Writing executive summaries

An executive summary gives you the guts of a document and makes you want to read the rest of the document to find out the detail. It is not an introduction so should not include much background information. Background can be referred to, but not covered in detail.

Writing an effective executive summary is a synthesising, rather than a writing, skill. Most people write the executive summary at the end when they have finished writing their document, some writers compile it as they are writing, and a few write it at the beginning to clarify their thinking.

If you write your executive summary first, you must refine it at the end to make sure your document flows and in case your thinking has changed slightly during the writing process.

One way of writing or rewriting an executive summary is to read through the document again and underline or highlight key words and phrases. There is nothing wrong with copying and pasting words into the executive summary for a first draft, but you must then paraphrase the copy.

Once you have finished writing and before the paper goes up the management chain, you should ask a subject-matter expert and someone who knows nothing about the topic to read your summary.

Having someone who knows nothing about the topic read a document is helpful because we have the ‘curse of knowledge’ about topics we are familiar with. For instance, a board paper I read recently asked the board to support a voluntary program, but did not describe the program, making the assumption that all directors would have heard of it.

Jargon is always an interesting question. All organisational guidelines I have ever read say ‘don’t use jargon’, but I seldom read reports with no jargon. Having acknowledged that, jargon should still be kept to a minimum in an executive summary and acronyms spelt out with the abbreviation in brackets – Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Many reports are written in the third person, which automatically makes them more formal than other types of writing. The challenge is to find the right balance. Most writers find this tone intuitively, but some make the mistake of thinking that big words and abstract terms make them sound more intelligent. The reverse is true; all readers respect concise, direct language.

Writing tips

• Write one sentence stating the main message you wish to convey.
• Read through your paper and highlight all the key words and phrases.
• Group your ideas in logical order from the readers’ point of view.
• Summarise any material you have copied and pasted.
• Write in plain English — even for technical papers.
• Delete any superfluous information.
• Put yourself in the readers' shoes to see if the executive summary anticipates and answers the readers' questions.

Sign up for my newsletter and learn about my writing courses online at www.onlinewritingtraining.com.au