When Your Project Updates Get Ignored
READ TIME - 4 MINUTES
“Alright, everyone, just a quick reminder to check the weekly project update I sent yesterday,” said Ben, glancing around the meeting room with hopeful optimism.
Maya didn’t look up from her laptop. “Wait, was that the one with the new dashboard screenshots, or the one about the training schedule?”
Ben hesitated. “Both, actually. I tried to keep it short this time. Just three bullet points and a GIF.”
From the back of the room, Zoe piped up, “Sorry, Ben, I’m still catching up on last week’s update. My inbox is a graveyard of unread project emails.”
Ben forced a laugh. “At this point, I’m tempted to hide a winning lotto ticket in there and see if anyone notices.”
Why Project Updates Get Ignored
Let’s be honest: most people are drowning in emails, Teams messages, and notifications.
Even the most well-intentioned project updates can get lost in the noise, skimmed at best (or flat out ignored ha!).
It’s not that people don’t care; it’s just that attention is a scarce resource, especially in busy, digitally-enabled workplaces.
But here’s the good news: with a few smart tweaks, you can dramatically boost the chances your updates get noticed, read, and acted on.
The “Less, Louder, Local” Strategy
This is a nice little practical approach to cut through the noise by making updates less frequent, more visible, and hyper-relevant to your audience.
Research shows that people are far more likely to engage with short, targeted messages that are easy to spot and clearly connected to what matters for them.
By dialling down the volume but dialling up the relevance, you increase your signal-to-noise ratio, and your updates actually land.
How to do it:
1. Bundle, don’t bombard
Instead of sending updates every time something changes, group key info into a single, punchy weekly (or fortnightly? monthly?) update. Less clutter means more impact.
2. Change the channel
Post updates where your audience actually hangs out: think Teams channels, Slack, or even a quick video in the Monday stand-up. Don’t just rely on email.
3. Lead with what’s local
Start each update with what’s directly relevant for your readers: “Here’s what’s changing for the Sydney team this week,” or “What you need to know before Friday.”
4. Make it unmissable
Use clear subject lines (“3 things you need to know this week”), bold headings, and well-placed visuals to break up text and catch the eye. Seriously, clear is ALWAYS more important than clever.
Pro tip: Every so often, ask for feedback: “Are these updates working for you? What would make them more useful?”
A tiny pulse check keeps you tuned in to what your audience actually needs.
The Bottom Line
Getting your updates noticed isn’t about shouting louder.
It’s about being smarter, more relevant, and easier to find.
Bundle your news, go where your people are, and keep it local.
You’ll be amazed at the difference.
That’s it for this week.
We’ll be back next Tuesday with another tip to inspire you.
Have a great reset of the week!
See you then,
Team EVER
PS: Someone pass this on to you?
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