SecondPen.aiTemplates · Operating cadence & reporting
Board pre-read memo template
Origin: Board governance best practice (narrative pre-read sent 3–5 days before the meeting).
Sections
- CEO letter
- Performance vs. plan
- Strategic topics for discussion
- Decisions requested
- Appendix (financials, org, risks)
How a tough reader scores it
When you score a draft against this format, the Critic evaluates this board memo. The weights add up to 100; the fixes for the weakest criteria arrive as cards in the editor.
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| CEO letter is candid about problems | 20 |
| Performance is clear vs. plan and prior year | 15 |
| Discussion topics are framed as real questions with options | 25 |
| Decisions requested are explicit and ready to vote | 15 |
| Risks are material and honest | 15 |
| Length respects board time | 10 |
How it works in SecondPen.ai
Open the template and the editor writes the blank once, with a line of guidance under each heading that you delete as you fill it in. Write your abstract and the editor names the format it reads like. Ask for a document with a slash command and it offers to start from the matching format. When the draft is ready, the Critic scores it against the criteria above, the way this format's toughest reader would, and the three highest-leverage fixes become Editor cards.
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