Course Objective & Scope
Specialists and middle managers often present chronologically—walking through every step of their analysis before revealing the conclusion—whereas senior executives want the bottom line, business impact and decision request in the first 60 seconds. This programme restructures written and verbal communication using Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle, BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) and SCQA framing.
Using their own work topics, participants write a one-page executive memo, deliver a 3-minute decision briefing and practise handling rapid-fire executive questioning.
Who Should Attend?
- Directors and department heads reporting to the C-suite or board
- Engineering, data and product leaders translating technical complexity into business decisions
- High-potential senior specialists, project managers and strategy professionals
- No technical prerequisites
Key Takeaways
- Replace chronological build-ups with answer-first (BLUF) communication
- Structure complex analyses into clear, MECE argument trees using the Minto Pyramid Principle
- Write crisp one-page executive briefs that enable fast decision-making
- Translate technical details into commercial impact, risk, trade-offs and resource asks
- Deliver a 30-second synthesis smoothly when an executive interrupts or jumps ahead
Curriculum
Inside the Executive Mindset: Why Chronological Updates Fail
- Attention spans, decision load and cognitive constraints at the C-suite level
- Replacing detective-story build-ups with Answer-First (BLUF) communication
The Minto Pyramid Principle and SCQA Openings
- Setting context in 45 seconds with SCQA (Situation-Complication-Question-Answer)
- Vertical question-answer logic and horizontal MECE grouping
Writing High-Impact Executive Memos and 1-Pagers
- Structuring decision memos and emails (Problem, Options, Recommendation, Trade-offs, Ask)
- Editing lab: stripping out jargon, hedging language and filler
The 3-Minute Decision Briefing and Controlled Drill-Downs
- Delivering the core recommendation in 3 minutes while keeping deep dives in the appendix
- Handling interruptions and zooming smoothly between 30,000-foot view and ground-level detail
Boardroom Simulation and Live Coaching
- Live 3-minute decision pitches followed by tough executive Q&A role-play
- Direct feedback and rapid rewrite of each participant's executive brief
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