Executive Summary Examples: How to Write + Template

One of the best things about project management is that it provides a way to plan, manage, and execute all of your team's work. Often, it's helpful to have this information available at a glance. But sometimes new project members or executive stakeholders want a simplified view of your project, and you need a concise way to share its main points without losing your reader's attention.

The best way to do that is with an executive summary. If you've never written an executive summary, this article has all you need to know to plan, write, and share them with your team.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is a concise overview of a longer document, typically one to two pages, which gives stakeholders all the essential information they need to understand and act on your project, proposal, or report.

Think of it this way: if your high-level stakeholders were to only read your executive summary, would they have everything they need to succeed? If so, your summary has done its job.

You'll often find executive summaries of:

• Business cases

• Project proposals

• Project briefs

• Research documents

• Environmental studies

• Market surveys

• Project plans

In general, there are four parts to any executive summary:

1. Start with the problem or need the document is solving.

2. Outline the recommended solution.

3. Explain the solution's value.

4. Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.

What is an executive summary in project management?

In project management, an executive summary provides clarity to cross-functional collaborators, team leadership, and project stakeholders. Think of it like a project's "elevator pitch" for team members who don't have the time or the need to dive into all of the project's details.

The main difference between an executive summary in project management and a more traditional executive summary in a business plan is that the former should be created at the beginning of your project, whereas the latter should be created after you've written your business plan. For example, to write an executive summary of an environmental study, you would compile a report on the results and findings once your study was over. But for an executive summary in project management, you want to cover what the project is aiming to achieve during project initiation and why those goals matter.

The same four parts apply to an executive summary in project management:

1. Start with the problem or need the project is solving. Why is this project happening? What insight, customer feedback, product plan, or other need caused it to come to life?

2. Outline the recommended solution, or the project's objectives. How is the project going to solve the problem you established in the first part? What are the project goals and objectives?

3. Explain the solution's value. Once you've finished your project, what will happen? How will this improve and solve the problem you established in the first part?

4. Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work. This is another opportunity to reiterate why the problem is important, and why the project matters. It can also be helpful to reference your audience and how your solution will solve their problem.

If you've never written an executive summary, you might be curious about where it fits within other project management elements. Here's how they compare:

Where does the executive summary go in a document?

The executive summary is always placed at the very beginning of a document, right after the title page and before the table of contents. This placement is intentional: busy executives often need to make decisions quickly, so putting the summary up front gives them the essential information without requiring them to read the entire document.

The benefits of an executive summary

You may be asking: why should I write an executive summary for my project? Isn't the project plan enough?

Not everyone has the time to dive into every project detail. Your executive summary is designed for stakeholders outside of the project who want quick insight into why your project matters. Here's what a strong executive summary delivers:

• Big-picture clarity: Gives stakeholders an at-a-glance view of your project's goals and impact.

• Faster decision-making: Enables leadership to understand and approve projects without reading full documentation.

• Better alignment: Ensures everyone, from team members to executives, understands why the work matters.

• Easy access to details: Provides a starting point; stakeholders who want more can access the full project plan in your work management tool.

The 5 parts of an executive summary

A strong executive summary generally includes five key sections:

1. Introduction and problem statement: State the purpose of the document and the problem it addresses.

2. Proposed solution: Outline the recommended solution or project approach with clear specifics.

3. Value and impact: Explain the benefits of implementing the solution and how it adds value.

4. Key findings and analysis: Summarize the data or research that supports your recommendation.

5. Conclusion and next steps: Wrap up with a final summary and outline immediate next steps.

How to write a great executive summary, with examples

Every executive summary has four parts. In order to write a great executive summary, follow this template. Then, once you’ve written your executive summary, read it again to ensure it includes all the key information your stakeholders need to know.

1. Start with the problem or need the project is solving

At the beginning of your executive summary, start by explaining why this document (and the project it represents) matters. Outline what the problem is, including any research or customer feedback you've gotten. Clarify how this problem is important and relevant to your customers, and why solving it matters.

For example, let's imagine you work for a watch manufacturing company. Your project is to devise a simpler, cheaper watch that still appeals to luxury buyers while also targeting a new customer base.

