HPM Updates (Highlight, People, Me)

A simple format for manager updates that covers the work, the team, and yourself

Boz (Andrew Bosworth)
Making Meta | Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth (CTO)

HPM Updates (Highlight, People, Me)

"We had a format for that we called HPMs. Highlight, people, me. Every manager at Facebook from like 2008 to 2014 would send to their manager, or even their leadership group." - Boz

What It Is

HPM is a structured format for manager updates that Facebook used from 2008 to 2014. The format ensures updates cover the three things leaders actually need to know: what's happening with the work, what's happening with the people, and what's happening with you personally.

The format is particularly effective because it's comprehensive yet concise, and forces the sender to think about all three dimensions that matter for effective management.

How It Works

H - Highlights What are the big-ticket things your manager needs to know? Include both positive and negative highlights. This is about status and key developments.

P - People Who on your team needs attention?

  • Someone struggling or at risk?
  • Someone doing amazing work who deserves recognition?
  • Any interpersonal dynamics to be aware of?

M - Me How are you personally doing? This creates space to surface burnout, frustration, or satisfaction before it becomes a crisis.

How to Apply It

  1. Set a Cadence Weekly is common for most management relationships. Adjust based on what your manager prefers.

  2. Keep It Concise 5-10 sentences total. This isn't a comprehensive report—it's a pulse check.

  3. Make "No Response Required" the Default Include a note that no response is needed unless something stands out. This makes it cheap for your manager to receive.

  4. Be Honest in the "Me" Section The point of including personal status is to surface issues early. Don't just write "I'm fine" if you're not.

  5. Adapt to Your Manager's Preferences Some managers want these in email. Some prefer Slack. Some want them verbally in 1:1s. Ask how they prefer to receive updates.

Example Format

Subject: HPM - Week of [Date]

HIGHLIGHTS
- [Positive or negative development #1]
- [Key milestone or blocker]

PEOPLE
- [Name] is crushing it on [project]—might be ready for stretch assignment
- Watching [Name] closely on [situation]

ME
- Feeling good about [X], a bit stretched on [Y]

When to Use It

  • Regular weekly/biweekly updates to your manager
  • Updates to skip-level managers or leadership groups
  • Any situation where you need a simple, comprehensive update format
  • When starting with a new manager (propose this as your update format)

Source

  • Guest: Boz (Andrew Bosworth)
  • Episode: "Making Meta | Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth (CTO)"
  • Key Discussion: (00:20:02) - Description of the HPM format used at early Facebook
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

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