Executive Reporting Skill

Creating effective executive communications that drive decisions and action.

Purpose

This skill provides a framework for:

• Executive status summaries
• Portfolio dashboards
• Board packages
• Escalation reports
• Decision support materials

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Executive Communication Principles

The Executive Pyramid

| 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 |

What Executives Want

| 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 |

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Report Types

Type 1: Portfolio Status Dashboard

Audience: Executive team Frequency: Weekly/Monthly Length: 1-2 pages

Sections:

1. Portfolio health summary (RAG)
2. Key metrics (SPI, CPI, utilization)
3. Exceptions requiring attention
4. Upcoming milestones
5. Decisions needed

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Type 2: Project Escalation Report

Audience: Sponsor/Executive Frequency: As needed Length: 1 page

Sections:

1. Issue summary (one sentence)
2. Impact assessment
3. Options with trade-offs
4. Recommendation
5. Decision requested

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Type 3: Board Package

Audience: Board of Directors Frequency: Quarterly Length: 5-10 pages

Sections:

1. Executive summary
2. Portfolio performance
3. Strategic initiative status
4. Key risks and mitigations
5. Resource and financial summary
6. Decisions and approvals needed
7. Appendix (detailed data)

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Type 4: Stakeholder Update

Audience: Key stakeholders Frequency: Weekly/Bi-weekly Length: 1 page

Sections:

1. Status summary
2. Accomplishments this period
3. Planned next period
4. Blockers/needs from stakeholders
5. Key dates

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Executive Reporting Gates

Gate 1: Audience Analysis

Objective: Understand what the audience needs

Actions:

1. Identify primary audience
2. Understand their priorities
3. Determine decision authority
4. Assess communication preferences

Audience Questions:

• What decisions can they make?
• What do they worry about?
• How much time do they have?
• What format do they prefer?

Output: docs/pmo/{date}/audience-analysis.md

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Gate 2: Data Gathering

Objective: Collect accurate, current data

Actions:

1. Gather project status data
2. Collect metrics (SPI, CPI, etc.)
3. Update risk information
4. Verify with project managers

Data Verification:

• Cross-check with multiple sources
• Validate with PM before publishing
• Note any data gaps or assumptions
• Date-stamp all data

Output: docs/pmo/{date}/report-data.md

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Gate 3: Insight Development

Objective: Extract actionable insights from data

Actions:

1. Identify patterns and trends
2. Determine root causes
3. Develop recommendations
4. Prepare decision options

Insight Framework:

• What? - State the fact
• So What? - Explain why it matters
• Now What? - Recommend action

Output: docs/pmo/{date}/report-insights.md

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Gate 4: Report Creation

Objective: Create the executive report

Actions:

1. Apply appropriate template
2. Lead with conclusions
3. Support with evidence
4. Include clear call to action

Quality Checklist:

• [ ] Summary captures key message
• [ ] RAG status is clear and justified
• [ ] Decisions needed are explicit
• [ ] Recommendations are actionable
• [ ] Data is current and verified

Output: docs/pmo/{date}/executive-report.md

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Gate 5: Review and Delivery

Objective: Ensure quality and deliver effectively

Actions:

1. Internal review for accuracy
2. Get PM sign-off on project status
3. Prepare for questions
4. Deliver and follow up

Pre-Delivery Checklist:

• [ ] Spelling and formatting checked
• [ ] Numbers verified
• [ ] PM approved their project status
• [ ] Talking points prepared
• [ ] Follow-up actions noted

Output: Final report delivered

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Anti-Rationalization Table

See shared-patterns/anti-rationalization.md for universal anti-rationalizations.

Executive Reporting-Specific 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 |

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Pressure Resistance

See shared-patterns/pressure-resistance.md for universal pressure scenarios.

Executive Reporting-Specific Pressures

| 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." |

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Blocker Criteria - STOP and Report

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. |

Cannot Be Overridden

The following requirements are NON-NEGOTIABLE:

| Requirement | Cannot Override Because | |-------------|------------------------| | Accurate status reporting | False status destroys credibility with executives | | Complete risk disclosure | Hidden risks become board-level surprises | | Data verification | Unverified data misleads executive decisions | | Clear decision requests | Vague asks don't get executive decisions | | Balanced presentation | Spin erodes trust and credibility |

If user insists on violating these:

1. Escalate to orchestrator
2. Do NOT publish inaccurate report
3. Document the request and your refusal

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Severity Calibration

When determining what to escalate in executive reports:

| Severity | Criteria | Executive Action Required | |----------|----------|---------------------------| | CRITICAL | Business viability impacted, material risk | Immediate attention, decision this meeting | | HIGH | Significant objective impact, recovery needed | Decision needed this week, intervention may be required | | MEDIUM | Notable but manageable deviation | Awareness, monitor, may need decision next cycle | | LOW | Minor variance within tolerance | FYI only, included for completeness |

Escalate CRITICAL and HIGH. Report MEDIUM for awareness. Include LOW for transparency.

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Output Format

Executive Status 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.]

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Execution Report

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 |

Executive Reporting-Specific Details

| Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | projects_reported | N | | status_distribution | G/Y/R | | escalations | N | | decisions_needed | N |

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When Executive Report Is Not Needed

<MANDATORY> MUST: Report is minimal only when ALL conditions are met: </MANDATORY>

| Condition | Verification | |-----------|-------------| | No active portfolio projects | Verify no projects in tracking | | Routine status unchanged | No new risks, milestones, or blockers since last report | | Stakeholders explicitly waived | Written confirmation required | | Recent report covers same period | Reference recent report that applies |

MUST: Full executive report REQUIRED for the following conditions:

| Condition | Why Required | |-----------|-------------| | Any project status change | Stakeholders need current information | | New risks identified | Risk visibility is NON-NEGOTIABLE for executives | | Milestone reached or missed | Progress tracking required for governance | | Resource or budget conflicts | Decision-making requires current data | | Board or sponsor meeting | Cannot attend unprepared |

MUST: When in doubt, produce the report. Incomplete executive reporting causes misaligned decisions and erodes trust.