Why this course
Take a paper or a proposal to the board and come away with the decision you need, with the risks, the numbers and the hard questions handled.
Boards decide on risk and confidence as much as on the numbers. Leaders who frame their paper around the decision they need, and who prepare for the hardest questions, get a yes more often and earn the board's trust for the next one.
A full day, hands on, with lunch included. You bring real work from your own job and leave with it running.
Sessions run in person at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7AQ or live on video, with small groups of senior people so every question gets answered.
What you will learn
The ground we cover
What to bringA real paper or proposal you are taking to a board or an executive committee.
- How boards decide and what they need to see
- How to frame a paper around the decision you need
- How to write the executive summary that does the work
- How to handle challenge and the hardest questions
- How to work the conversations before the meeting
Who it is for
Leaders who take papers and proposals to the board and want to come away with the decision they need.
- Executives who present to boards and committees
- Leaders newly reporting to a board
- Founders working with investors and non-executives
How the day runs
Arrive 9am, start 9.30am, finish 4.30pm, in person at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7AQ or live on video.
- 9.00am
Arrival and coffee
Meet the group and the faculty, and agree what each person needs from the day.
- 9.30am
How boards decide
We look at what a board needs to see before it says yes.
- 10.45am
Rebuild your paper
You rebuild your paper around the decision you need, starting with the executive summary.
- 12.30pm
Lunch
Lunch with the group and faculty.
- 1.15pm
Handle the hard questions
You face the hardest questions on your paper and practise the answers.
- 2.45pm
Before the meeting
You plan the conversations with the chair and members that happen before the paper is tabled.
- 4.00pm
Your plan from here
You leave with a written plan for what you will hand over next and how you will check it.
- 4.30pm
Close
Next session dates to be confirmed
£1,200 per person including VAT, arrive 9am, start 9.30am, finish 4.30pm, in person at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7AQ or live on video
What you leave with
- 01A real board paper rebuilt around the decision you need
- 02Answers ready for the hardest questions
- 03A plan for the conversations before the meeting
Next session dates to be confirmed
£1,200 per person including VAT, arrive 9am, start 9.30am, finish 4.30pm, in person at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7AQ or live on video
Course tutor
Dan Ilett
Founder, The Executive Summary
Chair of the City CIO Club and former commercial transformation director at a FTSE technology business. Before that he was commercial director at Virgin Money and wrote for the Financial Times and others. He has media trained CEOs and politicians.
Questions about this course
Who is this for?
Leaders who take papers and proposals to the board and want to come away with the decision they need.
Is it hands on?
Yes. You work on a real piece of your own work with faculty beside you, so you leave with it moved forward.
Can I join online?
Yes, on the dates marked Online. Every session is either in person at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7AQ or live on video, never both on the same day, and online places cost less.
What time does it run?
Arrive from 9am for a 9.30am start. Full days finish at 4.30pm, with lunch included.
What does it cost?
£1,200 in person, £995 online, VAT included, for one full day.
Can we run it for our own team?
Yes. We run it as a private session for your team, in your offices or online, shaped around your business.
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Bring it to your team
A session designed around your business and led by practitioners, so your leadership team learns together, gets aligned and leaves with the decisions that move a specific outcome.
Book your place
Choose the course and the date, then book and pay by card here. We email your confirmation and VAT invoice straight away.
Want it for your whole team? Choose a private session, tell us who is coming and we will shape it around your business.