Board decision papers are written documents that allow board members to fulfill their oversight responsibilities, and to make informed decisions on company matters. They should be short but informative and concise, with an enlightened executive summary and an appendix to support it.
Considerations to aid directors in making the best decisions about the subject could include a discussion of alternatives analysis (such as techniques like Six Thinking Hats), an overview of key metrics including research data, operating context and competitive insights that provides a the decision-making process, or an assessment of the impact of each choice on the business. It is also beneficial to show how management made the decision to choose the best choice – this could mean explaining the various options considered or a summary of the pros and cons of each, as well as how the recommended approach scored against criteria.
Board papers should be free from legalese and jargon. They should also have a formal business https://boardroomofficial.com/guide-to-board-decision-papers/ writing styles used throughout to make the content relevant and accessible to every director. Utilizing graphs and charts helps to summarize information and data trends, and also break up long blocks of text. It’s recommended to read the papers to your peers or read them aloud to ensure the primary issues are being conveyed. If clarification is needed, it’s better to ask questions, feedback or other perspectives from the board.