# Executive Communication Skill

**Expert patterns for C-suite communication, board reports, and executive presentations**

## Core Principles

1. **Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)**: Lead with the conclusion
2. **Pyramid Principle**: Structure from conclusion to supporting details
3. **Clarity Over Cleverness**: Simple, direct language wins
4. **Action-Oriented**: Every communication drives decisions
5. **Data-Driven Stories**: Numbers need context and narrative

---

## The Pyramid Principle (Barbara Minto)

### Structure Template

```
[CONCLUSION]
    ├── [Key Point 1]
    │   ├── Supporting fact A
    │   ├── Supporting fact B
    │   └── Supporting fact C
    ├── [Key Point 2]
    │   ├── Supporting fact A
    │   ├── Supporting fact B
    │   └── Supporting fact C
    └── [Key Point 3]
        ├── Supporting fact A
        ├── Supporting fact B
        └── Supporting fact C
```

### Application Rules

**Start with the answer**:
- Executive summary contains the conclusion
- First paragraph states the recommendation
- First slide shows the outcome

**Group ideas logically**:
- 3-5 major points (never more than 7)
- Each point supports the conclusion
- Similar ideas grouped together
- Logic flows naturally

**Order for impact**:
- Most important first
- Chronological when telling a story
- Structural when describing a system
- Comparative when evaluating options

### Example: Poor vs Good Structure

**Poor (Bottom-Up)**:
```
We analyzed Q3 sales data...
Customer feedback showed...
Market trends indicate...
Competitor pricing was...
Therefore, we should expand to Asia.
```

**Good (Pyramid)**:
```
We should expand to Asia in Q1 2025.

Why this makes sense:
1. Market opportunity: $2.5B addressable market growing 15% YoY
2. Competitive advantage: Our tech is 2 years ahead
3. Financial viability: 18-month payback, 35% IRR

Supporting data...
```

---

## Executive Writing Style

### Language Guidelines

**Use**:
- Short sentences (15-20 words average)
- Active voice ("We increased sales" not "Sales were increased")
- Strong verbs (achieved, delivered, accelerated)
- Concrete nouns (revenue, customers, market share)
- Present tense for current state, past for completed actions

**Avoid**:
- Jargon and acronyms (spell out on first use)
- Passive voice
- Weak verbs (have, make, do, get)
- Hedging language (maybe, possibly, could)
- Long paragraphs (3-4 sentences max)

### Tone Characteristics

**Confident without arrogance**:
- "Our analysis shows..." (not "We think...")
- "The data indicates..." (not "It seems like...")
- "We recommend..." (not "You might consider...")

**Objective with conviction**:
- State facts clearly
- Acknowledge risks openly
- Recommend decisively
- Support with evidence

**Respectful of time**:
- Get to the point immediately
- Use formatting for scannability
- Provide detail in appendices
- Offer executive summary first

### Word Economy

**Before**: "In order to achieve our strategic objectives related to market expansion, we need to implement a comprehensive action plan." (22 words)

**After**: "To expand market share, we'll execute this three-step plan." (10 words)

**Before**: "It is our recommendation that the company should consider pursuing an acquisition strategy." (14 words)

**After**: "We recommend pursuing acquisitions." (4 words)

---

## Data Storytelling Framework

### The Three-Act Structure

**Act 1: Setup (Context)**
- What's the current situation?
- Why does this matter?
- What question are we answering?

**Act 2: Conflict (Problem/Opportunity)**
- What changed?
- What's at stake?
- What are the options?

**Act 3: Resolution (Action)**
- What should we do?
- What will it achieve?
- What's the timeline?

### Making Numbers Meaningful

**Raw numbers are meaningless**:
- "$2.5M revenue" - So what?

**Add context**:
- "$2.5M revenue (up 40% YoY, exceeding target by $500K)"
- "$2.5M revenue from 150 customers (average deal size $16.7K)"
- "$2.5M revenue puts us at 15% market share, #3 in the industry"

