What exactly is an executive summary?
I am a part-time portfolio worker who represents consumers in various regulated sectors, notably communications and water. I spend a lot of time reading long, complicated documents from Government Departments, regulators and companies, many of which invite me to submit comments on these documents and to answer a host of specific questions.
It is a struggle, so I look for a well-constructed executive summary to help me out – but I rarely find one. What do I want?
- Above all, a genuine summary of the main text and not a background or introduction to it. So, as an illustration, not: “This document looks at five options and examines the arguments for and against”. But: “This document examines five possible options. Option 1 is … The main arguments for are … The main arguments against are ….”
- Next, a summary that can be read independently of the main document and still make complete sense. So no use of acronyms without spelling them out and no use of complicated terminology without the term or phrase being explained.
- Also highly desirable is a summary that is very clearly laid out with good use of headings and bullet points.
- Finally, a summary that is long enough to capture all the key issues in the document but short enough that it is not almost a document in itself.
I know that this is a challenge, but we all had lessons in English at school to teach us how to identify the key points in a text and, if the Government Departments, regulators and companies cannot manage it, they should commission a consultant who can.