How to Present Project Briefs to Executives

Most people assume communication is about sharing information. It’s not. It’s about making sure the right people actually care and act. And yet, most internal messages get ignored because: - They’re too long (nobody has time). - They’re too vague (what’s the point?). - They bury the key takeaway (no clear action). Want to get leadership’s attention? Your team’s buy-in? Faster approvals? Don’t send long Slack messages or emails hoping they’ll “get it.” Try communicating like an executive: clear, concise, and actionable. How? 1) Lead with the headline. Instead of “Here’s some background on the situation,” start with: “We need to make a decision on X by Friday. Here’s what you need to know.” Decisions happen faster when no one has to dig for the point. 2) Be brutally concise. Instead of a wall of text, write: “Key update: [X]. Next step: [Y]. Need from you: [Z].” If it takes more than 10 seconds to skim, it’s too long. 3) Make action crystal clear. Instead of “Let me know your thoughts,” say: “Please approve/reject this by EOD Wednesday.” If you don’t set the expectation, you’ll get ignored. 4) Match the medium to the message. Instead of sending a complex update over Slack, ask: “Would a quick call make this easier?” Not everything should be an email. Not everything should be a meeting. Your ideas don’t just need to be good. They need to be impossible to overlook. Stop sending noise, and start communicating for impact.

Project managers need to speak the language of executives Here's how to make them listen: ✅ Start with the bottom line They don't need the whole story up front, give them the hook. Start with critical info first. → Is the project on track? → Any risks they should know about? → What specific decisions/actions are needed from them? ✅ Frame everything around business impact Executives care about ROI, strategy, and outcomes. Translate your updates to business value. → "We need to adjust the timeline by X days, which will impact Y revenue." → "We're requesting X resources, which will cost Y amount but save Z time." ✅ Use visuals + be concise Execs love to see what's needed. Simple slides or dashboards speak louder than paragraphs of text. → Use things like traffic-light statuses → Include key metrics in bold (ex: budget used, % complete, etc.) → Add in timelines and charts to drive clarity ✅ Anticipate their questions Think like a boss ie: "what's next?" or "what's at risk?" Prepare answers by asking yourself key questions before. → What decisions do we need from them? → What are the biggest risks/impacts + mitigation strategy? → How does this fit into broader goals/bigger picture? ✅ Know when to shut up Be direct, answer their questions, and stay high-level. If they need more detail, they'll ask. → Empower them to act → Don't overwhelm them with data → Keep your asks specific When working with executives, you need to speak in outcomes, not details. Use visuals. Tie your updates to business value. Focus on what THEY need to know. Not only does this level you up as a PM, it makes you a strategic partner that execs trust. PS: what's your go-to strategy to engage key executives? 🤙

Capturing the attention of senior-executives is no walk-in-the-park… but, it’s achievable with an executive summary! Today’s fast-paced business culture has senior executives SWAMPED. Being a CEO, I know how busy things get & like other senior leaders… …I need to be able to grasp proposals, reports, and projects *quickly.* Early in my career, I found the value in crafting effective executive summaries. It’s been the key to navigating up the corporate ladder— and connecting seamlessly with leadership. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to capturing attention. It’s all contingent on how you tailor your summary to the leader… Here are 3 proven formats that are bound to 100% grab their attention: 1️⃣ SCR (Situation-Complication-Resolution) -> Situation: Start with the current scenario. -> Complication: Introduce the challenges. -> Resolution: Present the solution and its benefits. Ex: “Our marketing campaign is underperforming (Situation). The primary issue is poor targeting (Complication). Adopting a data-driven approach will increase engagement and ROI (Resolution). 2️⃣ RSC (Resolution-Situation-Complication) -> Resolution: Begin with the outcome. -> Situation: Describe the initial problem. -> Complication: Highlight the challenges faced. Ex: “Our solution increased user engagement by 40% (Resolution). At first, interactions were declining (Situation). We overcame resistance to change and used user research (Complication).” 3️⃣ CSR (Complication-Situation-Resolution) -> Complication: Start with the challenges. -> Situation: Describe the context. -> Resolution: Highlight the solution. Ex: “Revenue was declining due to competition (Complication). Traditional marketing strategies were ineffective (Situation). A digital-first approach increased sales by 20% (Resolution).” Master these formats, and craft executive summaries that captivate senior leadership in a way THEY want (and have time) to hear.

After joining a new team I needed to remind myself: Leaders don’t need every detail; they need clarity, relevance, and impact. Here’s a quick reference guide I use with teams to craft executive updates that resonate and drive action: • ✅ Is it concise and to the point? Executives are busy—respect their time by sharing only the essential details. • ✅ Does it tie to strategic priorities? Frame your update in the context of organizational goals. • ✅ Does it focus on outcomes, not activities? Highlight the "what" and "why," not the "how." • ✅ Does it include a clear next step or ask?  End with what’s coming or what support you need to move forward. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 💬 Before (Too Detailed):  “We’ve been working for months on integrating systems. It was a complex process, consolidating 20 databases. Now we’ll focus on API connections for better functionality.” 🎯 After (Executive-Appropriate):  “The IT systems integration is complete, consolidating 20 databases into one. This improves unified reporting, enabling faster decision-making. Next, we’ll integrate APIs to enhance functionality.” 💡 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Use this checklist consistently, and you’ll build trust and credibility with executives by demonstrating clarity and focus. How do you approach executive communication? Share your strategies below! ⬇️ #Leadership #ExecutiveCommunication #StrategicCommunication #ProfessionalGrowth