How can you write better executive summaries?

1 Know your purpose and audience

Before you start writing, you need to have a clear idea of why you are writing the executive summary, and who will read it. Your purpose could be to inform, persuade, or request something from your audience. Your audience could be your boss, your client, your colleagues, or other stakeholders. Depending on your purpose and audience, you need to adjust the tone, language, and content of your summary. For example, if you are writing for a technical audience, you can use more jargon and acronyms, but if you are writing for a general audience, you need to explain them. Similarly, if you are writing to persuade your audience to invest in your project, you need to emphasize the benefits and value proposition, but if you are writing to inform them about your progress, you need to focus on the facts and evidence.

2 Follow the structure and format

An executive summary should follow the same structure and format as the full document, but in a condensed and simplified way. Generally, an executive summary should have four main sections: introduction, main points, findings, and recommendations. The introduction should provide some background information, state the purpose and scope of the document, and summarize the main argument or message. The main points should cover the key issues, methods, results, or solutions that are discussed in the document. The findings should highlight the most important or relevant data, facts, or evidence that support the main points. The recommendations should provide some suggestions, actions, or implications based on the findings. Each section should be clear, concise, and coherent, and use headings, subheadings, bullet points, or tables to organize the information.

3 Use clear and concise language

An executive summary should be easy to read and understand, without requiring too much time or effort from your audience. Therefore, you need to use clear and concise language that conveys your message effectively. Avoid using long or complex sentences, passive voice, vague or ambiguous words, jargon or acronyms without explanation, or unnecessary details or repetitions. Instead, use short or simple sentences, active voice, specific or concrete words, plain or common language, and only include the essential information. You can also use transitions, signposts, or connectors to link your sentences and paragraphs, and create a logical flow of ideas.

4 Highlight the key takeaways

An executive summary should not only summarize the main points of the document, but also highlight the key takeaways that you want your audience to remember or act on. These could be the main problem or opportunity, the main solution or recommendation, the main benefit or value, or the main call to action. You can use techniques such as bolding, italicizing, underlining, or color-coding to draw attention to the key takeaways. You can also use phrases such as "the most important thing to note is", "the main advantage of this approach is", or "the next step is to" to emphasize the key takeaways. However, do not overuse these techniques or phrases, as they might lose their impact or annoy your audience.

5 Proofread and edit

Finally, you need to proofread and edit your executive summary to make sure it is free of errors, inconsistencies, or gaps. You can use tools such as spell checkers, grammar checkers, or plagiarism checkers to detect and correct any mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or citation. You can also ask someone else to review your executive summary and give you feedback on the content, structure, format, language, or tone. You can also read your executive summary aloud or backwards to spot any errors or awkwardness. You should aim to make your executive summary as accurate, clear, and polished as possible, as it represents your document and yourself.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?