Board members have a lot of work on their plates, and they’re expected to make key decisions. This is why it’s crucial to communicate your company’s important business information in a simple, engaging manner. This article will walk you through the best https://boardroomlife.com/introduction-to-virtual-board-meetings/ practices for writing a great board report.
Start with an overview. This is the sauce that binds everything together in one simple spoonful for your audience with limited time. It should give them a flavour of what’s to come, and why they should take the time to read the full report.
The meat of your report is next. Include important metrics and data that are relevant to the business, including ones that are compared to industry benchmarks. Highlight any achievements and milestones the company has achieved in addition to any challenges that are affecting the future performance. Don’t forget about any upcoming projects that need the board’s financial support or approval.
Include any high-level declarations of potential or risk that the company has identified and their impact. Make sure you provide these in the level of detail that is suitable to the board’s risk tolerance.
Lastly, you should end with your most important takeaways as well as an outline of the next steps for the company. The purpose of the paper is to dictate the content whether it’s to inform the board or – more commonly – to request a decision. This will dictate how you organize your report, including whether or not you’ll need to include a table of contents with clear headings, bullet points for your main messages, as well as a summary for analyzing your findings.