Executive Communication

Executive Brief Template

Communicate a decision-requiring situation to a senior leader in two pages or less.

When to use

Any time you need an executive to decide something and want them to be prepared before the conversation.

Audience: C-level, VP, board members.

Template structure

  1. Step 1
    Decision Requested

    One sentence. What you are asking the leader to decide.

  2. Step 2
    Recommendation

    Your preferred option, with one-sentence justification.

  3. Step 3
    Context

    Three to five sentences of background — only what's needed to evaluate the decision.

  4. Step 4
    Options

    Two or three alternatives with trade-offs.

  5. Step 5
    Risks & Assumptions

    What could go wrong and what you're assuming.

  6. Step 6
    Next Steps

    What happens after the decision is made.

Example

Decision Requested: Approve $250K Q3 budget reallocation from Marketing to Customer Success.

Recommendation: Approve. CS expansion drove 60% of net new ARR last quarter; current staffing caps growth.

Context: CS team is at 92% capacity. Marketing spend ROI has declined two quarters in a row...

Best practices

  • Write the decision request last — it sharpens the rest.
  • Cap at two pages. If it doesn't fit, the analysis isn't done.
  • Bold the decision request and recommendation.

Customization guidance

Treat this template as a starting structure, not a script. Adapt the section order to match how your audience expects information — for example, lead with the recommendation for time-pressed executives, or with context when writing to less-familiar stakeholders. Replace placeholder language with specifics from your situation; substitute jargon with the vocabulary your reader actually uses; and shorten or expand sections based on the decision weight of the communication. The structure exists to ensure you have covered what matters, not to constrain how you communicate.

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