Writing @ Conestoga

The information below provides general guidelines for formatting an executive summary. Always consult your assignment instructions for specific format requirements.

An executive summary:

• is often 1 to 2 pages; 
• may use headings for the different sections of your report; 
• comes after your title page and table of contents and before your first content page; and 
• should avoid technical jargon unless necessary. 

When deciding what information to include in your executive summary, imagine your reader only has two minutes to read your report. Ask yourself:

• What does my reader need to know from this report? 
• What are my key recommendations and conclusions? 

An executive summary should convey salient information from your report such as:

• The key problem your report focuses on and a brief explanation of why this is a problem for a unit, department, company or organization. In other words, why is this problem important to address? 
• Relevant research findings (e.g., information you have gathered from sources). 
• Your proposed solution to the identified problem. 
• A brief rationale for your recommendations. Why should your reader move forward with your recommendations? 
• If a decision needs to be made based on your recommendations and who needs to make that decision (e.g., a manager?). 

We recommend writing the executive summary last. Consider these steps:

• Re-read your report. Highlight and make notes as you read. Identify the key points of your report. 
• Write your key points on a piece of paper or a Word document to see the "big picture" of your ideas. 
• Write a draft of your executive summary using clear, direct, and concise language. 
• Read your draft and consider if there is information you could remove. 
• Make sure the ideas in your executive summary follow the order they appear in your report. 

An executive summary should be brief. It does not need to include:

• All research findings, recommendations, and conclusions; 
• Technical jargon (i.e. terms that people outside your field would not know); 
• Small details found in your report; and 
• Information that is not in your report. 

Take a look at this example executive summary found on Write Online.

Include company letterhead that includes contact information and address at the top if possible. For a personal letter, include your name and address.

Include the name and address of the person or company you are sending the letter to.

Although not necessary, many letters include a subject line that Identifies the main idea or main focus of the message in a specific, concise way.

Example

Subject: Request for Extended Leave

Next, include a salutation, or greeting, to address the reader. While the level of formality or personalization will usually depend on the reader’s status and/or your current relationship, letters tend to be more formal than emails or memos. While informal letter may include a comma after the salutation, formal salutations should use a colon.

Examples

Dear Mr. Finlay,

Dear Hiring Manager:

Dear Customers:

Include your message along with any pertinent details for your reader. Use short, easy to read paragraphs along with bulleted or numbered lists when applicable. For strategies to help you organize the message of your letter, see Organizing Your Message.

End with a polite close and signature. The close is usually 1-2 lines below the body of your message. Like the salutation, there are various acceptable closes, depending on the level of formality. 

For electronic letters, type your name directly below the close, followed by professional designations if relevant. In a workplace setting, you may also include your job title either on the same line as your name after a comma or on the following line. 

Example 

Regards, 

John Morito, CFA, CFP 

Financial Planner 

For letters that have a signature, leave 3-4 spaces after your close. This space will provide you with room for your signature.  

Example 

Sincerely,  

Ahmad Satchi, MBA 

Executive Assistant 

Email applications allow you to choose which field to include recipients’ email addresses; choosing the appropriate field is an important aspect of email etiquette.

To: Include primary recipient(s). Using “To” is recommended when you have one recipient or multiple recipients if privacy is not a concern.

CC: Include anyone who should be aware of the message or correspondence so they can see the email chain.

BCC: Use BCC to copy someone on an email without being visible to other recipients. This field also allows you to send an email to many people while respecting recipients’ privacy.

Identify the main idea or main focus of the message in a specific, concise way. It should be easy for the reader to identify the message’s purpose and to search for the message in their inbox.

Examples

Request for Class Recording

Upcoming Entrepreneurship Speaker Series

Start your email with a salutation, or greeting, to address the reader. The level of formality or personalization will usually depend on the reader’s status and/or your current relationship.  

Include your message along with any pertinent details for your reader. Use short, easy to read paragraphs along with bulleted or numbered lists when applicable.

For strategies to help you organize the message of your email, see Organizing Your Message.

End with a friendly close 1-2 lines below the body of your message. Like the salutation, there are various acceptable closes, depending on the level of formality. 

Type your name directly below, followed by professional designations if relevant. In a workplace setting, you may also include your job title either on the same line as your name after a comma or on the following line. 

Examples 

Regards, 

John Morito, CFA, CFP 

Financial Planner 

All the best, 

Allison Tasker, Project Manager 

Memos include a fairly standard header before the message, which includes the heading "Memo" or "Memorandum" followed by "Date:" "To:" "From:" and "Subject:"

Example

Memo

Date: September 13, 2021

To: Customer Service Employees

From: John Wilkens, Product Manager

Subject: Change to Customer Complaint Procedure

Include your message along with any pertinent details for your reader. Use short, easy to read paragraphs along with bulleted or numbered lists when applicable.

For strategies to help you organize the message of your memo, see Organizing Your Message.

A standard direct message is generally any email, letter, or memo that is informational or provides news that is either neutral or positive for the reader. This approach is the most straightforward and efficient for the reader with the goal of getting the main idea across as early as possible followed by any additional details the reader will need to know. 

Opening 

Start with the main point of the message. Depending on your purpose, the main point could be the most important news/information or a specific request, for example.  

Middle 

Provide relevant details of the news or request. Think about your reader’s perspective: what additional information would be useful or relevant to them? Try to avoid the need for follow-up email chains. For lists of information, you can choose to use bullet points if it would improve readability.  

Closing 

Provide information about any next steps. For example, let the reader know what they should do (i.e. whether a response is needed or if they have specific tasks or deadlines) or what you will do next.  

You may also end with a general goodwill message or show thanks/appreciation. 

When you have to communicate information that is unfavorable for the reader, it may be best to organize the information in an indirect way that presents the details before the main purpose. The direct approach works well in most situations, especially when the news is expected or insignificant or needs to be communicated efficiently. However, the indirect approach can be more effective in preparing a reader for bad news. 

Opening 

Start the message with a buffer: a sentence(s) that establishes support or rapport with the reader. You could provide appreciation or a compliment to the reader, any good news you have, or show common ground and understanding. 

Middle (Explanation) 

Provide information that will help the reader understand the reasons for the bad news to help prepare them. Try to be factual and objective.  

Middle (Bad News) 

Present the bad news in a clear yet positive way. This section requires a delicate balance: ensuring the reader understands the bad news without focusing too heavily on it.  

It can also be helpful to present an alternative along with the bad news, and the grammar you use can help you put less emphasis on the negative: 

• Use a Dependent Clause

Put the bad news in a dependent clause of a complex sentence. readers tend to put more focus on the independent clause, so start the bad news with a subordinating conjunction such as although, because, if, since, etc.  This structure also allows you to pair the bad news with an alternative option or compromise. 

Example:  

Although we cannot accommodate your requested dates, our master suite is available the following weekend.  

• Use the Passive Voice

The passive voice puts emphasis on the action rather than the subject; therefore, it can help remove blame from you or your organization. 

Example:  

Another candidate has been chosen.  

Closing 

End the message with positive goodwill for the reader to maintain a positive relationship. You could thank them for their interest, request application, etc., or you can wish them luck or success.  

For strategies to help you organize the message of your memo, see Organizing Your Message.