gh-bandofai-puerto-plugins-leadership/skills/executive-communication/SKILL.md

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

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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...

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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)

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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)."

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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"]

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Board Report Structure

Standard Board Report Sections

1. Executive Summary (1 page)

## 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)

## 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)

## 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)

## 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)

## 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

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Executive Summary Best Practices

The Perfect Executive Summary

Structure (1 page max):

## 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.

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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

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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

## 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

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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.

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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

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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

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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"

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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

# [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

# 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] |

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## Looking Ahead

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

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

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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

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