I sat through hundreds of Board meetings as a partner at KPMG.
And I watched the same thing happen again and again.
A senior, capable person walks into their slot, opens with "I'll just quickly take you through the work we've done…" and within two minutes, they've lost the room.
Their work is usually good. That's not the problem.
The problem is that Boards don't listen the way most presenters assume.
They're not there for the story. They're scanning for signals:
❓ What's the risk?
❓ Are you on top of it?
❓ What do you actually think?
❓ Do I need to worry?
That's what's running through their heads while you're walking them through your team’s work.
The first minute does most of the heavy lifting.
After that, they're scanning for inconsistencies and signs you're unsure.
Miss your message in the first minute and you spend the rest of the slot recovering.
I built a structure for the leaders I coach.
(It's been battle tested at major financial services companies.)
It’s called CRISP:
✅ Conclusion – lead with the headline
The Board wants your answer before your working.
✅ Risk – name it early
If you bury it, they'll assume you're hiding it, or aren’t aware of it.
✅ Interpretation – give your view, not just the data
They can read numbers themselves.
✅ Signal – tell them where this is heading
Because they're deciding whether to worry or not.
✅ Plan – show that you’ve got it under control
Close the loop on what you're doing about it.
The full process is on the infographic.
Try it before your next Board meeting.
Write one or two sentences for each CRISP element, then time yourself.
You should have a few minutes to present, then let them ask questions.
📌 Save this for your next Board slot
https://tinyurl.com/ynw5z92e