Boards and committees rely on regular monthly or quarterly reports, e.g. finance, risk, and safety, to keep them informed. These reports will either reassure them that the organisation is on track or alert them to any ill winds blowing their way. Sounds...
Tips to improve board and committee papers
Many writers struggle with what to put in and what to leave out of a board or committee paper. Part of the difficulty is that board papers have to be SO concise these days. Gone are the days when you could write 10 pages. Now most boards want two-to-four pages...
Writing board and executive papers
How to write board papers when your organisation doesn’t have executive papers I’ve worked for a few organisations this year, large and small, that don’t have executive papers. The problem with not having executive papers is that writers produce board papers that read...
‘Directors don’t read their board papers’
'We know they don't read their board papers because they ask questions that are addressed in the papers.' I hear this complaint often from people who write and present to boards. Write so directors can recall the content I am sure there are some directors who rely on...
Writing board papers
This article first appeared in LexisNexis's journal, Inhouse Counsel. Board papers are a bit like dirty dishes — once you’ve finished one lot, the next lot has piled up, and the board paper round begins again. So how can you make the process simpler for yourself? If...
Sum it up: how to write a summary
A summary is a concise account of the main points in a document. Some of the terms used to describe summaries in business writing are: ‘executive summary’, ‘overview’, ‘key points’, ‘issues’ or just ‘summary’. Short and long summaries How you approach writing a...
Why I wrote my online board paper course
I wrote my online board paper course, Write to Govern: How to write board and committee papers so organisations could: Tailor it to suit their board paper requirements. Tailored online learning is more effective than generic training for board papers because each...
Structure and coherence
How to write a board paper that flows well When you're reporting to the board, you're writing to inform them or help them make an informed decision. A well-structured and coherent paper covers what directors need to know in a logical order from their point of view,...
A conversation with David Wright about strategy and board papers
Building on a career in IBM, David Wright has worked across an amazing breadth of industry and government in Australia and globally. He specialises in working with chief executives and leadership teams to create strategies and plans. Mary Morel: Can you please give me...
Writing financial commentary in a board paper
By Mary Morel | October 2016 Imagine you’re writing a board paper that contains financial information. You’ve crunched the numbers, even done a graph or two, but you’ve been told by your manager that you need to write ‘commentary’. If you’re a ‘numbers’ person,...