Writing a Killer Briefing
Guest post by Maria Linkova-Nijs
This month I’m delighted to have a guest post from Maria Linkova-Nijs, Executive Head of Policy and Strategy at European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). With over 15 years of experience in media relations and EU government affairs, Maria is a curious person who tends to blend insights from all sorts of fields, from digital marketing to behavioural science, to improve and inform the field of policy communications in Brussels. She’s also someone who believes in sharing knowledge, so it comes back multiplied - indeed, it was some of her excellent LinkedIn content that started the conversation that resulted in this guest post. I highly recommend connecting with her and following her work!
Whenever one brings up writing in the policy context, the first thing that comes to mind in the Brussels Bubble is position papers, manifestos, or political statements. While mastering these formats is important, there is one piece that receives much less attention, yet getting it done properly is a business-critical skill: writing a succinct briefing note for a senior executive, be it your boss or even their superior, ahead of an important high-level meeting or speaking opportunity.
Whether you work for a government, political office, private company, NGO, or an association, chances are you will be asked to prepare a comprehensive briefing note for a senior executive. In fact, for many working in public affairs, it will occupy a substantial chunk of our time.
Why Briefing Notes Matter
Efficiency for Executives: Senior execs are busy and have limited headspace as they hop from one meeting to another. Unless it is a life or death situation, they won't have hours to read background documents before an event or meeting. A well-written briefing note means they can have a quality preparation within a short time, which they will appreciate. This is good for the meeting outcomes and your career prospects.
Clarity in High-Stakes Moments: The executive representing your cause may only be given several minutes to make her case at a high level meeting. Without clarifying your organisation's thoughts and asks in a concise briefing and preparing a contingency scenario (she is given one minute instead of 15: what should she focus on?), you run a risk of blowing your (possibly) only chance. A poorly prepared briefing = more chances to blunder.
Building Relationships: Preparing a good briefing means you will be in touch with your interlocutor's team a lot which will help build relationships and increase chances of a meaningful follow-up.
What to avoid when preparing a briefing note
Treat it as a box ticking exercise that can be delegated to an intern (while an intern can definitely assist with initial information gathering, this is not an entry level task per se).
Postpone the preparation until the last moment: even if you know all the messages, you are likely to need input from many parties regarding choreography, logistics etc. which you won't get on time.
Share the note too widely internally: the internet is full of leaked briefing notes giving out details of advocacy strategies, media love this!
Over the past years I have had a chance to work on many briefing notes for senior people preparing for meetings at the level of EU Commissioners and Heads of State. As a result, I have developed a methodology to help everyone tackle the briefing note prep regardless of the subject and please even the most discerning executive (or her sherpas).
Here is the secret: think of a PALM tree when you are preparing a briefing note.
PALM: Person – Audience – Logistics – Messages
P - Person
Get to know the needs and consumption habits of the person for whom you are writing this briefing note: Does this person prefer more detailed notes, or should it be very top-line? Do they prefer an oral briefing instead? When do they need to receive the note? Some may not read it until the last minute, while others prefer to have it at least one week in advance. Also, consider how familiar the executive is with the subject matter, as this will impact the amount of background information you need to provide.
Ask Sherpa/Executive Assistant for the format/examples of previous briefing notes that his/her boss liked.
If you work in an association/NGO and you write a briefing note for a company representative/sponsor ask for any corporate briefing note guidelines that you have to respect.
If you are free to choose the format, stick to the following structure:
Page 1 (executive summary)
Name of the meeting and purpose.
Name of the person who prepared the briefing.
Date and location.
Format (online, offline).
Background and context (topline).
Objective of the meetings and ideal outcomes (use clear strong verbs to articulate the action needed, e.g. “secure participation at event A”, “receive reassurance about B”, “present progress of C”, “bring up the topic of D”, “learn the status of X and Y”, “get endorsement to launch P”).
3 key messages (topline) and associated requests .
Page 2-5
Choreography of the meeting.
Key points (detailed with examples and proof points).
Potential difficult questions and suggested answers.
Biographies of all other participants/speakers (if it is a big event/roundtable, only include those who are likely to interact with the recipient of this briefing note). Provide details about their their existing relationship with the executive in question/organisation + this person’s views and recent statements on the topic at hand.
Any additional useful background information .
