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Stakeholder Communication Mode

Philosophy

Every communication has an audience, and every audience has a question they're trying to answer. The CEO wants to know: "Should I worry about this?" The board wants: "Is the company on track?" Engineering wants: "What should we build next and why?" If you don't know the audience's question, you'll write a document that answers the wrong one.

The pyramid principle: Lead with the conclusion, then support it. Not "we did A, B, C, therefore X." Instead: "X. Here's why: A, B, C." Busy people read the first paragraph. Make it count.

The anxiety test: After reading your brief, should the audience feel more confident or more anxious? If the answer is "neither," the brief has no point. If the answer is "anxious," make sure that's intentional — don't accidentally alarm.

Audience Selection

Ask the user (via AskUserQuestion):

Who is the audience and what format do they need?

RECOMMENDATION: Choose the audience that drives the most critical decision right now.

A) EXEC — C-suite or VP. They want: decision needed, business impact, risks, timeline. (<1 page) B) BOARD — Board of directors. They want: strategic progress, key metrics, asks. (1-2 pages) C) TEAM — Engineering/product team. They want: what's changing, why, what it means for their work. (verbal or written) D) STATUS — Regular status update. They want: progress vs plan, blockers, next steps. (template) E) EMAIL — Specific stakeholder email. They want: context, ask, deadline. (short)

How to Use

/brief                    → Interactive: asks you to choose audience
/brief --audience exec    → Jump straight to EXEC mode
/brief --audience board   → Jump straight to BOARD mode
/brief --audience team    → Jump straight to TEAM mode
/brief --status           → Jump straight to STATUS mode
/brief --email            → Jump straight to EMAIL mode

If a flag is provided, skip the audience selection question and go directly to that mode. If no flag, ask.

EXEC Mode

The executive brief. One page or less. Every word earns its place.

[TITLE] — Executive Brief
══════════════════════════
Date: [Date]
Author: [Name]
For: [Specific names/roles]
Decision needed by: [Date, or "FYI only"]

─── BOTTOM LINE ───
[2-3 sentences: What's happening, what it means, what you need from them.
This paragraph must stand alone — if they read nothing else, they get it.]

─── CONTEXT ───
[3-5 sentences: Background the reader needs. Not the full history —
just enough to understand the bottom line. Assume they haven't thought
about this topic in 2 weeks.]

─── OPTIONS ─── (if a decision is needed)
A) [Option] — [Pro] / [Con] / [Impact: timeline, cost, risk]
B) [Option] — [Pro] / [Con] / [Impact]
C) [Option] — [Pro] / [Con] / [Impact]

RECOMMENDATION: [Option X] because [one-line reason].

─── KEY METRICS ─── (if relevant)
| Metric | Current | Target | Trend |
|--------|---------|--------|-------|
| [Metric] | [Value] | [Value] | ↑ ↓ → |

─── RISKS ───
1. [Risk] — Mitigation: [Action] — Owner: [Who]
2. [Risk] — Mitigation: [Action] — Owner: [Who]

─── TIMELINE ───
[Key milestones only — 3-5 dates max]

─── APPENDIX ─── (optional — for those who want depth)
[Details that support the brief but aren't essential to the decision]

Exec brief rules:

• Bottom line is FIRST, not last. Execs decide whether to keep reading based on the first paragraph.
• If no decision is needed, say "FYI only" explicitly. Don't make them guess.
• Options have trade-offs. If one option is obviously better, just recommend it and skip the theater.
• Metrics show trend, not just current state. "Revenue is $5M" means nothing. "Revenue is $5M, up 15% MoM against $4.5M target" tells a story.

BOARD Mode

Board updates are about pattern recognition and strategic confidence.

[COMPANY/PRODUCT] — Board Update
═════════════════════════════════
Period: [Timeframe]
Prepared by: [Name, Title]

─── EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ───
[3-5 sentences: Where we are relative to plan. What the board should take away.
Frame as progress narrative, not activity report.]

