Creating Project Status Reports

How I Make My Weekly Status Reports Actually Useful as a Program Manager at Amazon Let’s be honest… Most status reports are either ignored, unread, or unclear. I’ve learned that if it doesn’t help your team or your leadership…it’s just noise. Here’s how I make mine cut through the noise: 1/ I use a consistent structure ↳ 3 sections: What happened…What’s next…What’s blocked ↳ Same order, every week ↳ Familiarity saves everyone time 2/ I lead with the headline ↳ “Model ingestion is 92% complete, on track for EOW” ↳ No burying the lede ↳ If they only read one line—they get the point 3/ I highlight risks early ↳ One section called “Risks + Mitigations” ↳ I name the risk, owner, and our plan ↳ It builds trust and prevents surprises 4/ I make it scannable ↳ Bullets over paragraphs ↳ Bold key decisions ↳ One glance = full picture 5/ I tailor it for the audience ↳ My team gets detail ↳ My leadership gets clarity ↳ I write for the reader…not to check a box A good status report doesn’t just report status. It drives alignment. It earns trust. And it keeps your project moving without extra meetings. What’s one section you always include in your updates?

Project managers, only report what matters Project updates shouldn't be a data dump. They should be a signal boost. Most stakeholders don't care about every single task, ticket, and speed bump. They want clarity. They want outcomes. They want action and impact. Report smarter by: ☝ Highlighting the key points early Don't make them dig. Say the important stuff: what's on track, at risk, and a need to know now. Think TL;DR first. ✌ Separate detail by audience The dev team might want specific Jira info. Leadership probably wants 3 high-level bullets. Tailor your updates to show you respect time and what your audience wants. 🤟 Focus on movement, not just activity You should never say "we had 4 meetings and I sent out 8 emails." You should say "we cleared X blocker which pulled delivery back on-track and saved us 3 hours on testing." Specific movement will trump outlined (but not actioned) motion. If your update doesn't drive clarity or action, it's just noise. Keep them sharp, short, AND strategic. 🤙

Is Your Project Actually on Track, or Just Pretending? Let’s talk about 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 In project management, transparency is critical to the success of any project. Yet, there’s a phenomenon many of us have likely encountered without realizing it: “𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.” What is it? Think of a watermelon—green on the outside but red on the inside. In project management, this analogy describes reports or updates that appear healthy and on track (𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏) at a surface level, while hiding underlying problems (𝒓𝒆𝒅) that threaten the project’s success. Why Does It Happen? ✅ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬: Teams may feel compelled to paint a rosy picture to stakeholders or leadership to avoid scrutiny or conflict. ✅ 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Highlighting challenges might lead to blame rather than constructive problem-solving. ✅ 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Sometimes, teams are unaware of deeper issues due to poor communication or inadequate monitoring tools. The Risks of Watermelon Reporting: ❌ 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: By the time issues come to light, they might have escalated beyond repair. ❌ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭: Consistently concealing problems can erode trust between teams and stakeholders. ❌ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞: Ignoring risks early often leads to missed deadlines, cost overruns, and unmet objectives. How to Avoid It: 1️⃣ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: Encourage teams to share both successes and challenges without fear. 2️⃣ 𝐀𝐬𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Go beyond high-level metrics and dig deeper during progress meetings. 3️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Use dashboards that provide clear insights into project health, including risks and issues. 4️⃣ 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦-𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Reward teams for addressing problems early, not just for presenting “green” status updates. 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 might give temporary relief, but long-term project success depends on acknowledging and tackling challenges head-on. Let’s commit to honest communication and proactive risk management. Have you encountered watermelon reporting in your career? How did you handle it? Let’s discuss in the comments! The Billionaire 💰 #ProjectManagement #Transparency #Leadership #WatermelonReporting #RiskManagement #SamTheProjectManager

