# Executive Summary

## When to use

Use this template when you need to brief a boss, leadership stakeholder, or cross-functional lead on a decision, project, risk, recommendation, or status update.

## Input needed

Prefer to gather the minimum useful context:

- topic or project name
- current situation
- key decision or conclusion
- why it matters now
- major risk or blocker
- what support or alignment is needed

If the summary depends on 1-2 critical premises, confirm those before making a strong recommendation.

## Output goal

Produce a concise, decision-ready summary that is easy for an executive reader to scan and respond to.

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# Executive Summary

## 1. Bottom line

- What is the main conclusion?
- What should the reader know first?
- If they only read one paragraph, what should they take away?

## 2. Why this matters now

- Why is this important at this moment?
- What business, user, delivery, or strategic consequence makes this worth attention?

## 3. Current status

- What is happening now?
- What has been done already?
- What is the current state of the decision, project, or issue?

## 4. Key recommendation or decision ask

- What do you recommend?
- Or: what decision do you need from the reader?
- Be explicit about the preferred path.
- Make the ask readable as approve / challenge / modify.

## 5. Supporting rationale

- Why is this the right call?
- What are the 2-4 strongest supporting points?
- Keep this focused on signal, not detail.

## 6. Risks and concerns

- What could go wrong?
- What is still uncertain?
- What should the reader be aware of before deciding?

## 7. What would change this call

- Which missing evidence or future condition would change the recommendation?
- What is still a confidence-sensitive assumption?

## 8. Decide now vs validate next

- What should be decided immediately?
- What should be validated before broader commitment?

## 9. Support needed

- What alignment, resource, escalation, or decision is needed?
- From whom?
- By when?

## 10. Next step

- What happens next if the recommendation is accepted?
- What is the immediate action plan?

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## Optional short format

For very short executive communication, compress into:

1. Conclusion
2. Why it matters
3. Recommendation
4. Risk
5. Ask

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## Notes for use

A strong executive summary should:

- lead with the conclusion
- make the business relevance obvious
- stay brief without becoming vague
- surface major risks clearly
- end with a concrete ask or next step
- make the timing logic visible
