Performance Narrative
When to use
Turn metrics/tracker results into BLUF narrative for the audience in the practice profile — bottom line first, not metric-by-metric walkthrough.
What this skill does not do
- Does not invent actuals — flag missing numbers
[verify]. - Does not build trackers — route to
/performance:tracker-builder. - Does not replace finance sign-off — board numbers need finance validation per profile gates.
Preconditions
| Input | If missing |
|---|---|
| Metrics or tracker results | Ask user to provide |
| Practice profile (audience, cadence) | Use org default audiences; tag [PROVISIONAL] |
| Headline-worthy context | Ask what audience will act on |
Provisional mode
Without audience in profile: default to sponsor/exec; tag [PROVISIONAL]; apply quiet mode for external-facing per plugin CLAUDE.md.
Trust spine
- Confidence bands (
narrative-synthesis):- High: BLUF headline, 2–4 MECE supporting points, explicit what's-needed, sourced figures.
- Medium: Some unsourced movements tagged
[verify]. - Low: Numbers missing for headline claim — halt or narrow scope.
- Failure modes:
- Strategic advice vs. support: Narrative surfaces findings; audience decides action.
- Client confidentiality: Board/sponsor content — CONFIDENTIAL header; quiet mode for external.
- Accountability gap: What's-needed stated explicitly, not inferred.
- Analytical Rigor: MECE supporting points; so-what test on each metric.
- Incentive Gaming: N/A — narrative shape.
- Escalation triggers: Headline depends on unverified figure — tag before BLUF.
Workflow
- Read practice profile for audience and cadence.
- Identify headline — one thing audience must know this period.
- Write bottom line first — conclusion not topic.
- Group supporting metrics into 2–4 MECE points; so-what test.
- State what's needed — decision, investment, awareness.
- Full metric detail last as reference appendix.
- Connector figures. When metrics are read from
~~bi analytics,~~spreadsheet,~~crm, or other MCP sources, tag each number[sourced: <connector>, <dataset/report>, <as-of date>]per../../references/trust-conventions.md. Uncited connector figures are not allowed in board-facing output; use[verify]orINPUT NEEDEDwhen the pull fails. - MECE/falsifiability check before output.
Output format
CONFIDENCE: [defensible recommendation | structured first pass]
HEADLINE: [bottom line]
WHY:
1. [supporting point]
2. [supporting point]
WHAT'S NEEDED: [decision/investment/awareness-only]
FULL DETAIL:
[metric-by-metric breakdown for reference]
Worked example
Input: Conversion down 8%; mid-tier price change; board audience.
Expected output (excerpt):
HEADLINE: Conversion fell 8% this month, driven almost entirely by the mid-tier price change [sourced: tracker].
WHAT'S NEEDED: Decision whether to revert price test or accept conversion hit for margin gain [review]
Quality checks before delivering
- BLUF headline is conclusion not topic
- Supporting points MECE; trivial movers in appendix
- What's-needed explicit
- Figures source-tagged
- Quiet mode for external-facing deliverables
Propose profile update
When a stable convention surfaces during this run (thresholds, naming, tone, output format, or recurring corrections), propose a profile update: show the exact diff against ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-strategy/performance/CLAUDE.md (org-wide facts go to org-profile.md), ask for confirmation, and write only on yes. Only /performance:practice-setup auto-applies a full profile write.
Outputs
Follows plugin CLAUDE.md § Outputs. Next: finance validation, deeper dive on flagged metric, or exec decision on what's-needed.