Four Square Reports

Four Square Reports

Author: BJ Burns and Will Gant June 22, 2023 Duration: 36:19

Effective communication is a vital aspect of any organization or team's success, and one tool that has been proven to be very useful is the Four Square Report. This report is a simple and effective way to communicate information about a project or task to a team or stakeholders. It was originally developed by the U.S. military to help soldiers communicate critical information in a clear and concise manner, and has since been adopted by many organizations and industries.

4 square reports were refined by the construction industry and have since been adapted to fit the needs of software development teams. The reports are based on the idea of breaking down progress and issues into four categories: achievements, roadblocks, plans, and risks. By providing updates on these four areas, the entire team can quickly understand what has been accomplished, what challenges are being faced, what the plans are moving forward, and what potential risks may arise.

The effectiveness of 4 square reports lies in their simplicity and clarity. They are quick to create and easy to read, making them ideal for agile development teams that need to keep pace with fast-moving projects. Additionally, by regularly updating the reports, everyone on the team can stay up-to-date on progress and potential issues, allowing for early identification and resolution of problems.

The 4 Square Report is a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of situations to help with decision-making and project planning. By considering four key aspects of a project or decision and filling out a simple, visual report, you can gain valuable insights and make informed choices. Remember to identify the most important aspects, be thorough and objective, use the report for collaboration, and revisit it regularly. By using the 4 Square Report effectively, you can increase the chances of success for your projects and decisions, and learn valuable lessons for the future.

The post Four Square Reports appeared first on Complete Developer Podcast.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


BJ Burns and Will Gant host the Complete Developer Podcast, a conversation that goes far beyond just writing code. These two seasoned developers built this show from a simple idea: that a career in tech is about more than the latest framework or language syntax. It's about the entire ecosystem you navigate, from the logic on your screen to the dynamics of the business meetings and the long-term path of your career. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair in the break room with colleagues who get it, discussing the real, often unspoken, parts of the job. You'll hear them tackle the intersection of technology, business strategy, and professional growth, making sense of how these pieces fit together in a practical, everyday way. This podcast digs into the questions that don't always have a clear answer in a manual-how to communicate effectively with non-technical teams, ways to approach career advancement, or how to balance deep technical work with the broader goals of a company. It's a resource for anyone who writes code but lives in a much bigger world, offering perspective and discussion that aims to make the whole journey a bit more comprehensible and a lot more manageable. Tune in for thoughtful, grounded talks that treat development as the multifaceted profession it truly is.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Complete Developer Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Positive Affirmations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:03
Words have power, whether you choose or harness it or not. What we say about ourselves, our affirmations, define who we are and how we see ourselves. Negative self-talk brings us down, whereas positive affirmations lift…
Knowledge Silos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:40
Knowledge silos happen when different parts of a team understand different parts of a system and don't understand other parts of the system. It's a natural state of system growth, but eventually gets in the way of innova…
Predictions 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:31
It's been a long year for many of us, with both upsides and downsides and we're excited to see what happens next year. This is the last episode of 2021.Read more ›The post Predictions 2022 appeared first on Complete Deve…
Resolutions 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:43
2021 was not the year we expected, but it definitely brought about some changes in us, in the podcast, and in those around us. As we review our resolutions we'll see how SMART our goals really were and then we'll discuss…
Sample Data Generation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:48
While you can test with production data, that data is often sensitive, or doesn't reflect every possible scenario that might come up, especially with new changes. If you want to avoid unexpected problems, then you need t…
Anti-Patterns In Unit Testing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:56
Unit testing can be a challenge especially when you have automated testing or may be new to test driven development. There are several great design patterns for testing and even more anti-patterns in unit testing that yo…
Dealing With Stress At Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:35
Everyone experiences work stress at some point or another in their careers. Understanding it can help you to have better responses as well as prepare yourself for it before it becomes an issue.Read more ›The post Dealing…
Enneagram Wrap Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:47
This has been the year of the Enneagram for Complete Developer Podcast. You learned about reformist ones, individualist fours, loyalist sixes, or peacemaking nines, you've heard about all the types and their variants. Bu…
Risks of Older Code [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:58
Every so often, you'll end up working for a company that uses very outdated technology. While the reasons for this are numerous, many of these companies don't really see the problem with the technology they are using, es…
Essentials of Debugging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:01
Debugging software can be a pain or an exciting adventure. If you have unit tests your process may be easier when user testing or quality assurance finds a bug in your code.Read more ›The post Essentials of Debugging app…