Example executive summary:

In recent customer feedback sessions, 52% of customers have expressed a need for a simpler and cheaper version of our product. In surveys of customers who have chosen competitor watches, price is mentioned 87% of the time. To best serve our existing customers, and to branch into new markets, we need to develop a series of watches that we can sell at an appropriate price point for this market.

2. Outline the recommended solution, or the project's objectives

Now that you've outlined the problem, explain your solution. Unlike an abstract, you should be prescriptive and work to convince your readers that your solution is the right one.

It's ok if you don't have all your deliverables and milestones mapped out yet. Describe, in broad strokes, what will happen during the project. If you need help, consider creating aproject roadmap first.

Continuing our example executive summary:

Our new watch series will begin at 20% cheaper than our current cheapest option, with the potential for 40%+ cheaper options depending on material and movement. In order to offer these prices, we will do the following:

• Offer watches in new materials, including potentially silicone or wood

• Use high-quality quartz movement instead of in-house automatic movement

• Introduce customizable band options, with a focus on choice and flexibility over traditional luxury

Note that every watch will still be rigorously quality-controlled in order to maintain the same world-class speed and precision of our current offerings.

3. Explain the solution's value

At this point, you begin to get into more details about how your solution will impact and improve upon the problem you outlined in the beginning. What, if any, results do you expect? This is the section to include any relevant financial information, such as a cost-benefit analysis, project risks, or potential benefits.

You should also relate this project back to your company goals or OKRs. How does this work map to your company's objectives?

Continuing our example executive summary:

With new offerings that are between 20% and 40% cheaper than our current cheapest option, we expect to be able to break into the casual watch market, while still supporting our luxury brand. That will help us hit FY22's Objective 3: Expanding the brand. These new offerings have the potential to bring in upwards of three million dollars in profits annually, which will help us hit FY22's Objective 1: 7 million dollars in annual profit.

Early customer feedback sessions indicate that cheaper options will not affect the value or prestige of the luxury brand, though this remains a risk to be factored in during design. In order to mitigate that risk, the product marketing team will begin working on its go-to-market strategy six months before the launch.

4. Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work

Now that you've shared all of this important information with executive stakeholders, this final section is your chance to guide their understanding of the impact and importance of this work on the organization. What, if anything, should they take away from your executive summary?

To round out our example executive summary:

Cheaper and varied offerings not only allow us to break into a new market, it will also expand our brand in a positive way. With the attention these new offerings are attracting, plus the anticipated demand for cheaper watches, we expect to increase market share by 2% annually. For more information, read our go-to-market strategy and customer feedback documentation.

Example of an executive summary

When you put it all together, this is what your executive summary might look like:

Common mistakes people make when writing executive summaries

You won't become an executive summary pro overnight, and that's ok. Use the template in this article as your guide, and watch out for these common pitfalls:

Avoid using jargon

Your executive summary is a document that anyone, from project contributors to executive stakeholders, should be able to read and understand. Remember that you're much closer to the daily work and individual tasks than your stakeholders will be. Read your executive summary once over to make sure there's no unnecessary jargon; where you can, explain it or skip it altogether.

Remember: this isn't a full report

Your executive summary is just that, a summary. If you find yourself getting into the details of specific tasks, due dates, and attachments, ask yourself if that information really belongs here. Keep in mind that the wealth of information in your project will be captured in your work management tool, not your executive summary.

Make sure the summary can stand alone

You know this project inside and out, but your stakeholders won't. Once you've written your executive summary, take a second look to make sure it can stand on its own. If stakeholders need additional context to understand the summary, weave it in or link to it as additional information.

Always proofread

Your executive summary is a living document, and if you miss a typo, you can always go back in and fix it. But it never hurts to proofread or send to a colleague for a fresh set of eyes.

Make your executive summary work for you

Executive summaries are a great way to get everyone up to date and on the same page about your project. If you have many project stakeholders who need quick insight into what the project is solving and why it matters, an executive summary is the perfect way to provide the information they need.

Ready to put your executive summary into action? Get started with Asana to keep your projects organized and your stakeholders informed.

For more tips about how to connect high-level strategy and plans to daily execution, read our article about strategic planning.

Frequently asked questions about executive summaries