When communicating with executives, it's important to use small words... Okay, that's not true, but executives don’t need fancy vocabulary. They need the information. Here is how I write executive summaries (as an executive!): Over the years, I've learned that writing an effective executive summary is both an art and a science. It takes time and practice to refine your communication so that it’s both concise and compelling. Here are some of the strategies that have helped me along the way: What Matters? Executives are inundated with information daily. They don't have the luxury of wading through multiple paragraphs to extract the key points. An executive summary must cut through the noise and present the core message in a few short, impactful sentences. 2. Simplicity is Your Friend Avoid jargon and unnecessary details. Focus on “what,” “why,” and “what’s next.” This ensures that your update can be read and acted upon. 3. Details Attached A good trick is to include a line that offers additional detail for those who want it. For example, you might end your summary with “Attached is additional detail” or “More details are provided below.” This signals to the executive that the main points have been covered, but there’s a deeper dive available if they want more information. 4. Mentorship Early in my career, I was fortunate to have a manager who pushed me to perfect my executive summaries. Every update I wrote was reviewed and refined until it truly communicated the essential information. That hands-on mentorship was invaluable. It taught me that the process of drafting and revising is crucial to developing a clear, effective communication style. If you don’t have a boss who’s willing to invest that time, look for a senior stakeholder, mentor, or coach who can provide honest feedback on your communication. The right guidance will help you communicate more quickly. 5. AI We’re living in an age of technological breakthroughs. That includes the way we communicate. I frequently use AI to help summarize and distill complex information into clear insights. It can also be useful for drafting the first version of your executive summary or double-checking that you've captured all the critical points. A strong executive summary requires clarity, brevity, and practice. It’s about cutting through the clutter and presenting a concise snapshot of the most important information. Focus on what truly matters, seek constructive feedback, and don’t use too much jargon, and your updates will surely stand out and drive action. Leaders, how do you like to receive executive summaries?

How I got my projects endorsed by C-suite leaders without battling for attention In 3 Steps 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 1: 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲   – Understand their pain points and priorities. Executives think in terms of strategy, ROI, and risk management. They don’t have time for the granular details—they need to know how the project will support their goals. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 2: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴   – Present roadmaps with clear milestones, dependencies, and outcomes. The aim is to make it easy for them to connect the dots and understand how the project aligns with business objectives. Simplify without oversimplifying. My number one tool for creating these roadmaps is Office Timeline. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 3: 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀   – Design reports specifically for executive audiences. Highlight key insights, risks, and wins. Ensure these reports answer: “What do they need to know right now?” Empower them to make informed decisions without wading through excess data. These steps aren't just tactics—they build trust and demonstrate that your project management approach aligns with leadership goals. What’s your go-to method for securing executive buy-in? Share your thoughts in the comments! Like if you found this useful, and follow for more insights on project management and leadership alignment. Don't forget to share this with your network! 👥💡

I watched a $50M hospital expansion get delayed by 8 months because of one email sitting in someone's inbox. The approval was ready. The budget was approved. The contractors were waiting. But the project manager had no visibility into where things stood. After working with 200+ organizations, I've seen the same manual workflow mistakes destroy project timelines and team morale. Here are the 5 most damaging ones: → Spreadsheet dependency for project tracking Teams lose hours updating multiple versions, and critical details slip through the cracks. One outdated cell can derail an entire milestone. → Chasing approvals through email chains Decision-makers get buried in their inboxes while projects sit idle. What should take 2 days stretches into 2 weeks. → Disconnected systems creating data silos Finance uses one tool, operations uses another, leadership gets reports from a third. Nobody has the complete picture. → Manual status reporting that's outdated before it's sent By the time you compile that weekly report, three new issues have emerged and two "green" items turned red. → Lack of structured accountability When everything is tracked informally, nothing gets tracked consistently. Problems surface too late to fix them effectively. Behind every delayed project are dedicated professionals trying to deliver value to their communities. They deserve better than being trapped in operational chaos. The solution isn't just better software. It's structured workflows that create transparency and accountability from day one. What workflow challenge is slowing down your current projects?

