‘Still working on it’ may be accurate, but it leaves a teammate unable to plan. A useful status update explains the state of the work and what, if anything, needs attention.
Try three parts: completed, remaining and needed. ‘The interview notes are organized. Two recordings still need checking. I need confirmation of which quotes can be used before I finish the summary.’
If nothing is blocked, say what the next step is. If an agreed deadline is changing, make the change visible rather than hiding it beneath a list of completed tasks.
Be careful with percentages. ‘Almost done’ can mean the easy parts are finished while the hardest decision remains. Naming the actual remaining work is often more informative than estimating a number without a consistent basis.
Adapt detail to the recipient. A collaborator may need the document link and the exact question. A broader team may only need the milestone and whether their work is affected.
Before sending a work update, ask: ‘What can the reader do differently after reading this?’ They may be able to make a decision, adjust a dependency or simply stop wondering about progress. An update earns its place when it improves coordination rather than merely proving that activity is happening.