# Stakeholder Decision Note

> Write stakeholder updates that make progress, risks, asks, and decisions easy to act on.

- Skill: `danielpradilla/stakeholder-decision-note` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add danielpradilla/stakeholder-decision-note`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/danielpradilla/stakeholder-decision-note/raw
- Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- Author: danielpradilla (https://skillmd.com/u/danielpradilla)
- Updated: 2026-08-19
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/danielpradilla/stakeholder-decision-note

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# 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**
| Metric | Current | Target | Trend | Status |
|--------|---------|--------|-------|--------|
| [Metric name] | [Value] | [Target] | ↑/→/↓ | 🟢/🟡/🔴 |

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