# Style Selection Guide How to choose the right writing style, tone, and combination for your document. --- ## Decision tree Work through these questions in order. **1. How much time does your reader have?** - Under 2 minutes → **Smart Brevity** or **BLUF** - 5–15 minutes → **Minto Pyramid**, **Executive Briefing**, or **Consulting Style** - 30+ minutes (formal study) → **Board Paper**, **Technical Documentation**, **Tax Advisory**, or **Policy Brief** **2. What is your primary goal?** - Inform quickly → Smart Brevity - Get a decision or action → BLUF or Minto Pyramid - Recommend change → Minto Pyramid or Consulting Style - Teach or explain → Plain English, Socratic Explainer, or Tutorial - Record a decision → ADR or Incident Report - Govern formally → Board Paper or Legal Professional - Analyse a specialist question → Tax Advisory or Policy Brief - Persuade or sell → Persuasive Sales or Narrative Storytelling **3. Who is the audience?** - Very senior (board, C-suite, investors) → Smart Brevity, Board Paper, or Executive Briefing - Technical specialists → Technical Documentation or ADR - Legal or compliance professionals → Legal Professional or Tax Advisory - General internal audience → BLUF, Plain English, or Narrative Storytelling - External public → Journalistic, Plain English, or Crisis Communications - Students or learners → Socratic Explainer, Tutorial, or Plain English **4. What is the document's legal or formal status?** - Formal record (meeting minutes, decisions, contracts) → Board Paper, ADR, Legal Professional - Advisory (not legally binding) → Tax Advisory, Policy Brief, Consulting Style - Internal only → Any style appropriate to audience **5. Pick your style** from the recommendations above, then confirm with the matrices below. --- ## Selection by audience | Audience | Primary Style | Alternatives | |----------|---------------|--------------| | C-Suite Executive | Smart Brevity, BLUF | Executive Briefing, Minto Pyramid | | Board Members | Board Paper, Executive Briefing | Consulting Style | | Engineering Team | Technical Documentation, ADR | Plain English | | Tax or Finance Professionals | Tax Advisory | Consulting Style, Legal Professional | | Legal or Compliance | Legal Professional, Tax Advisory | Board Paper | | Sales Team | Persuasive Sales, Narrative Storytelling | BLUF | | General Internal | Smart Brevity, BLUF | Narrative Storytelling, Plain English | | Public or External | Journalistic, Crisis Communications, Plain English | Persuasive Sales | | Students or Learners | Socratic Explainer, Tutorial | Plain English, Narrative Storytelling | | Investors | Investor Update | Board Paper, Executive Briefing | --- ## Selection by document type | Document | Recommended Style | Template | Skill | |----------|-------------------|----------|-------| | Approval email | BLUF | [email-prompts.md](prompt-templates/email-prompts.md) | — | | Executive update | Smart Brevity | [executive-summary-prompts.md](prompt-templates/executive-summary-prompts.md) | — | | Strategy memo | Consulting Style | [strategy-prompts.md](prompt-templates/strategy-prompts.md) | — | | Board paper | Board Paper | [board-paper-prompts.md](prompt-templates/board-paper-prompts.md) | [create-board-pack.md](skills/create-board-pack.md) | | Tax technical note | Tax Advisory | [tax-note-prompts.md](prompt-templates/tax-note-prompts.md) | [create-tax-technical-note.md](skills/create-tax-technical-note.md) | | Technical specification | Technical Documentation | [technical-documentation-prompts.md](prompt-templates/technical-documentation-prompts.md) | — | | Architecture decision | ADR | [decision-record-prompts.md](prompt-templates/decision-record-prompts.md) | [create-adr.md](skills/create-adr.md) | | Incident report | Incident Report | [incident-report-prompts.md](prompt-templates/incident-report-prompts.md) | — | | Runbook | Technical Documentation | [technical-documentation-prompts.md](prompt-templates/technical-documentation-prompts.md) | [create-runbook.md](skills/create-runbook.md) | | Policy brief | Policy Brief | [policy-prompts.md](prompt-templates/policy-prompts.md) | — | | Job cover letter | Job Application | [job-application-prompts.md](prompt-templates/job-application-prompts.md) | — | | Sales outreach | Persuasive Sales | [sales-outreach-prompts.md](prompt-templates/sales-outreach-prompts.md) | [create-email-sequence.md](skills/create-email-sequence.md) | | Slide presentation | Consulting Style | [presentation-prompts.md](prompt-templates/presentation-prompts.md) | [create-slide-deck.md](skills/create-slide-deck.md) | | Risk register | Consulting Style | — | [create-risk-register.md](skills/create-risk-register.md) | | Roadmap | Consulting Style | — | [create-roadmap.md](skills/create-roadmap.md) | --- ## Tone selection Tone is separate from style. You choose the style (structure), then