Why Executives Don’t Have Time for Lengthy Explanations (And What You Should Do Instead)

Executives will ask you for the details if they need them.

Executives are busy people. They’re balancing dozens of priorities, leading teams, solving problems, and constantly making decisions. That's why when you get a chance to speak with them, you need to be clear, concise, and ready to get to the point. Long, detailed explanations might show you know your stuff, but they also risk losing an executive's attention.

Executives do care about the details. However, initially, they simply don't have the time to wade through them all.

Executives want to know: What’s the issue? What’s the impact? What do you recommend? They are seeking trusted summaries that help them make quick, informed decisions.

If executives need more background, they’ll ask.

Lead with the Headline

Think of your message like a news article. Start with the key point. Provide a few facts, but not a ton of them. Executives will let you know if they need more, similar to what you do after reading the first 150 words of a news summary.

Keep Your Summary to 150 to 300 Words

It takes most of us about 1 minute to speak 150 words and 2 to 2.5 minutes to speak 300 words. That's about all of the time you will have, at least initially, so write it down in advance and set a mental clock.

Think in terms of Outcomes

Many executives will simply ask. “What do you want me to do?” Tie your message to outcomes and their goals.

Avoid Lengthy Explanations

Remember, the burden of effective communication is on the sender (you), not the receiver.

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