Any phase · Craft
Brief executives and boards: the short story, the ask, the decision
Senior people have little time. Lead with the point and the decision you need, then give only the detail that supports it.
About 2-4 hoursEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Communication and influence
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- Intermediate (1 to 4 years)Experienced (5+ years)
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Start with the bottom line: what you want and why, in one or two sentences.
- State the decision or help you need.
- Add three supporting points at most.
- Put detail in an appendix.
- Practise saying it in under two minutes.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Tailor the story to what each leader cares about.
- Bring options with a recommendation, not just a problem.
- Pre-brief key people before the meeting.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Brief boards on strategy, risk and results with the same structure.
- Handle tough questions by going back to the bottom line.
- Coach your PMs to brief leaders well.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Tool examples
- Google Docs
- Write a one-page brief with the bottom line at the top.
- Claude
- Ask an AI assistant to shorten your draft, then check it still says what you mean.
Definition of done
- Brief leads with the bottom line
- Clear ask stated
- Detail moved to an appendix
Common pitfalls
- Building up to the point slowly
- No clear ask
- Too much detail