The Reader Who Won't Read Everything
An executive summary is written for someone who has two minutes, many other documents and the power to say yes or no. They will read the first paragraph, perhaps skim the headings, and decide. Everything in this lesson follows from that reality.
At C2, the challenge is no longer grammar or vocabulary. It is judgment: what to include, what to cut, and how to frame the message so that a sceptical expert reader is persuaded.
Principle 1: Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Academic writing often builds towards a conclusion. Executive writing starts with it.
| Academic order | Executive order |
|---|---|
| Background → Analysis → Findings → Conclusion → Recommendation | Recommendation / conclusion → Key reasons → Evidence → Risks → Next steps |
Weak opening:
Over the past several years, the company has experienced a number of changes in the competitive landscape, including the entry of new online players and shifts in consumer behaviour...
Strong opening:
We recommend closing 14 of our 52 stores by June and reinvesting the savings in online delivery. This would cut annual costs by $9 million and return the retail division to profit within 18 months.
The first sentence answers the reader's question: "What do you want from me?"
Principle 2: The SCQA Structure
A classic structure (from consulting practice) for the opening paragraph:
| Element | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | Shared, uncontroversial context | Our retail division has been our core business for 30 years. |
| Complication | What has changed / the problem | Since 2022, in-store sales have fallen 23%, while online sales have doubled; 14 stores now lose money. |
| Question | The question this raises (often implicit) | (How do we restore profitability?) |
| Answer | Your recommendation | We recommend closing the 14 loss-making stores and reinvesting in online delivery. |
In very short summaries, lead with the Answer and compress S and C into one sentence.
Principle 3: Ruthless Concision
Every word must earn its place. Common cuts:
| Wordy | Concise |
|---|---|
| at this point in time | now |
| due to the fact that | because |
| in order to | to |
| a large number of | many / a number |
| it is important to note that | (delete) |
| make a decision regarding | decide |
| conduct an analysis of | analyze |
| has the ability to | can |
| the reason why is because | because |
Replace adjectives with numbers: significant savings → $9 million a year. Many customers → 38% of customers.
Prefer active, concrete verbs in summaries (nominalization belongs in the analytical sections, sparingly):
- A decision was made to implement a restructuring. → We restructured the team.
Principle 4: Persuasion Without Hype
Senior readers distrust enthusiasm. They trust evidence, candour and control of risk.
Techniques:
- Quantify: This would reduce delivery times from five days to two.
- Compare options fairly: show the alternatives you rejected and why — it proves you've thought it through.
- Anticipate objections: The obvious concern is the impact on staff. We would offer transfers to 80% of affected employees.
- Acknowledge uncertainty precisely: Our estimate assumes online growth of 15% a year; at 10%, payback would take 26 months instead of 18.
- Frame in the reader's terms: a CFO cares about cash and risk; a CEO about strategy; an HR director about people.
Avoid: revolutionary, game-changing, world-class, incredibly, extremely, huge. Let the numbers do the persuading.
Useful Language
Stating the recommendation
- We recommend that... / Our recommendation is to...
- I am seeking approval for...
- The board is asked to approve...
Giving reasons compactly
- ...for three reasons: first,...; second,...; third,...
- The case rests on two factors:...
Signalling risk and mitigation
- The principal risk is... We would mitigate this by...
- Should X occur, we would...
Requesting action
- We need a decision by [date] in order to...
- With approval, work could begin on [date].
Model: A Decision Memo Summary
To: Executive Committee From: Head of Retail Operations Re: Retail network restructuring — decision required by May 15
Recommendation. We recommend closing 14 of our 52 stores by June 30 and reinvesting $6 million of the annual savings in same-day online delivery.
Why. Since 2022, in-store sales have fallen 23% while online sales have doubled. The 14 stores identified lost a combined $9 million last year and are within 10 km of a profitable location. Closing them would return the retail division to profit within 18 months.
Options considered. Renegotiating leases (saving at most $2 million) and a price-led turnaround (tested in four stores in 2025, no measurable effect) were both rejected.
Risks. The main risk is losing customers who do not shop online. Our data shows 70% of these stores' customers already visit a nearby location. We would offer transfers to at least 80% of the 210 affected employees.
Decision needed. Approval by May 15 allows closures before the lease renewal date of July 1, avoiding $3.4 million in penalty costs.
Around 200 words. The reader knows what, why, what else was considered, what could go wrong, and why now.
Editing Checklist
- Could the reader act on the first two sentences alone?
- Does every paragraph start with its main point?
- Have I replaced adjectives with numbers where possible?
- Have I cut throat-clearing phrases (It should be noted that..., As we all know...)?
- Is there a deadline and a clear ask?
- Would a sceptical reader find an unanswered objection?
Common Mistakes
- Writing the summary first: write it last, when you know what the document says.
- Summarizing the structure instead of the content:
This report will first discuss... and then examine... - Burying the ask in the last paragraph.
- Hedging everything: It might possibly be worth considering... — at this level, be clear.
Practice Tips
- Take a long report or article and write a 150-word executive summary with the bottom line in the first sentence.
- Cut 30%: take a paragraph you wrote and remove a third of the words without losing any information.
- Write for three readers: rewrite the opening of the model memo for a CFO, an HR director and the CEO.