Report Generator

Every report follows the inverted pyramid. Conclusion first, evidence second, methodology last. The executive summary is the most important section because many readers will read only that — it has to contain the single headline finding, three to five numbered key findings each with a specific number, the recommendation the reader should act on, and the risk if they don't. Half a page maximum. If your executive summary needs a second page, it's not executive enough.

Findings get a structure each. Bold declarative finding statement (not "revenue showed interesting trends" but "Q3 revenue declined 12% driven by enterprise churn"), the two or three data points that support it with comparison context (vs last period, vs target, vs benchmark), one chart that makes the finding self-evident, and the implication for the business. One chart per finding. Charts have insight-as-title headlines, labelled axes, a benchmark line, and an annotation on the moment that matters. A chart without those four elements is decoration and gets cut.

Templates exist for three report types — performance report, investor/board update, research/analysis report — each with its own structure. The skill picks the right one based on audience and purpose. Escalation logic shapes the urgency: green reports (all KPIs on target) stay brief and standard, amber reports (one or two KPIs off) add a root-cause section and widen distribution, red reports (multiple KPIs off or one in crisis) restructure entirely around the problem with the response plan leading. The format itself signals urgency before the reader processes a number.

Flat data is not a non-story. If metrics are roughly on target with no dramatic movement, the story IS the flatness — usually framed as relative decline in a growing market, or as stability masking divergent segment trends. The skill digs into leading indicators, segment splits, or comparative benchmarks to find the narrative. "Nothing happened" is never the final answer; if it were, the report wouldn't need writing.

You get the executive summary written first (not last), a KPI table with traffic-light status, each key finding with its headline-evidence-chart-implication structure, a strategic update section if the report type calls for one, and the methodology and limitations sitting at the back where they belong. Numbers always include comparison context — "£2.3M revenue" means nothing, "£2.3M revenue, up 15% YoY, 3% above target" tells a story. Length matches audience: C-suite gets 2-3 pages, board gets 5-8, working teams up to 15, never more. The skill flags what data was missing rather than papering over gaps, because admitting a blind spot builds credibility where pretending it doesn't exist destroys it.