A - Audience
You need as much as info about participants as possible because it will have an impact on key messages/advocacy asks. The same topic can be presented in a different light depending on the audience and the goal of the meeting/event.
Contact the other party involved in the meeting or the event organizers to inquire about the expected participants or audience (if it's a public event), and to understand their objectives, including the expected outcomes, next steps, etc
Ask your interlocutor “What would make this meeting successful for your boss/Board/conference organisers/etc.?” This will help you reflect on the objectives of the meeting and the angle of your narrative.
If it’s a recurring event, ask for statistics from the previous iterations, lists of participants (GDPR-compliant), videos or pictures.
If it’s a conference/panel, obtain information about other panellists’ speaking points. If none are available, do your own research into what these people have been saying on this subject at other events/media/social media. Find out who will speak before your executive and what they may say.
Find out if media will be present (for public events). For bilateral meetings with high level officials of the governments/EU institutions assume the meeting will be made public for transparency purposes. If the topic is controversial and likely attract media attention, prepare a reactive media statement. Align your statement with the other participants. Ensure all this information is reflected in the briefing note and your executive/press team are aware of potential press coverage.
L - Logistics
Pick up the phone and ask the organising party to walk you through the choreography of the event (when, where, protocol, potential risks). Reflect this in the briefing note.
Consider internal validation process in your team and factor this in your preparation process. If a briefing note needs to be validated by X more people in your team before it reaches the recipient, build a realistic prep timeline. Ensure all internal stakeholders are aware in advance that a certain briefing note is coming their way so that they could set the time aside to review.
If the event takes place in a secured building (e.g. the European Parliament, European Commission etc.) obtain all the necessary information about the rules on how participants can enter/badges/registration/IDs/when people need to report to reception/registration desk.
For high-stakes meetings book all participants from your side 30-60 minutes before the actual meeting to walk through the choreography and last minute alignment.
Consider the date and time: what kind of events may get in the way? Strikes, traffic (the first day of school etc.), demonstrations. Have a contingency plan in place. If your speaker gets sick, who may replace her on short notice? It will be a shame to lose the window of opportunity and cancel a meeting that it took your team months to line up because of illness.
M - Messages
Identify existing sources of information (position papers, web articles, other briefing notes, speaking points, media statements, public affairs plans) that can be repurposed for this briefing.
Contact all in-house topic experts working on the subject of your meeting/event and ask them for key messages and background information
Collate and study all information you have received from various parties. Distil all speaking points into 1-3 key messages.
Even if your speaker is allocated some generous speaking time, have a contingency scenario at hand in case he only has 2-5 minutes to explain his cause. Draft an elevator pitch summarising key arguments, evidence, importance of your cause and what your speaker needs to ask.
When providing relevant background information, take into account the knowledge of the senior executive: if she knows this topic well, no need for a long-winded intro. If it is someone who does not deal with on a daily basis, a longer background may be warranted.
Add at least 1 fact/figure/example to illustrate each of the key messages. You can include graphs and charts but do it sparingly.
Assess whether there is any handout with data/illustration your speaker can bring to the meeting. If time allows, produce the handout.
Provide biographies and insights about the participants of the meeting/other speakers including their recent pictures and history of previous engagement with your speaker/organisation.
Anticipate difficult questions to your executive and provide speaking points for answers. If a meeting is likely to be confrontational, dedicate substantial space in the briefing note for this Q&A. Book a call to rehearse those questions in advance.
Be mindful of the sensitivity and confidentiality of the information. Mark any confidential information clearly. If some crucial information is expected at a later stage and last minute before the meeting, clearly indicate it in the note.
If time allows, have colleagues proofread your note to assess its clarity. Ideally, you’ll have one colleague who is an issue expert and one who is not that familiar with the topic to receive different perspectives.
BONUS follow-up tips:
Prepare thank you emails for other participants/organisers
Ensure all relevant internal stakeholders (colleagues, members, partner organisations) are aware that this meeting has taken place and what has been agreed (unless it is confidential)
If it is a public event, use speaking points to generate content for web and social media.
This guidance may seem overwhelming, and you may not need to follow all steps every time, but this approach to preparation will help you:
Hone your information gathering, analytical and clear writing skills
Boost your diplomatic skills (you’ll need them when trying to convince your colleagues to provide input by your deadline, which they usually don’t care about)
Position yourself as a serious professional that has an eye for detail and does not leave anything to chance vis-à-vis your executive.