Executive communication and reporting skill for creating dashboards, status summaries, and board packages. Focuses on actionable insights for leadership.
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name: executive-reporting description: | Executive communication and reporting skill for creating dashboards, status summaries, and board packages. Focuses on actionable insights for leadership.
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Creating effective executive communications that drive decisions and action.
This skill provides a framework for:
| Level | Content | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Key message in one sentence | 10 seconds |
| Overview | 3-5 key points | 1 minute |
| Detail | Supporting data and analysis | 5 minutes |
| Appendix | Full data for reference | As needed |
| They Want | They Don't Want |
|---|---|
| Clear status (RAG) | Ambiguous status |
| Actionable insights | Information dumps |
| Decisions required | Problems without options |
| Trends and patterns | Raw data |
| Risks and mitigations | Surprises |
| Confidence in team | Excuses |
Audience: Executive team Frequency: Weekly/Monthly Length: 1-2 pages
Sections:
Audience: Sponsor/Executive Frequency: As needed Length: 1 page
Sections:
Audience: Board of Directors Frequency: Quarterly Length: 5-10 pages
Sections:
Audience: Key stakeholders Frequency: Weekly/Bi-weekly Length: 1 page
Sections:
Objective: Understand what the audience needs
Actions:
Audience Questions:
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/audience-analysis.md
Objective: Collect accurate, current data
Actions:
Data Verification:
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/report-data.md
Objective: Extract actionable insights from data
Actions:
Insight Framework:
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/report-insights.md
Objective: Create the executive report
Actions:
Quality Checklist:
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/executive-report.md
Objective: Ensure quality and deliver effectively
Actions:
Pre-Delivery Checklist:
Output: Final report delivered
See shared-patterns/anti-rationalization.md for universal anti-rationalizations.
| Rationalization | Why It's WRONG | Required Action |
|---|---|---|
| "Bad news can wait" | Delayed bad news = worse news. Executives need truth. | Report immediately with context |
| "Too much detail for executives" | Under-reporting creates blind spots. | Provide right level of detail |
| "Green because no complaints" | Silence ≠ health. Verify with data. | Evidence-based status only |
| "They'll ask if they want to know" | Proactive communication builds trust. | Anticipate needs, don't wait |
| "Keep it positive" | False positivity destroys credibility. | Report reality with solutions |
See shared-patterns/pressure-resistance.md for universal pressure scenarios.
| Pressure Type | Request | Agent Response |
|---|---|---|
| "Make the status green" | "Status must reflect reality. I'll provide accurate status with context and recovery plan." | |
| "Don't mention that risk" | "Executives expect full picture. Including with mitigation status." | |
| "Simplify it, they won't understand" | "Executives understand complexity. Will provide clear summary with detail available." | |
| "We need this in 30 minutes" | "Quality over speed for executive comms. Will provide accurate summary in timeframe, full detail to follow." |
ALWAYS pause and report blocker for:
| Situation | Required Action |
|---|---|
| Data integrity questionable | STOP. Cannot report unreliable data. Verify before reporting. |
| PM disputes project status | STOP. Resolve disagreement before publishing. |
| Asked to misrepresent status | STOP. Cannot compromise integrity. Escalate if pressured. |
| Critical escalation discovered | STOP. Immediate verbal communication before written report. |
# Portfolio Status Report - [Date]
## Executive Summary
[One paragraph: Overall status, key achievements, primary concerns, decisions needed]
## Portfolio Health: [GREEN/YELLOW/RED]
| Metric | Value | Trend | Status |
|--------|-------|-------|--------|
| Projects On Track | X/Y (Z%) | Up/Down/Stable | G/Y/R |
| Budget Utilization | X% | Up/Down/Stable | G/Y/R |
| Resource Utilization | X% | Up/Down/Stable | G/Y/R |
| Open Critical Risks | N | Up/Down/Stable | G/Y/R |
## Project Status Summary
| Project | Status | SPI | CPI | Key Issue |
|---------|--------|-----|-----|-----------|
| [Name] | G/Y/R | X.XX | X.XX | [Issue or "On track"] |
## Items Requiring Attention
### Critical (Action This Week)
1. [Item] - **Decision Needed:** [Decision]
### Important (Action This Month)
1. [Item] - **Owner:** [Name]
## Key Milestones (Next 30 Days)
| Date | Project | Milestone | Status |
|------|---------|-----------|--------|
| [Date] | [Project] | [Milestone] | [On Track/At Risk] |
## Decisions Requested
| Decision | Options | Recommendation | Deadline |
|----------|---------|----------------|----------|
| [Decision] | [A, B, C] | [Recommendation] | [Date] |
## Appendix
[Detailed project status, full risk register, etc.]
Base metrics per shared-patterns/execution-report.md:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Analysis Date | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Scope | [Portfolio/Report type] |
| Duration | Xh Ym |
| Result | COMPLETE/PARTIAL/BLOCKED |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| projects_reported | N |
| status_distribution | G/Y/R |
| escalations | N |
| decisions_needed | N |