calibrate the tone (register). ### The five-level tone scale | Level | Description | When to use | Example phrase | |-------|-------------|-------------|----------------| | Very formal | Legal language, defined terms, no contractions | Legal documents, formal policy, board resolutions | "The Party of the First Part shall indemnify…" | | Formal | Measured, no contractions, precise vocabulary | Tax notes, board papers, external professional comms | "We recommend approval of the capital investment." | | Professional | Clear and direct, accessible but not casual | Business emails, memos, consulting reports | "We should migrate to the cloud. Here is why." | | Conversational | Natural, contractions fine, friendly | Internal updates, team comms, learning content | "Here's what happened last week and what we're doing about it." | | Casual | Natural speech patterns, informal | Social media, internal Slack, very informal content | "Just shipped the new dashboard." | ### Tone modifiers Beyond the five levels, apply modifiers deliberately: | Modifier | Confident version | Cautious version | When to be confident | |----------|-------------------|------------------|----------------------| | Impact | "This will save £1M annually" | "This could potentially save around £1M" | When the data supports it | | Direction | "We should proceed" | "We might consider proceeding" | When you have a clear view | | Voice | "We reduced costs by 23%" | "Costs were reduced by 23%" | Almost always — prefer active | | Attribution | "The analysis shows…" | "It appears that…" | When the source is clear | **Guidance:** Use confident tone for decisions and recommendations. Use cautious tone only when genuine uncertainty exists — not as a hedge to avoid accountability. ### Tone by common context | Context | Tone level | Key adjustments | |---------|-----------|-----------------| | Board or C-suite | Formal | No hedging; facts first; one clear recommendation | | Tax advisory | Formal | Precise vocabulary; cite legislation; state confidence level | | IT incident | Professional | Factual; no blame; timeline-driven | | Sales outreach | Professional → Conversational | Warm but purposeful; focus on their situation | | Job application | Professional | Personal but not casual; specific not generic | | Runbook | Professional | Imperative verbs; numbered steps; no ambiguity | | Internal team | Conversational | Direct; no corporate jargon | --- ## Style combinations Some documents benefit from using two styles: a primary style for the main body and a secondary style for a specific section. | Primary style | Secondary style | Where to combine | Why | |---------------|-----------------|------------------|-----| | Board Paper | Consulting Style | Options analysis section | Consulting structure helps present alternatives objectively | | Executive Briefing | Smart Brevity | Executive summary | Brief summary using Smart Brevity format draws busy reader in | | Technical Documentation | Plain English | Introduction and overview sections | Plain English onboards non-specialists before the detail | | Minto Pyramid | Tax Advisory | Tax or legal recommendation sections | Tax Advisory structure for specialist analysis within a broader recommendation | | Policy Brief | Journalistic | Background or context sections | Journalistic storytelling makes the problem vivid before the analysis | | Incident Report | Plain English | External stakeholder summary | Plain English version for non-technical readers alongside technical detail | | Investor Update | Narrative Storytelling | Opening section | Story hook engages before data | **Rule of thumb:** One primary style governs structure and length. A secondary style may apply to one section only. Never mix styles within the same section. --- ## Pattern selection After choosing a style, choose a section pattern if the document needs a sharper internal structure. | If the weak point is... | Use this pattern | |-------------------------|------------------| | The reader cannot see the answer quickly | [BLUF](patterns/bluf.md) | | The draft lists facts but does not explain meaning | [What / So What / Now What](patterns/what-so-what-now-what.md) | | The argument needs a strategic narrative | [Situation / Complication / Question / Answer](patterns/situation-complication-question-answer.md) | | The issue needs escalation and action | [Problem / Impact / Recommendation / Next Steps](patterns/problem-impact-recommendation-next-steps.md) | | Options are not compared fairly | [Context / Analysis / Options / Recommendation](patterns/context-analysis-options-recommendation.md) | | A risk or control needs ownership | [Issue / Risk / Control / Owner / Date](patterns/issue-risk-control-owner-date.md) | | A decision needs a permanent record | [Decision / Rationale / Consequences](patterns/decision-rationale-consequences.md) | | A