Imagine you've performed an in-depth analysis and uncovered an incredible insight. You’re now excited to share your findings with an influential group of stakeholders. You’ve been meticulous, eliminating biases, double-checking your logic, and ensuring your conclusions are sound. But even with all this diligence, there’s one common pitfall that could diminish the impact of your insights: information overload. In our excitement, we sometimes flood stakeholders with excessive details, dense reports, cluttered dashboards, and long presentations filled with too much information. The result is confusion, disengagement, and inaction. Insights are not our children, we don’t have to love them equally. To truly drive action, we must isolate and emphasize the insights that matter most—those that directly address the problem statement and have the highest impact. Here’s how to present insights effectively to ensure clarity, engagement, and action: ✅ Start with the Problem – Frame your insights around the problem statement. If stakeholders don’t see the relevance, they won’t care about the data. ✅ Prioritize Key Insights – Not all insights are created equal. Share only the most impactful findings that directly influence decision-making. ✅ Tell a Story, Not Just Show Data– Structure your presentation as a narrative: What was the challenge? What did the data reveal? What should be done next? A well-crafted story is more memorable than a raw data dump. ✅ Use Clean, Intuitive Visuals – Data-heavy slides and cluttered dashboards overwhelm stakeholders. Use simple, insightful charts that highlight key takeaways at a glance. ✅ Make Your Recommendations Clear– Insights without action are meaningless. End with specific, actionable recommendations to guide decision-making. ✅ Encourage Dialogue, Not Just Presentation – Effective communication is a two-way street. Invite questions and discussions to ensure buy-in from stakeholders. ✅ Less is More– Sometimes, one well-presented insight can be more powerful than ten slides of analysis. Keep it concise, impactful, and decision-focused. Before presenting, ask yourself: Am I providing clarity or creating confusion? The best insights don’t just inform—they inspire action. What strategies do you use to make your insights more actionable? Let’s discuss! P.S: I've shared a dashboard I reviewed recently, and thought it was overloaded and not actionably created

What can keep project status reports from being read?   I'll never forget my first project status report that I presented to 29 people. I was incredibly nervous, despite my fears, I presented it to the large group. I felt relieved after I finished the presentation. It was a huge personal success. But the impact was not what I expected. There were no follow up questions from the team. All I tried was to be: →  Informative →  Structured →  Consistent →  Less overbearing It kept me thinking about what I could do better. Fast forward, I have a different approach today which is more impactful. I focus on what the people reading the report need from it. Here’s what I do before working on the status report. Ask the following questions to my team, stakeholders and sponsors: ·↳ What level of details do you expect in the report? ↳ What are you trying to achieve with this information? ↳ What should be the frequency of the report? ↳ Who is the target audience for the report? ↳ What kind of format does the team prefer? ↳ Is there an existing template that you found impactful? I just DON’T try to be: →  Informative-  I focus on to be relevant for everyone → Structured- I focus to keep it clear and concise →  Consistent- I focus on the standard format of the organization →  Less overbearing- I prioritize on the key metrics Remember, a project status report is NOT just about wins, blockers and action items. It’s a way to communicate how each of us is accountable to the success of the project. It’s about letting the executives know what the project team needs from them and when. PS: How do you make your status report impactful? Do you map stakeholder needs and communication styles when preparing these reports?

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀-->𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 Let’s be honest... most project status reports 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲. They’re either too vague, too detailed, or filled with fluff that 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Here’s why they fail -->and how to fix them: 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 Nobody wants to read a wall of text or 15-slide decks. Executives need clarity, not clutter. Keep it focused on what actually matters. ✅ Fix it: 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀,,, 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱? 2️⃣ 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻, 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻, 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻…𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗱 If every report shows smooth sailing until the moment things fall apart, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀. Status reports shouldn’t be a false sense of security. ✅ Fix it: 𝗕𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆. 𝗬𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴... 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱, 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻!!  3️⃣ 𝗡𝗼 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 A good status report should tell leadership what they need to do -->𝗻𝗼𝘄. If your report is just information without action, it’s a wasted effort. ✅ Fix it: 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲... 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗪𝗛𝗢? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱... 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗪𝗛𝗢? 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱? 4️⃣ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 Don't report on how many meetings were held or # of emails sent. What matters is: Are we on track? Are we delivering value? ✅ Fix it: 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀. 5️⃣𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 A project can be on time and on budget...but if it’s not delivering the expected business value, does it even matter? ✅ Fix it: 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿) 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱. 𝗜𝗳 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁, 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲. A good status report is short, sharp, and decision-driven. Here's a template & book that I've used that I can't recommend enough to Project Managers (no matter the project)... keep the status update to 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗘! https://lnkd.in/gkQ3WRV2 ❓𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱? 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 👇 #projectmanagement #changemanagement #programmanagement #pmi #pmp #pmo #strategy #scrummaster #agile #leadership #transformation #projectmanager #leader #impact #delivery #chiefofstaff #ceo #cio #cso #cos #cpo #cfo #delivery #change #influence #oppm

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.