Stakeholder Decision Note

Stakeholder Decision Note

Use this workflow to create effective status updates for executives and stakeholders following the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) principle.

Required Inputs

Ask the user for these if not provided:

• Project or product being reported on
• Audience (CEO, board, cross-functional leads, investors - changes depth and format)
• Period (this week / this sprint / this month)
• Current status (on track / at risk / blocked)
• Key metrics and their current values vs. targets

Update Structure

1. BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

Start with the most important information:

• Status: 🟢 On track / 🟡 At risk / 🔴 Blocked / Complete
• Key Takeaway: One sentence summary of current state
• Action Needed: What you need from stakeholders (if anything)

2. Progress Summary

Brief overview of accomplishments:

• What shipped this period
• Milestones achieved
• Key metrics movement

Keep to 3-5 bullet points maximum.

3. Metrics Dashboard

Key Metrics

Include 3-5 most important metrics only.

4. Risks & Blockers

High Priority Issues:

• Issue: Brief description
• Impact: What's at stake
• Mitigation: What you're doing about it
• Help Needed: What stakeholders can do (if applicable)

Only include issues that matter at executive level.

5. Upcoming Milestones

Next 30 Days:

• Milestone (expected date)
• Milestone (expected date)

Next 90 Days:

• Major milestone (month)
• Major milestone (month)

6. Decisions Needed (if applicable)

• Decision: Clear description
• Options: 2-3 options with pros/cons
• Recommendation: What you recommend and why
• Timeline: When decision is needed

Writing Guidelines

Tone: Professional, concise, action-oriented Length: Keep under 1 page (or 2 minutes reading time) Frequency: Weekly for active projects, bi-weekly for maintenance

Executive Communication Principles:

1. Lead with conclusions, not process

   • "We ran 5 experiments this week and analyzed the data..."
   • "Conversion rate increased 15% from optimization work"

2. Focus on impact, not activities

   • "Held 12 customer interviews"
   • "Identified #1 barrier to adoption (complexity of setup)"

3. Make problems visible early

   • Don't sugarcoat risks
   • Propose solutions, not just problems
   • Be specific about help needed

4. Use data to tell story

   • Quantify whenever possible
   • Show trends, not just snapshots
   • Connect metrics to business outcomes

5. Make it scannable

   • Use headers and bullet points
   • Bold key information
   • Use visual indicators (🟢🟡🔴, ↑→↓)

Status Guidelines

🟢 On Track: Meeting all targets, no significant risks 🟡 At Risk: Potential issues that could impact delivery 🔴 Blocked: Critical issues preventing progress, needs intervention