Practical worksheet
Executive voice brief template
This brief gives an editor enough material to write in an executive's recognizable voice. Complete it through a conversation and a small selection of existing writing or recorded remarks. Use concrete examples of phrasing and decisions, then revisit the brief when the role or audience changes.
Download CSV templateChoose subjects with direct experience behind them
List the problems the executive encounters repeatedly and the decisions they can explain in detail. Ask which industry assumptions they question and why. The most useful topics often emerge from practical trade-offs, customer questions and observations from ongoing work.
Capture language rather than personality labels
A label such as bold or thoughtful gives a writer little direction. Record a sample opening, a preferred explanation and a phrase the executive would actually use. Note how much detail the audience needs, how technical terms are explained and what the executive tends to leave out.
Agree a workable review process
Identify who checks subject details and who gives final approval. Use one review location and a clear deadline. Keep substantive corrections separate from preference changes so the brief improves over time. A regular source conversation can supply several distinct pieces of content.
Complete the worksheet
The working template
Use the instructions to complete your own entries. The examples illustrate the format.
| Field | What to record | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Priority reader | Describe the reader's role and recurring question. | Product leaders deciding how to prioritize customer requests. |
| Core subjects | List three areas the executive can discuss with direct experience. | Product decisions, team coordination and customer learning. |
| Specific observation | Capture one practical lesson and the situation behind it. | A small pilot exposed a problem that a larger planning exercise missed. |
| Voice sample | Write a short passage in the executive's own words. | Use a real interview excerpt selected during the briefing conversation. |
| Preferred format | Choose a format suited to the subject and audience. | A short decision story followed by three practical questions. |
| Review process | Name the reviewer, review location and expected turnaround. | Executive review in one shared document before the planned release. |
| Next source conversation | Record the questions to explore in the next interview. | What changed after the pilot, and what did the team try next? |
Before using the brief
Review the completed record
- Would the executive say these sentences in a conversation?
- Does the piece teach the intended reader something specific?
- Can the reviewer trace the central example to the source conversation?
Start a conversation
Tell us where you are.
Let’s work out what comes next.