─── KEY METRICS ───
| Metric | Period Start | Period End | Target | Status |
|--------|-------------|-----------|--------|--------|
| [North star] | [Value] | [Value] | [Value] | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| [Revenue/ARR] | [Value] | [Value] | [Value] | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| [Growth] | [Value] | [Value] | [Value] | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| [Retention] | [Value] | [Value] | [Value] | 🟢🟡🔴 |

─── STRATEGIC PROGRESS ───
[For each strategic priority: 2-3 sentences on progress, 1 sentence on what's next]

1. [Priority 1]: [Progress summary]
2. [Priority 2]: [Progress summary]
3. [Priority 3]: [Progress summary]

─── WHAT'S WORKING ───
[2-3 specific wins with data. Not "team is working hard" — measurable outcomes.]

─── WHAT'S NOT WORKING ───
[2-3 specific challenges with plans to address. Boards respect honesty more than spin.]

─── ASKS ───
[Specific asks of the board — introductions, decisions, approvals, advice.
If no asks, state "No asks this period — FYI update."]

─── LOOKING AHEAD ───
[Top 3 priorities for next period and what success looks like]

TEAM Mode

Internal team communication. Can be written or verbal (talking points for an all-hands).

Team Update: [Topic]
════════════════════

─── WHAT'S CHANGING ───
[Plain English: What is different, starting when]

─── WHY ───
[The reasoning. Not "leadership decided" — the actual logic.
Teams trust decisions they understand, even if they disagree.]

─── WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU ───
[Specific impact on the team's day-to-day work]
- [Role/team A]: [How this affects your work]
- [Role/team B]: [How this affects your work]

─── WHAT'S NOT CHANGING ───
[Equally important — reduces anxiety. "Your current project is unaffected."]

─── TIMELINE ───
[When things happen]

─── QUESTIONS? ───
[How to ask questions, where decisions can still be influenced, what's final]

Team comms rules:

• Lead with "what's changing," not "why." People want to know the impact first, then the reasoning.
• "What's NOT changing" is as important as what is. Teams catastrophize in the absence of information.
• Treat the team as adults. Don't over-explain obvious decisions. Don't under-explain controversial ones.

STATUS Mode

Regular status updates. Designed for scan-ability.

Status Update: [Project/Team] — Week of [Date]
═══════════════════════════════════════════════
Overall: 🟢 On Track / 🟡 At Risk / 🔴 Blocked

─── PROGRESS ───
✅ Completed: [2-3 items with impact, not just "done"]
🔄 In Progress: [2-3 items with % or ETA]
⏸️ Blocked: [Items + what's blocking + who can unblock]

─── METRICS ───
[2-3 numbers that matter this week]

─── NEXT WEEK ───
[Top 3 priorities — specific, measurable]

─── RISKS / ESCALATIONS ───
[Only if something needs attention from leadership]

EMAIL Mode

Stakeholder email. Clear ask, minimal friction.

Subject: [Action needed / FYI]: [Topic] — [Deadline if applicable]

[Name],

[1-2 sentences: Context — why you're emailing them specifically]

[1-2 sentences: The ask or the information]

[If decision needed:]
Options:
A) [Option]
B) [Option]
I recommend [X] because [reason]. Can you confirm by [date]?

[If FYI:]
No action needed — just keeping you in the loop. Happy to discuss if questions.

[Sign-off]

Email rules:

• Subject line tells them what to do: "Action needed" or "FYI"
• First sentence explains why THEY are receiving this email
• The ask is in the first 3 sentences, not buried at the bottom
• If you need a decision, make it easy: options + recommendation + deadline

Formatting Rules

• Every brief starts with audience and purpose
• Bottom line / conclusion is ALWAYS first, not last
• Metrics include trend (↑↓→), not just current value
• Risks have mitigations and owners
• "FYI" is stated explicitly when no action is needed
• Match the audience's vocabulary — no engineering jargon in exec briefs, no business jargon in team updates
• After delivering the brief, end with: "Ready for: feedback and iteration, or /launch (if this brief supports a launch communication)"