executive-summary

--- name: executive-summary description: "Write an executive summary for any document, report, or proposal. Use when asked to write an executive summary, management summary, briefing paper, or one-pager for senior stakeholders. Produces a structured summary that busy executives can read in under 3 minutes and act on." --- # Executive Summary Skill Writes executive summaries that busy decision-makers actually read — front-loaded with conclusions, structured for skimming, ruthless about what to include. ## Required Inputs - **Source document or topic** (paste or describe) - **Audience** (CEO / board / investor / minister / client / committee) - **Decision or action needed** (what should the reader do after reading?) - **Length limit** (1 page / 2 pages / 500 words) - **Format** (formal report / slide / email / briefing paper) ## Core Principle An executive summary is NOT a summary of the document. It is a standalone document that: - States the conclusion upfront — not at the end - Contains only what the reader needs to make a decision - Can be understood without reading anything else - Recommends a specific action ## Output Structure --- ### [Title] **Executive Summary** *Prepared for: [Audience] | Date: [Date] | Author: [Name]* --- **Bottom line up front:** [The most important thing. The recommendation or finding. 2-3 sentences. A reader who only reads this should know what you are asking or telling them.] --- **Background (why this matters):** [2-3 sentences. Minimum context to understand the bottom line. Not the history — just what the reader needs now.] --- **Key findings / analysis:** - **[Finding 1]:** [One sentence — specific and evidence-based] - **[Finding 2]:** [One sentence] - **[Finding 3]:** [One sentence] --- **Options considered:** (include only if a decision is being presented) | Option | Benefit | Risk | Recommendation | |---|---|---|---| | [Option A] | [Benefit] | [Risk] | Recommended | | [Option B] | [Benefit] | [Risk] | Not recommended | --- **Recommendation:** [Specific. "We recommend [action] because [reason]. This will [outcome]." Not "we suggest consideration of options."] --- **Immediate next steps:** - [Action 1 — specific, with owner and date] - [Action 2] --- **Risks of inaction:** [What happens if the reader does nothing] **Full report:** [Reference to where the full document can be found] --- ## Adapting for Different Audiences **CEO/MD:** Lead with financial or strategic impact. 1 page. Make the decision binary. Ask in sentence one. **Board:** Lead with governance or risk. Frame against organisational objectives. State specifically what you need from them. **Investor:** Lead with return or opportunity. Specific numbers. 1 page. Anticipate "why now." **Minister/senior public sector:** Lead with public benefit or policy alignment. Include cost-benefit framing. **Client:** Lead with their problem. Show you understand before presenting recommendation. ## Quality Checks - [ ] Bottom line in first 3 sentences - [ ] Standalone — no need to read full document - [ ] Recommendation is specific - [ ] Fits length limit - [ ] Written for audience priorities not author priorities - [ ] Next steps have owners and dates ## Anti-Patterns - [ ] Do not summarise the document chronologically — an executive summary that follows the structure of the source document is not an executive summary, it is an abstract - [ ] Do not bury the recommendation at the end — executives read the first paragraph and skim the rest; the ask must be in sentence one or two - [ ] Do not use the same summary for different audiences — a CEO and a board member have different decision contexts and require different framing - [ ] Do not include background that the reader already knows — every sentence of background must earn its place by making the bottom line more actionable - [ ] Do not leave the "risks of inaction" section vague — a summary that does not quantify what happens if the reader does nothing removes the urgency needed for a decision ## Example Trigger Phrases - "Write an executive summary of this report: [paste]" - "Summarise this document for the board: [paste]" - "Create a one-pager from this proposal for the CEO" - "Turn these findings into an exec summary"