**Use comparisons**:
- Trend: "Revenue grew 40% YoY (vs 10% industry average)"
- Benchmark: "Customer satisfaction 4.8/5 (industry leader at 4.9)"
- Goal: "85% of target with one quarter remaining"
- Scale: "Our R&D budget ($10M) equals our top competitor's total revenue"

### Storytelling Formula

```
Problem → Insight → Action → Impact

Example:
"Churn increased 5 percentage points to 8% (Problem).
Analysis shows 80% of churned customers experienced
billing issues within 30 days (Insight). We'll implement
automated billing validation and proactive customer service
(Action) to reduce churn to 5% and save $2M annually (Impact)."
```

---

## Visualization for Executives

### Chart Selection Guide

| Data Type | Best Chart | When NOT to Use |
|-----------|------------|-----------------|
| **Trends over time** | Line chart | When you have only 2-3 data points |
| **Comparisons** | Bar chart (horizontal) | When you have >7 categories |
| **Part-to-whole** | Pie chart (sparingly) | When you have >5 segments |
| **Distribution** | Histogram | For executives (too technical) |
| **Correlation** | Scatter plot | When causation is unclear |
| **Process flow** | Sankey/flow diagram | For quick decisions |
| **Hierarchy** | Treemap | When depth >2 levels |
| **Status** | Traffic light (RAG) | For detailed metrics |

### Chart Design Principles

**High-Level Focus**:
- Show trends, not granular data
- Aggregate to monthly/quarterly (not daily)
- Top 5-7 categories only ("Other" for rest)
- Clear before/after comparisons

**Visual Simplicity**:
- Minimal gridlines (or none)
- One data series per chart (max 3)
- Large, legible fonts (14pt minimum)
- Direct labeling (avoid legends when possible)
- Clear title states the insight

**Color Strategy**:
- Green = positive, growth, on-track
- Red = negative, decline, at-risk
- Yellow/Orange = caution, attention needed
- Gray = neutral, historical, comparison
- Brand colors for company-specific items

### Before/After Example

**Before** (Too Complex):
![Complex chart with 12 lines, small font, legend, gridlines everywhere]

**After** (Executive-Friendly):
![Simple chart with 2-3 key lines, clear trend, direct labels, title: "Revenue Growth Accelerating: +40% YoY"]

---

## Board Report Structure

### Standard Board Report Sections

**1. Executive Summary (1 page)**
```markdown
## Executive Summary

**Recommendation**: [One sentence action request]

**Context**: [2-3 sentences on why this matters]

**Key Points**:
• Financial: [One key metric]
• Operational: [One key achievement/issue]
• Strategic: [One strategic implication]

**Decision Requested**: [Specific ask with timeline]
```

**2. Business Performance (2-3 pages)**
```markdown
## Business Performance

### Financial Highlights
• Revenue: $X (+/- Y% vs target, +/- Z% YoY)
• EBITDA: $X (Y% margin)
• Cash: $X (Z months runway)

### Operational Metrics
• Customers: X (+Y% QoQ)
• NRR: X% (target: Y%)
• CAC/LTV: $X/$Y (ratio: Z)

### Year-over-Year Comparison
[Table showing key metrics vs same period last year]
```

**3. Strategic Initiatives (2-3 pages)**
```markdown
## Strategic Initiatives

### Initiative 1: [Name]
**Status**: [On Track / At Risk / Behind]
**Progress**: [% complete or milestone achieved]
**Next Milestone**: [What and when]
**Investment**: $X spent, $Y remaining
**Expected Impact**: [Quantified benefit]

[Repeat for 2-4 top initiatives]
```

**4. Risks and Opportunities (1-2 pages)**
```markdown
## Key Risks

| Risk | Impact | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|------|--------|------------|------------|
| [Description] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [Action] |

## Key Opportunities

| Opportunity | Potential | Timeframe | Investment Needed |
|-------------|-----------|-----------|-------------------|
| [Description] | $X value | Q1 2025 | $Y |
```

