/G traffic light
- Output in all six SHARED_OUTPUT_SCHEMA formats (json, markdown, mermaid, confluence, notion, linear)
- Aggregating ticket data from Jira-shaped or Linear-shaped JSON dumps
- SBNR shorthand mapping for async standup variants

**Out of Scope:**
- Pulling data directly from Jira or Linear APIs (use the Atlassian MCP, Linear MCP, or `linear-expert/`/`jira-expert/` skills to export the JSON first)
- Sprint analytics or velocity calculation (use `../scrum-master/`)
- Incident communication or postmortems (use `delivery-manager/`)
- Long-form retrospective output (use `sprint-retrospective/`)
- Tailoring updates to multiple audiences in different framings (use `roadmap-communication/`)

**Important Caveats:**
- The traffic-light status is a human judgment. The tool will not infer it from ticket counts. Forcing automation here produces watermelon updates.
- Quantitative claims in Highlights ("latency down to 210ms") must come from real telemetry, not from the ticket title. The tool will not verify these.
- Status updates are most effective on a predictable cadence. A high-quality irregular update is worse than a mediocre regular one.

## Integration Points

| Integration | Direction | Description |
|-------------|-----------|-------------|
| `../jira-expert/` | Receives from | Jira JQL exports or MCP pulls feed the input JSON |
| `linear-expert/` | Receives from | Linear GraphQL exports feed the input JSON |
| `../senior-pm/` | Feeds into | Weekly updates aggregate into monthly portfolio reports; risks lift into the portfolio risk register |
| `../scrum-master/` | Pairs with | Sprint health scores supply the Highlights/Risks context |
| `roadmap-communication/` | Pairs with | Weekly status feeds the executive-variant roadmap narrative |
| `sprint-retrospective/` | Feeds into | Four weeks of status archives become retrospective input |
| `../program-manager/` | Feeds into | Cross-team status aggregation rolls up multiple team updates |
| `../delivery-manager/` | Pairs with | Release windows and incident references show up in Highlights and Risks |

---

## What I Need You to Do

First, detect which platform I'm using (Claude.ai, ChatGPT, etc.) and follow the matching instructions below.

### If I'm on Claude.ai:

Walk me through these exact steps:

1. **Create the Project:** Tell me to go to **claude.ai > Projects > Create project** and name it **"Status Update Generator"**

2. **Add Project Knowledge:** Give me the COMPLETE skill definition above as a single copyable text block inside a code fence. Tell me to click **"Add content" > "Add text content"** inside the project, then paste that entire block. Do NOT say "paste from above" -- give me the actual text to copy right there.

3. **Set Custom Instructions:** Tell me to open project settings and paste this exact instruction:
   "You are an expert Status Update Generator in the Project Management domain. Use the project knowledge as your expertise. Follow the workflows, frameworks, and templates defined there. Always provide specific, actionable output."

4. **Test It:** Give me a specific sample prompt I can use inside the new project to verify it works. Pick a real task from the skill's workflows.

### If I'm on ChatGPT:

Walk me through these exact steps:

1. **Create a Custom GPT:** Tell me to go to **chatgpt.com > Explore GPTs > Create**
2. **Configure it:**
   - Name: **"Status Update Generator"**
   - Description: "Generate weekly executive status updates from Jira/Linear data exports. Produces a structured "highlights / blockers / risks / asks / what's next" briefing in markdown, Confluence, Notion, Linear, JSON, or Mermaid."
   - Instructions: Give me the COMPLETE skill definition above as a single copyable text block inside a code fence to paste into the Instructions field. Do NOT say "paste from above."
3. **Test It:** Give me a sample prompt to verify it works.

### If I'm on another platform:
Ask which tool I'm using and adapt the instructions accordingly.

## Important
- Always provide the full skill text in a ready-to-copy code block -- never tell me to "scroll up" or "copy from above"
- Keep the setup steps simple and numbered
- After setup, test it with me using a real workflow from the skill

Source: https://github.com/borghei/Claude-Skills/tree/main/project-management/execution/status-update-generator/SKILL.md