An executive summary is a miniature version of a report, proposal, or portfolio. It is usually one page or shorter. It contain enough information for readers to be acquainted with the document without actually reading the entire document.
Executives don’t have the time to read numerous 200 page documents created for their consumption. Instead, they simply read the executive summary. They might scroll through the document to see some facts and figures. If rare cases when they are really interested, they would read most of the document. Therefore, the most important element of an executive summary is what you want to communicate to an executive. If you want want you initiative to continue to receive funding, you need to highlight the successes. If you are pitching for a new project, make sure you can make a case or generate interest for the executive to continue reading.
Generally an executive summary contains the following but you can tailor is to your goals.
- problem statement
- background information
- main points
- description of alternatives
- conclusion
An executive summary is an independent element rather than a part of a document body i.e. in the absence of the document, an executive summary would be sufficient for a reader to understand what sort of information the document would contain.
Technical details, charts, graphs, and examples generally do not belong in an executive summary. Concentrate on the main ideas, facts, and just enough detail to make to point. Refrain from using unnecessary words. Be precise, to the point, clear and concise. Make sure that the executive summary is accurate and fully representative of the document. It should not be misleading and ideally it should give a great first impression.