**5. Decisions Needed (1 page)**
```markdown
## Decisions Requested

### Decision 1: [Clear title]
**Background**: [2-3 sentences]
**Options**:
  A. [Option] - Pros: X, Cons: Y
  B. [Option] - Pros: X, Cons: Y
**Recommendation**: [Our recommendation with rationale]
**Timeline**: [When decision needed and why]

[Repeat for additional decisions]
```

**6. Appendices (as needed)**
- Detailed financial statements
- Product roadmap
- Competitive analysis
- Customer case studies

### Board Report Best Practices

**Length**:
- Total: 8-15 pages (not including appendices)
- Executive summary: 1 page max
- Each section: 1-3 pages max
- Font: 11-12pt minimum

**Timing**:
- Distribute 5-7 days before meeting
- Assume board reads in advance
- Use meeting for discussion, not presentation
- Prepare backup slides for deep dives

**Tone**:
- Balanced: Share good and bad news
- Forward-looking: More time on future than past
- Honest: Flag risks clearly
- Specific: No vague statements

---

## Executive Summary Best Practices

### The Perfect Executive Summary

**Structure (1 page max)**:
```markdown
## Executive Summary

### The Bottom Line
[One sentence: What are we recommending/reporting?]

### Why This Matters
[2-3 sentences: Context and significance]

### Key Findings
• [Finding 1: Most important]
• [Finding 2: Second most important]
• [Finding 3: Third most important]

### Recommended Actions
1. [Action 1 with owner and timeline]
2. [Action 2 with owner and timeline]
3. [Action 3 with owner and timeline]

### Expected Impact
[Quantified outcome: revenue, cost, time, risk]
```

### Writing Guidelines

**First Sentence Rule**:
The first sentence must be complete and self-contained. Reader should understand the purpose from sentence one alone.

**Examples**:

Poor: "This document outlines our findings."
Good: "We recommend expanding to Asian markets in Q1 2025 to capture $2.5B opportunity."

Poor: "After conducting analysis, we have some recommendations."
Good: "Our analysis shows consolidating vendors will save $5M annually with no service disruption."

**Density Rule**:
Every sentence must add new information. No filler.

Poor:
```
We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the market.
The analysis looked at many factors.
Based on our analysis, we have recommendations.
```

Good:
```
Market analysis reveals three immediate opportunities:
European expansion ($10M ARR), enterprise pivot ($15M),
and strategic partnerships ($8M). We recommend pursuing
Europe first given our existing infrastructure and
18-month payback period.
```

---

## Strategic vs Tactical Information

### Decision Framework

**Strategic (for executives)**:
- Direction and priorities
- Resource allocation
- Risk acceptance
- Market positioning
- M&A and partnerships
- Organizational structure
- Multi-year investments

**Tactical (for managers)**:
- Implementation details
- Process improvements
- Tool selection
- Hiring plans
- Campaign execution
- Bug fixes
- Short-term optimizations

### Filter for Executives

Ask: "Would this influence a board-level decision?"

**Include**:
- 10% revenue change
- Major customer win/loss
- Competitive threat
- Regulatory change
- Key hire departure
- Strategic pivot
- Capital requirements

**Exclude**:
- Individual feature launches
- Minor process changes
- Routine hiring
- Small vendor switches
- Team reorganizations (unless executive)
- Tactical marketing campaigns
- Technical implementation details

### Aggregation Rule

Executives need aggregated, not granular data.

**Don't**: List 47 initiatives
**Do**: Group into 5 strategic themes with progress

**Don't**: Show weekly metrics
**Do**: Show quarterly trends with monthly granularity

**Don't**: Report individual deals
**Do**: Report pipeline health and conversion trends

---

## Traffic Light Reporting (RAG Status)

### RAG Status Definitions

**Green (On Track)**:
- Meeting or exceeding targets
- No blockers
- Within budget and timeline
- Milestones being hit
- Confidence level: High

**Yellow/Amber (At Risk)**:
- Slightly behind target (5-15%)
- Minor blockers present
- Budget or timeline pressure
- Mitigation plan in place
- Confidence level: Medium

