Ten Mistakes to Avoid in Executive Reviews

Real-life examples of mistakes I have made or observed first hand

Photo by Sarah Kilian on Unsplash

I’ve already written an extensive article about how to do executive reviews. Today, I want to extend the scope of that post by discussing some of the biggest pitfalls I’ve witnessed in executive reviews. I’ve hosted a number of these, including operating reviews, project pitches, post-mortems, and board preps. Many teams do incredible work, but if you have a major flaw in your presentation, it detracts from your other efforts.

This post features real-life examples of mistakes that I have either witnessed or made myself. Pitfalls like these can tank otherwise excellent work, but they often go overlooked because we are too focused on our presentations to notice them. By avoiding them, you can make the most of your executive reviews without detracting from your accomplishments.

1. You aren’t giving a clear recommendation 

Imagine you're reading a book about a really challenging problem. Maybe the book is about climate change, racism, or partisanship. It tells you the story of how we got to where we are, and it highlights the problems we face today. Then it just ends.

Many executive reviews fall into this trap. There's no recommendation and no resolution. It’s like a Rorschach test, where everyone sees something different and leaves the meeting with a different takeaway. 

Too many teams forget that a great executive review is opinionated. It has a purpose. It has a point of view. Not everyone has to agree on the solution, but it has to be obvious what the options are. You represent the team that is doing the work every single day. If you don’t know what should be done, how will anyone else?

2. You aren’t being balanced

The first executive review mistake on this list is not providing clear recommendations. Now I’m saying it’s also a mistake not to be balanced. This probably seems like a contradiction, but it’s not. Just like I’ve seen executive reviews with no point of view, I've also seen executive reviews that have a strong point of view, but no alternative ways of looking at the problem. There's only one path, and that's the one that's presented. 

But in an executive review, you need to provide a holistic view of the issue. If you aren’t balanced in the way you present the problem, no one will trust that you're an objective leader. Being objective means illustrating the entire industry and the various perspectives on the problem. Thoughtfully share alternative recommendations, including the pros and cons of each. Highlight and document who is in favor of which option. This will make your presentation more well-rounded and give your audience a clearer picture of the situation.

3. You are getting defensive 

Getting defensive is a trap that’s easy to fall into when you feel like you're on your back foot. It’s common to feel like your presentation is not about the opportunity itself, but about defending your team or your product. 

Defensiveness is a natural mechanism to protect ourselves, but it’s off-putting to those in the room. The tone becomes uncomfortably harsh, and it makes others feel like you are not listening to feedback. 

One of the executive teams I advised for a long time never, ever got defensive. They listened to feedback. When someone was wrong, they gently pointed out the truth without embarrassing anyone or making anyone feel bad. This invited more feedback, not less, and their approach built bridges instead of tearing them down. 

4. You are too deep in the weeds 

I struggled with this the most when I was doing executive reviews earlier in my career. I knew my product better than anyone, but that made me drill so far into the details that I had a hard time lifting my head up and giving context. This became an issue because it made it hard for people who didn't spend every day immersed in the problem to understand it. 

Eventually, I had to change my altitude. Each time I prepared a presentation, I pushed myself to make the content higher-level and more accessible. Then I pushed myself to do it again. It took a long time to retrain myself, but my executive presentations were so much better once I did. 

5. You don't give clear comparisons

Too many executive reviews lack context for the data they present. For example, let’s say your NPS score is 20. Is that good or bad? Is it trending up or down over time? What are your competitors' NPS scores? All of that data matters so much more than a single number. This context is critical to assessing your progress and performance. 

Giving clear comparisons allows you to contextualize your analysis. If you don't do that, you're not providing the audience a full picture of the problem. Rather than just showing the raw data, you need to put it out there in a way that others can understand, or you risk derailing the conversation.

6. You’re leaving out key data

Similarly, if you’re intentionally withholding important information during your executive reviews, you may be sabotaging yourself. 

I once had a team come in and tell us they had hit their goal. What they failed to mention was that the product was on its way to deprecation, because the way it was built was not scalable. This omission really undermined trust in their work. Leaving out key information meant that we had to constantly check up on what they said. This, of course, put the team on the defensive. In the end, they were pivoted and reassembled to work on other things.

7. You don’t present trade-offs or alternatives 

If you don’t highlight what you are not doing and what is below the line, you are not explaining your choices well. Making sure you present a full picture, including the tradeoffs, costs, and alternatives, ensures others understand the return on investment (ROI) of your product. 

Executive reviews are often investment reviews, even if they are not framed that way. They are a chance for leaders to think about how things are going and whether they want to double down or make changes. Thinking about them this way ensures you are able to frame your point of view fairly, while also reminding you to show the upside if you want further investment. 

8. You hide bad news 

A Design VP I once worked with said, “Bad news travels first.” 

There is absolutely no reason to hide the truth. If the truth is bad, then so be it. Always start with a very clear statement about what's happening, and don’t try to obfuscate. Be clear on what's working and what's not working. If somebody else has to ferret out the truth from you, they are less likely to trust you in the future. 

I worked with a leader who had a hard time presenting bad news. As a result, everyone shaved and adjusted the estimates he gave, because he refused to be direct. His over-optimism caused others to second-guess him, undermining his ability to operate. Avoid this by always being upfront and truthful—even if the truth is unpleasant.

9. You lose your audience 

I have been in several executive reviews where I noticed something strange. The team seemed to be more focused on their own dynamics and keeping the peace amongst themselves than they were on helping the rest of us support and unblock them. This detracted from their presentation.

In an executive review, your priority needs to be what message you want to land, not the words you want to say. Practice presenting to someone outside your team—someone who doesn’t know the acronyms or jargon, who is new to your strategy and progress. That outside voice is closer to how executives will look at your area, and will be a source of more objective feedback. 

10. You aren’t telling the story 

People will always remember a narrative more clearly than they will remember a set of numbers, facts, or data points. In an executive presentation, the why matters just as much as the what and the how. 

One of the best things you can do to boost your presentations is to learn the art of storytelling. This will help you connect people with the problems you are trying to solve and the challenges you are facing. Additionally, being clear about why something is important to those you serve, and why it is mission-critical to the company, will ensure you are tying your message to the things your audience cares about. 

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Executive reviews don’t have to be scary or stressful. By preparing well, identifying your blindspots, and avoiding these common pitfalls, you can use them as an opportunity to build support and consensus around your vision and product.