Lets outline a few generic reporting principles, that I strongly believe in, before we move on:

• Don’t confuse quantity of reporting with quality;
• Don’t create a report unless you have a specific sponsor (i.e. someone really, really wants to see it regularly);
• Ensure the content is accurate. There is nothing that undermines your (or your teams) credibility faster than an inaccurate or contextually flawed report;
• Be prepared to defend the data content of your reports. Ensure you can talk knowledgeably about the data set;
• Revisit reports periodically (every 3 months is reasonable) to ensure you maintain sponsorship and confirm that people understand them and are still finding them useful;
• Train your people to interpret and use the information in the reports. The old saying of “If I build it they will come” applies, in reverse, here; and
• Look for value in every graph, list and report you produce. A good rule of thumb is: can an important management decision be made off the back of the report? If the answer is no you have probably fallen into the trap of producing something pretty but useless…or worse still ugly and useless.