**Red (Off Track)**:
- Significantly behind target (>15%)
- Major blockers
- Over budget or late
- Intervention needed
- Confidence level: Low

### RAG Report Template

```markdown
## Project/Initiative Status

| Initiative | Status | Progress | Key Issue | Mitigation |
|------------|--------|----------|-----------|------------|
| Product Launch | 🟢 | 85% | None | On schedule for Q1 |
| Sales Hiring | 🟡 | 60% | Slow hiring in Enterprise | Engaging recruiters |
| Cloud Migration | 🔴 | 35% | Budget overrun, tech debt | Adding resources, re-scoping |

### Details

#### 🔴 Cloud Migration
**Status**: Behind schedule and over budget
**Progress**: 35% complete (target: 60%)
**Issue**: Unexpected technical debt discovered, requiring additional engineering time
**Impact**:
  - Launch delayed 6 weeks to March 31
  - Budget increase: +$200K (now $1.2M total)
**Mitigation**:
  - Added 2 senior engineers from product team
  - Reducing Phase 1 scope by 15%
  - Daily standup to unblock issues
**Decision Needed**: Approve additional $200K budget
**Confidence**: Can hit March 31 with additional resources
```

### RAG Best Practices

**Be honest**:
- Don't keep things yellow too long
- Red is not failure, it's awareness
- Green doesn't mean perfect

**Be specific about yellows**:
- What specifically is at risk?
- By how much?
- What's the mitigation?
- When will we know if it's working?

**For reds, always include**:
- Root cause (not symptoms)
- Impact to business
- Mitigation plan with timeline
- Decision or support needed
- Realistic new timeline

---

## Key Message Frameworks

### The Rule of Three

Structure messages in groups of three for memorability.

**Examples**:
- "Our strategy: Grow revenue, reduce costs, scale operations"
- "Three risks: Competitive, regulatory, execution"
- "What we need: Capital, talent, time"

**Why Three Works**:
- Easy to remember
- Feels complete
- Doesn't overwhelm
- Creates pattern

### The "So What?" Test

Every statement must pass the "So What?" test.

**Statement**: "Revenue grew 40%"
**So What?**: "We're gaining market share"
**So What?**: "We're now #2 in the market"
**So What?**: "Positions us for strategic acquisition"

Keep asking "So What?" until you reach the business impact.

### SCR Framework (Situation-Complication-Resolution)

**Situation**: What's the current state?
- "We have 50% market share in SMB"

**Complication**: What's changing or wrong?
- "Enterprise competitors entering SMB with aggressive pricing"

**Resolution**: What should we do?
- "We'll defend with bundling and faster innovation"

**Example in Practice**:
```
Situation: Our customer acquisition cost is $5,000,
industry average is $3,000.

Complication: At current CAC, we need $150K LTV to
maintain 30:1 ratio, but our LTV is only $100K.

Resolution: We'll reduce CAC to $3,333 through content
marketing (reducing paid spend 40%) and improve LTV to
$120K through expanded cross-sell program.
```

### FAB Framework (Features-Advantages-Benefits)

**Feature**: What is it?
**Advantage**: Why is it better?
**Benefit**: So what? (Business impact)

**Example**:
- Feature: "New AI recommendation engine"
- Advantage: "40% more accurate than current system"
- Benefit: "Increases conversion 12% = $5M additional annual revenue"

Executives care about Benefits. Include Features/Advantages only if asked.

---

## One Message Per Slide Rule

### McKinsey-Style Slide Structure

**Every slide has ONE headline that is**:
- A complete sentence
- States the conclusion
- Can stand alone
- Is action-oriented

**Poor Headlines**:
- "Q3 Results" (What about them?)
- "Customer Analysis" (What did you find?)
- "Next Steps" (What are they?)

