Ever been asked to provide evidence of your achievements and drawn a blank? You’re not alone. When I attended a Narrative CV workshop at Cambridge University recently, this common challenge came up again and again. Whether it’s for a job application, fellowship case or promotion – remembering all the great things we do can be tricky.

Why Keep Monthly Reports?

I was lucky that a former manager introduced me to monthly reporting early in my career. What started as a simple team update has evolved into an invaluable record of my professional journey. When I joined GCU in March 2023, I brought this practice with me, and together with my new colleagues, we’ve made it even better by adding reflection time and forward planning.

The beauty of monthly reports? Just 30 minutes every other week, plus 30 minutes for reflection. That’s all it takes to maintain a goldmine of evidence for future applications and reviews. Trust me, future you will be grateful!

Our Team’s Reporting Template

Here’s how we structure our reports:

  1. Overview of work activities: A table showing key projects with hyperlinks to evidence and links to relevant action plans (or promotion criteria if you’re working towards that)
  2. External activities: Work-related but outside your main role – I keep these minimal as it’s often unpaid labour, but unfortunately these are often great for professional development
  3. Detailed breakdown: Workshops delivered, research activity, and professional development with dates and brief summaries
  4. Meetings/Events: Track where your time goes – you might be surprised! One colleague started this to monitor their meeting load, and it’s been eye-opening
  5. Resource issues: Space to flag challenges that might need manager input or team solutions
  6. Exceptional items: Both celebrations and challenges – it’s important to record both
  7. Plans for next month: With priority levels (Do, Some wiggle room, If time allows) – great for managing capacity and expectations
  8. Other notes: Because there’s always something that doesn’t fit elsewhere!

Making Time for Reflection

Last summer, we added a reflection component as a team. After exploring different methods, we settled on the ERA model (Event, Reflection, Action) focusing on just one challenging or exciting thing per month. We share these ahead of our team meetings, creating space for questions, support and shared learning.

This practice really proved its worth when I was putting together my Advance HE Senior Fellow application. Instead of struggling to remember examples of my practice, I had a ready-made portfolio of evidence and reflections to draw from.

Evidence Collection Tips

Here’s what I’ve found helpful to collect:

  • Create a ‘Happy folder’ for thank you emails
  • Keep a feedback overview with specific quotes
  • Ask for testimonials for specific activities
  • Save student evaluations
  • Track SharePoint and Teams engagement statistics
  • Document download numbers for resources

Keep your documents in a folder or save them in Obsidian or OneNote for easy cross-referencing.

Getting Started

Don’t feel overwhelmed – start small! Pick one aspect to track and build from there. I promise the time investment (remember, just an hour a month) pays off when you’re facing that next job application, annual review or fellowship case.

The unexpected bonus? Our team’s monthly sharing has created a supportive environment where we can celebrate successes, problem-solve challenges together, and learn from each other’s experiences. It’s become much more than just record-keeping.

Have you found creative ways to track your professional activities? I’d love to hear what works for you!

Want to read more about managing your academic practice? Check out my posts on Work boundaries and How I plan my work week.