3i Reporting Method (Input, Insight, Intent) Template

Description
While at adVentures, Antoine Duboscq, the President of the Startup Studio taught me an efficient reporting methodology to facilitate the vertical upstream flow on information to management team leaders: the 3i Reporting Method (Input, Insight, Intent) Template.

Here is more about the genesis of the 3i Reporting Method, as Antoine Duboscq told me in person when prompted on the history of the framework: "(...) it is a direct inspiration of military communication models, employed on in operations to quickly communicate information about the situation and intentions. This is why the model is originally designed for oral communication, rather than written communication. In military operations, everything is done orally and speed is essential. The daily version of this communication model needs to be learned quickly, in a matter of minutes. The weekly version is more flexible, but the importance of brevity needs to be maintained."

Antoine deployed this 3i methodology during his 10 years as Managing Partner and founder of a well-renowned Strategy Consulting firm, called WMI Consulting. The 3i was mainly used "daily" given the structural intensity of consulting missions.

Given the positive impact the use of this methodology has had on our professional efficiency (at team, individual and vertical report level), I decided to formalise a PowerPoint template that any professional can use. In this way, whether the output is written or in oral form, time is carved out to structurally think about the elements to provide for each of the 3is.

In my case, the 3i methodology is delployed in 3 different ways: 

1/ I spend 30 minutes every friday afternoon making this slide, that I then use to make a vocal record that I send to Antoine Duboscq (my direct superior). I aim for a length of max 3 minutes to keep it efficient and to the point. After he has listened to the audio recording of my 3is, he then comes back to me with requests of detail / or questions, on specific aspects, leading to a quick ping/pong vocal recording Q&A session. If necessay, we then hop onto a direct phone call to have a longer discussion.

2/ At a team level, I ask all my team members, to give me their 3i report at our friday afternoon team meeting, in front of everyone else. Our team meetings are carried out via video-conference or live at the office. In this way, I am sure each team member knows what all the others are working on, and they can even contribute or bounce back on a specific aspect of a team-member's 3i to help them out.

3/ My direct manager/director reports are asked to deliver their 3is via vocal records, and I am then in Antoine's situation, so 1/, but the other way around.

To create your weekly (or daily), 3i, here is the 9 step methodology to follow:

1/ Observe the structure and Theory behind the 3i methodology
2/ Define who your 3i is for (yourself, your direct manager, your team)
3/ Fill in your FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, TITLE, COMPANY + Period start date and end dates
4/ 📥 Input: List your time entries (in % of the period), on the various themes, projects or objectives you are working on, with a short description of the main task undertaken.
5/💡 Insight: List your main “INSIGHTS” over the period. Insights are pieces of information that provide unique call to actions on priority subjects. An insight can be defined as a deep and intuitive understanding or realization of something, often gained through a sudden realization or moment of clarity. It can be a new way of seeing or understanding something that was previously unclear, or it can involve connecting seemingly disparate pieces of information in a way that sheds light on a problem or issue. Insights can come from personal experience, observation, analysis, or contemplation, and they often lead to new perspectives, ideas, or solutions.
6/ 🎯Intent: List your “INTENT”, meaning time entries (in % of the NEXT period), on the various themes, projects or objectives you plan to work on, with a short description of the main task that needs to be undertaken.
7/ Study the Global finished 3i for the given time period, and make eventual adjustments.
8/ Change your Slide Title, Logo, Footer & Sources based on your analysis
9/ Deliver your 3i to your manager: via a phone call, a video-conference, a team meeting, or pre-recorded video.

The Best Practice is:
- an editable Microsoft PowerPoint Template Slide
- with an online & offline 9 step-by-step methodology, with pedagogical illustrations for each step.

Should you have any questions about this top tier team management reporting framework methodology, you're welcome to reach out to me or Antoine Duboscq via Private Message.
Good Luck!

- Tim

⭐️ Bundle of 62 Chief of Staff Frameworks (including this one): https://www.eloquens.com/tool/4wBYcqZK/leadership-hr-human-resources-tips-and-methods/chief-of-staff/chief-of-staff-cos-frameworks-templates-bundle