**Good Headlines**:
- "Q3 revenue exceeded target by 15%, driven by enterprise growth"
- "Top 20% of customers generate 70% of revenue and have 95% retention"
- "Launch MVP in Q1, then iterate based on enterprise feedback"

### Slide Content Rules

**Maximum per slide**:
- 1 main message (in headline)
- 3-5 supporting points
- 1 chart or visual
- 50 words of text

**Minimum font sizes**:
- Headline: 28-32pt
- Body text: 18-24pt
- Chart labels: 14-16pt

**White space**:
- 30-40% of slide should be empty
- Breathing room around elements
- Not every pixel needs content

### Visual Hierarchy

**Most important → Least important**:
1. Headline (largest, top)
2. Key visual or number
3. Supporting points
4. Details/footnotes (smallest, bottom)

**Example Layout**:
```
[HEADLINE: Revenue Growth Accelerating]
                    ← 32pt, bold

        [CHART: Quarterly Revenue Trend]
                    ← Large, clear

• Enterprise segment +65% YoY    ← 20pt
• SMB segment +25% YoY
• Services revenue doubled

Source: Internal analysis       ← 12pt, gray
```

---

## Best Practices Checklist

### Before You Write

- [ ] Know your audience (board, CEO, CFO, etc.)
- [ ] Understand the decision to be made
- [ ] Have data to support recommendations
- [ ] Know the timeline/deadline
- [ ] Clarify format expectations (memo, deck, report)

### Executive Summary

- [ ] Bottom line in first sentence
- [ ] Fits on one page
- [ ] Contains recommendation
- [ ] Quantifies impact
- [ ] Includes timeline

### Structure

- [ ] Pyramid principle applied
- [ ] Most important information first
- [ ] Logical flow of ideas
- [ ] Clear section headers
- [ ] Page numbers and dates

### Writing Style

- [ ] Active voice (>90% of sentences)
- [ ] Short sentences (<20 words average)
- [ ] Simple words (8th grade reading level)
- [ ] No jargon or spelled-out acronyms
- [ ] Consistent formatting

### Data and Visuals

- [ ] Numbers contextualized (vs target, vs prior period)
- [ ] Charts support key messages
- [ ] Visuals are executive-friendly (simple, clear)
- [ ] Sources cited
- [ ] RAG status where appropriate

### Recommendations

- [ ] Clear and specific
- [ ] Actionable
- [ ] Owner assigned
- [ ] Timeline included
- [ ] Resources needed identified

### Final Review

- [ ] Passes "So What?" test
- [ ] Can be scanned in 2 minutes
- [ ] Comprehensive but concise
- [ ] Proofread (zero typos)
- [ ] Formatted consistently

---

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

### Mistake 1: Burying the Lead

**Wrong**: Start with background, methodology, then conclusion at end
**Right**: Start with conclusion, support with key points, background in appendix

### Mistake 2: Too Much Detail

**Wrong**: Include every finding, every data point
**Right**: Include top 3-5 insights, put rest in appendix

### Mistake 3: Weak Recommendations

**Wrong**: "We should consider exploring potential options"
**Right**: "We recommend expanding to Germany in Q2 2025 with $2M investment"

### Mistake 4: Data Without Story

**Wrong**: Show 15 charts with no narrative
**Right**: Tell story with 3-5 charts that build to conclusion

### Mistake 5: No "Ask"

**Wrong**: Present information, no clear request
**Right**: Specific decision or approval needed with deadline

### Mistake 6: Wrong Altitude

**Wrong**: Focus on tactics and implementation details
**Right**: Focus on strategy, outcomes, and decisions

### Mistake 7: No Risk Discussion

**Wrong**: Present only upside, ignore risks
**Right**: Balanced view with risks and mitigation

### Mistake 8: Vague Timelines

**Wrong**: "Soon", "In the future", "Eventually"
**Right**: "Q2 2025", "By March 31", "6-8 weeks"

---

## Templates and Examples

### Executive Email Template

```
Subject: [Decision Needed] [Topic] by [Date]

[RECOMMENDATION IN ONE SENTENCE]

Context:
[2-3 sentences on why this matters]

Key Points:
• [Point 1]
• [Point 2]
• [Point 3]

Decision Requested:
[Specific action needed] by [date]

Impact:
[Quantified benefit or consequence]

Next Steps:
[What happens after decision]

[Attachments: Supporting analysis]
```

