The average board pack runs 220 pages. Nobody reads all of it, so the decision gets made in the room instead of before it. Drop the whole pack in and get back the single page that carries the ask
Treasury & Liquidity Review. A finished One-Pager, made the way yours will be. Anything up to 50 pages counts as one document.
What it pulls out of a board pack
Read out of the file you upload. Nothing is assumed and nothing is filled in.
The decision the board is being asked to make
The figures that decide it, and the period they cover
What moved against plan, and by how much
The risks, with an owner against each one
More finished One-Pagers from finance & risk
Every one made the same way, with nothing touched up for the website.
Questions about board packs
What the document is, and what happens when you put one through here.
How do I summarize a board pack into one page for directors?
Lead with the overall position in two or three sentences, then the handful of numbers that tell the story, what changed since the last meeting, the top risks, and the decisions the board is being asked to make. Upload the pack as a PDF and MakeOnepagers builds that One-Pager from it, using only the figures in the pack.
What should a one page board summary include?
The headline position, five to seven key metrics against plan, what has changed, the main risks and opportunities, and a clear list of decisions required. If no decision is needed, say so. Directors should be able to read only that page and know what to do.
How do I make a board paper easier to read?
Put the decision and the recommendation first, move the detail to an appendix, and keep the summary to one page. A One-Pager made from the full paper gives directors the answer before the evidence.
What is a board pack?
The papers a board reads before its meeting. An agenda, an executive summary, the finance and operations reports, and the risk papers behind them. Board Intelligence
What goes in a board pack?
An agenda with timings, an executive summary, financial reports, an update from each function, and the risk and compliance papers. Board Intelligence
Usually the company secretary, working with the chair and the chief executive. They collect the papers from each function and collate them. Corporate Governance Institute
How far ahead should a board pack go out?
At least a week. Most governance guidance puts the window at seven to fourteen days before the meeting. Our Cat Herder
Directors spend just under four hours on a pack. About 30 pages an hour is the ceiling for reading with comprehension. Board Intelligence
How do you write a board paper people actually read?
Open on the decision. Board Intelligence calls this question-driven insight: lead with the so-what and the ask, and keep the detail behind it. Board Intelligence
How long does a board pack take to summarize?
A minute or two for a document up to 50 pages. Longer packs are still read in full, they just cost more, and the price is shown before anything runs.
Can it invent a figure that is not in the pack?
No. Every number on the page is traced back to a line in your document. Anything without a source is left off.
