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

Executive Communication Principles

The Executive Pyramid

What Executives Want

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anti-Rationalization Table

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

Executive Reporting-Specific Anti-Rationalizations

Pressure Resistance

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

Executive Reporting-Specific Pressures

Blocker Criteria - STOP and Report

ALWAYS pause and report blocker for:

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.]

Execution Report

Base metrics per shared-patterns/execution-report.md:

Executive Reporting-Specific Details