### Board Memo Template

```markdown
# [Topic]: [One-Sentence Summary]

**Date**: [Date]
**Prepared By**: [Name, Title]
**Recommendation**: [What we're recommending]

## Executive Summary

[Bottom line, key findings, recommended actions, expected impact - 1 page max]

## Background

[Context needed to understand the situation - 1-2 paragraphs]

## Analysis

[Supporting data and insights organized by theme - 2-3 pages max]

## Options Considered

| Option | Pros | Cons | Cost |
|--------|------|------|------|
| A | [Pros] | [Cons] | $X |
| B | [Pros] | [Cons] | $Y |

## Recommendation

[Our recommendation with clear rationale - 1 page]

## Implementation Plan

| Phase | Timeline | Owner | Investment |
|-------|----------|-------|------------|
| 1 | Q1 2025 | [Name] | $X |
| 2 | Q2 2025 | [Name] | $Y |

## Risks and Mitigation

[Key risks and how we'll address them]

## Appendices

[Supporting details, financial models, research]
```

### Monthly Business Review Template

```markdown
# Monthly Business Review - [Month Year]

## Executive Summary

**Overall Status**: 🟢 On Track | 🟡 At Risk | 🔴 Off Track

**Key Highlights**:
• [Most important achievement or concern]
• [Second most important]
• [Third most important]

**Decisions Needed**: [List any immediate decisions]

---

## Financial Performance

| Metric | Actual | Target | vs Target | vs Prior Month | vs Prior Year |
|--------|--------|--------|-----------|----------------|---------------|
| Revenue | $X | $Y | +/-Z% | +/-A% | +/-B% |
| EBITDA | $X | $Y | +/-Z% | +/-A% | +/-B% |
| Cash | $X | $Y | +/-Z% | +/-A% | +/-B% |

**Commentary**: [2-3 sentences on what drove performance]

---

## Operational Metrics

### Customer Metrics
- New Customers: X (+/- Y% vs target)
- Churn: X% (target: Y%)
- NRR: X% (target: Y%)

### Sales Metrics
- Pipeline: $X (coverage: Y.Zx)
- Win Rate: X% (target: Y%)
- Average Deal Size: $X (+/- Y% MoM)

---

## Strategic Initiatives

[For each top initiative:]

### [Initiative Name]
**Status**: 🟢 🟡 🔴
**Progress**: [% or milestone]
**Key Achievement**: [What was accomplished]
**Next Milestone**: [What and when]
**Risks**: [Any concerns]

---

## Key Risks and Opportunities

### Risks
| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|--------|------------|
| [Risk 1] | High/Med/Low | [Action] |

### Opportunities
| Opportunity | Potential | Next Step |
|-------------|-----------|-----------|
| [Opp 1] | $X | [Action] |

---

## Looking Ahead

**Next Month Focus**:
1. [Priority 1]
2. [Priority 2]
3. [Priority 3]

**Support Needed**: [Any blockers or requests]
```

---

## Summary: Executive Communication Mastery

**The Foundation**:
- Start with the conclusion (BLUF)
- Use Pyramid Principle structure
- Write clearly and concisely
- Make data tell a story

**For Board Reports**:
- 8-15 pages max
- Executive summary on page 1
- Clear decisions requested
- Balanced (good and bad news)
- Forward-looking

**For Presentations**:
- One message per slide
- Headlines are conclusions
- Visuals are simple and clear
- 10-15 slides max for 30-min meeting

**Always Remember**:
- Respect your audience's time
- Answer "So What?" for every point
- Quantify impact when possible
- Be specific about recommendations
- Include timeline and owner

---

**Version**: 1.0
**Last Updated**: January 2025
**Use Cases**: Board reports, executive summaries, strategic presentations, C-suite communications