procedure needs boundaries and exceptions | [Objective / Scope / Procedure / Exceptions](patterns/objective-scope-procedure-exceptions.md) | Use a pattern inside the chosen style. For example, a board paper can use Board Paper Style overall and Context / Analysis / Options / Recommendation for its main options section. --- ## Review standard Use a rubric when the output has external, executive, technical, tax, legal, or governance consequence. | Output | Review with | |--------|-------------| | Executive memo or CIO/CFO update | [Executive Communication Rubric](rubrics/executive-communication-rubric.md) | | Board paper | [Board Paper Rubric](rubrics/board-paper-rubric.md) | | Tax technical note | [Tax Note Rubric](rubrics/tax-note-rubric.md) | | Runbook, ADR, SOP, or technical guide | [Technical Documentation Rubric](rubrics/technical-documentation-rubric.md) | | Slide deck | [Slide Deck Rubric](rubrics/slide-deck-rubric.md) | | Any LLM-generated draft | [LLM Output Quality Rubric](rubrics/llm-output-quality-rubric.md) | If the output scores poorly, use [meta-prompts/critique-this-output.md](meta-prompts/critique-this-output.md) or [meta-prompts/improve-this-prompt.md](meta-prompts/improve-this-prompt.md) before redrafting. --- ## Selection by purpose (detailed) ### You need to update someone quickly **Smart Brevity** or **BLUF** - Smart Brevity: Good for status updates, company news, announcements where the reader scans rather than reads - BLUF: Better for emails that require action, decisions, or a clear response Use when: Audience is busy; information is straightforward; action or awareness is the goal Avoid: Complex recommendations (use Minto); major strategic changes (use Consulting Style or Board Paper) ### You need to recommend something **Minto Pyramid** or **Consulting Style** - Minto: Conclusion first, then supporting argument — for logical, step-by-step recommendations - Consulting: Issue, approach, recommendation — for strategic or high-stakes recommendations Use when: Decision-maker needs to be persuaded; complex analysis is required; stakes are moderate to high Avoid: Quick updates (use Smart Brevity); simple instructions (use Plain English) ### You need to explain something **Plain English**, **Socratic Explainer**, or **Tutorial** - Plain English: Any audience; removes jargon and complexity - Socratic Explainer: Teaching through questions and answers; good for coaching or learning - Tutorial: Step-by-step how-to for practical skills or procedures Use when: Audience has mixed expertise; clarity is the priority; education is the goal Avoid: Technical audience who needs precision (use Technical Documentation) ### You need formal documentation **Board Paper**, **Technical Documentation**, or **Legal Professional** - Board Paper: Governance decisions; major strategic choices; requires comprehensive options analysis - Technical Documentation: Engineering, architecture, operational — detailed and referenceable - Legal Professional: Contracts, compliance, formal agreements — exact language matters Use when: Permanence is required; legal or formal context; comprehensive detail is expected Avoid: Quick communication (use BLUF); narrative content (use Narrative Storytelling) ### You need specialist professional analysis **Tax Advisory** or **Policy Brief** - Tax Advisory: Legal analysis of a specific tax question; structured as question → analysis → conclusion - Policy Brief: Evidence-based analysis of a policy question; balanced presentation of options Use when: Audience is a professional or informed stakeholder; technical precision is essential; conclusions must be supported by authority --- ## Common mistakes | Mistake | Why it is wrong | Fix | |---------|----------------|-----| | Using Minto Pyramid for a quick update | Too detailed for a busy reader | Use Smart Brevity or BLUF | | Using Board Paper for an email | Too formal and too long | Use BLUF | | Using Plain English for a tax or legal document | Loses required precision | Use Tax Advisory or Legal Professional | | Mixing multiple styles within one section | Confuses the reader | Pick one primary style; allow secondary style in one section only | | Ignoring tone | Creates mismatch: too casual for a board, too stiff for a team | Set tone deliberately using the tone scale above | | Writing without choosing structure first | Output has no coherent shape | Choose style → structure → write | | Hedging every claim | Undermines credibility | Reserve cautious language for genuine uncertainty | | Using the same style for every document | One size fits none well | Match style to audience, purpose, and context | --- See [CHEATSHEET.md](CHEATSHEET.md) for a quick situation → style + skill + template reference. See individual style files in `styles/` for deep guidance on each framework.