How to Build a Quarterly Research Report for Executives

Try building your quarterly report right now. Just the first section: progress against objectives. How long did that take?

What to Include

1. Activity against objectives.

Checkpoint: Can you produce this section right now without cross-referencing multiple tools?

2. Key learnings.

Checkpoint: Can you name the top three learnings without reviewing individual reports?

3. Decisions influenced.

Checkpoint: How many decisions were made because of research this quarter?

4. Cross-functional impact.

Checkpoint: Can you name one instance where research and experimentation referenced each other's work?

5. Programme health.

Checkpoint: Can you produce any health metrics right now?

6. Next quarter outlook.

What Good Looks Like

A strong report takes less than a day to assemble. If it takes a week, the underlying data is scattered.