executive-summary-writer skill

Executive Summary Writer

Transform complex analysis into clear, actionable executive summaries that drive decision-making.

Workflow

Phase 1: Understand the Context

Ask the user:

"Do you have an analysis file that contains the context and results of your analysis?"

If YES:

• Request the file
• Read and analyze the content
• Extract: business context, key findings, data/metrics, recommendations (if any)
• Proceed to Phase 2 with extracted information

If NO:

• Explain you'll gather information through questions
• Proceed to Phase 2 with interactive questioning

Phase 2: Gather MAIN Components

Collect information for each component in order. If information was extracted from a file, confirm/clarify missing pieces. If no file, ask targeted questions:

M - Motive (2-4 sentences, 50-100 words)

Ask:

• "What business problem or context triggered this analysis?"
• "What recent changes or trends prompted this investigation?"
• "Who is affected and what's at stake?"

Confirm you have:

• Business context
• Triggering event
• Scope/focus

A - Answer (3-5 sentences, 75-125 words)

Ask:

• "What did you find? (Main findings in 1-2 sentences)"
• "What do you recommend should be done?"
• "What outcome do you expect if this recommendation is followed?"

Validate with "So What?" test:

• Can someone act on this without reading further?
• Is it clear what success looks like?
• Would a busy executive understand the takeaway?

I - Impact (3-5 sentences, 75-150 words)

Ask:

• "What business metrics are affected? (revenue, users, costs)"
• "What's the magnitude? (specific numbers)"
• "What's the timeline for impact?"
• "What happens if no action is taken?"

Ensure you have:

• Quantified positive impact (with numbers and units)
• Quantified negative impact/risk
• Timeline and confidence level

N - Next Steps (3-7 items, 100-200 words)

Ask:

• "What specific actions need to happen?"
• "Who owns each action?"
• "What are the timelines/ETAs?"
• "How will success be measured?"

Each action must have:

• Specific action (not vague)
• Owner (name, not team)
• ETA (date)
• Success criteria

Phase 3: Draft & Review

1. Generate the executive summary using the MAIN structure
2. Present draft to user for review
3. Iterate based on feedback

Phase 4: Quality Check

Before finalizing, verify:

Content Quality:

• [ ] Answer appears in first 3 sentences
• [ ] "So What?" is crystal clear
• [ ] All impacts quantified with units ($, %, numbers)
• [ ] Recommendations specific and actionable
• [ ] Owners and dates assigned to all actions
• [ ] Can be understood without further sections
• [ ] Under 1 page for executive summary section

Writing Quality:

• [ ] Active voice (not passive)
• [ ] Short sentences and paragraphs
• [ ] No jargon without explanation
• [ ] Numbers formatted consistently
• [ ] Specific numbers over vague terms ("40%" not "many")

Phase 5: Deliver

Create a clean document with:

1. Executive Summary (MAIN format)
2. Optional: Supporting sections if user requests them

Save to /mnt/user-data/outputs/executive-summary.md

Key Principles

Answer First: Always state findings and recommendations upfront, then support with context.

Quantify Everything: Use specific numbers with units. "15% drop (from 40% to 34%)" not "significant decrease."

Be Specific: "Design 3 new onboarding flows by Nov 30 - Owner: Jane" not "Improve onboarding."

Pass the "So What?" Test: Executive must understand what to do without reading further.

Keep It Brief: Executive summary = 1 page maximum. Details go in appendix.

Framework Reference

For detailed guidance on each MAIN component, see:

• references/main-framework.md - Complete framework with examples
• references/templates.md - Templates for different scenarios
• references/examples.md - Good vs bad examples

Output Format

# [Topic] - Executive Summary

## Motive
[2-4 sentences on context and why this matters]

## Answer
[3-5 sentences: findings, recommendation, expected outcome]

## Impact
[3-5 sentences: quantified business implications]

## Next Steps
1. [Action] - Owner: [Name] - ETA: [Date] - Success: [Metric]
2. [Action] - Owner: [Name] - ETA: [Date] - Success: [Metric]
3. [Action] - Owner: [Name] - ETA: [Date] - Success: [Metric]

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Burying the lede: Don't save the answer for later. State it upfront.
• Vague recommendations: "Improve UX" → "Add 3-step interactive tutorial by Dec 15"
• No quantification: "Big impact" → "$500K annual revenue at risk"
• Too much detail upfront: Save detailed analysis for appendix
• No "So What?": Always explain implications and required actions

User Interaction Guidelines

• Be conversational: Ask one question at a time, don't overwhelm
• Show progress: Let user know which component you're working on
• Confirm understanding: Repeat back key points for validation
• Offer examples: If user is stuck, provide examples to clarify
• Stay focused: Keep gathering info for MAIN, resist tangents
• Validate completeness: Before drafting, confirm you have all pieces