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Use when presenting data findings as a narrative or building a data-driven argument
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Transform data and metrics into compelling narratives that drive executive action and support using proven frameworks from Gartner research.
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Transform data and metrics into compelling narratives that drive executive action and support using proven frameworks from Gartner research.
This skill provides a systematic framework for creating data-driven narratives that engage executive leadership teams (ELTs). Based on Gartner's "Use Data Storytelling to Engage the Executive Leadership Team" research (G00818015, September 2024), this skill teaches you to align metrics with executive priorities, craft compelling narratives using the What/Why/Next structure, and present insights in visually appealing, action-oriented formats.
High-performing ELTs use data and analytics for 84% of their decisions, yet executives often struggle with operational metrics instead of strategic storytelling. This skill bridges that gap by teaching proven techniques for translating technical data into executive-ready insights.
Trigger this skill when you need to:
Keywords: executive presentation, board memo, ELT update, data storytelling, executive dashboard, business case, quarterly review, stakeholder communication, C-suite presentation, leadership briefing, board deck, executive summary
Why Traditional Data Presentations Fail:
The Executive Context:
Step 1: Identify Metrics That Align With Executive Peers' Key Priorities
Understand what keeps your executive peers awake at night. Don't present metrics in isolation - connect them to broader strategic priorities.
CEO Business Priorities (2024 Gartner Research):
Strategic Alignment Questions:
Language Mirroring:
Step 2: Draft a Compelling Data-Based Narrative
Use the What/Why/Next structure adapted from Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat" storytelling method:
WHAT (Opening Image):
WHY (Catalyst):
NEXT (Break Into Two):
Narrative Flow Example:
WHAT: Our premium lead program increased qualified opportunities by 35% in Q2,
contributing $12M in pipeline toward our $50M growth target.
WHY: Premium leads receive personalized outreach within 4 hours (vs. 48 hours
for standard leads), resulting in 3x higher engagement rates. Sales teams
prioritized these leads, achieving 58% conversion vs. 19% baseline.
NEXT: Expand premium lead criteria to include mid-market accounts (currently
enterprise-only) to capture an additional $8M in Q3 pipeline. This requires
adding 2 SDRs and automating lead scoring. Investment: $120K. ROI: 67x.
Step 3: Create Concise, Visually Appealing Presentation
Slide Design Principles:
Visual Design Checklist:
Effective Chart Selection:
Anti-Patterns to Avoid:
Creating Analogies for Difficult Topics:
Complex technical concepts need translation for executive audiences.
Examples:
Formula: [Complex concept] is like [familiar thing] because [key similarity]
Emotional Resonance Check:
Before finalizing, ask:
Use this template to draft your executive narrative before creating slides:
## [Metric/Initiative Name]
### WHAT (Current State)
- Primary metric: [number] [unit] vs. [target/baseline]
- Connection to CEO priority: [Growth/Technology/Workforce/Financial]
- Current trajectory: [on track/ahead/behind]
- Context: [why this metric matters to ELT strategic goals]
### WHY (Root Cause Analysis)
- Primary driver: [data-backed explanation]
- Supporting evidence: [specific numbers, trends, comparisons]
- Contributing factors: [2-3 additional elements with data]
- Depersonalized challenges: [focus on problem, not blame]
### NEXT (Recommendations)
- Recommendation 1: [specific action] → [expected outcome] in [timeframe]
- Investment required: [resources, budget, headcount]
- Success metrics: [how we'll measure impact]
- Risk/trade-offs: [what we give up or risk]
- [Optional] Recommendation 2: [alternative approach]
- Comparison to Recommendation 1: [trade-offs]
### Decision Required
[Specific ask: approval, feedback, resources, priority decision]
Standard structure for ELT presentations:
Slide 1: Title & Executive Summary
- Initiative/topic name
- One-sentence summary of key insight
- Decision required or action requested
Slide 2: Current State (WHAT)
- Primary metric(s) with visual
- Alignment with strategic priority
- Current status vs. target
Slide 3: Root Cause (WHY)
- Data-driven explanation
- Supporting evidence chart
- Key insights from analysis
Slide 4: Recommendations (NEXT)
- Option 1 with outcomes
- [Optional] Option 2 with trade-offs
- Clear comparison if multiple options
Slide 5: Next Steps & Timeline
- Specific actions with owners
- Timeline with milestones
- Success metrics and tracking plan
[Appendix: Supporting data, detailed analysis, FAQs]
Use this to map your metrics to executive priorities:
## Priority Alignment Matrix
### Your Metric/Initiative: [Name]
| Executive | Primary Priority | How This Connects | Language to Use |
|-----------|------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
| CEO | [Growth/Tech/etc]| [Specific link] | [Exact phrases] |
| CFO | [Financial/etc] | [ROI, efficiency] | [Budget terms] |
| COO | [Ops/Workforce] | [Process impact] | [Ops metrics] |
| CRO | [Revenue/Growth] | [Pipeline, sales] | [Revenue terms] |
| CTO/CIO | [Technology] | [Tech impact] | [Tech strategy] |
| CHRO | [Workforce] | [People impact] | [Talent terms] |
### Stakeholder Analysis
- **Who is affected**: [List executives/departments]
- **Who must approve**: [Decision makers]
- **Who must support**: [Implementation partners]
- **Potential objections**: [Concerns by stakeholder]
Context: Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) presenting Q2 results to ELT
WHAT (Opening Image): "Our premium lead program increased qualified opportunities by 35% in Q2, adding $12M to pipeline and putting us 24% ahead of our $50M quarterly growth target."
Connection to CEO Priority: Growth (59% priority) - directly impacts revenue pipeline
WHY (Catalyst): "Premium leads receive personalized outreach within 4 hours versus 48 hours for standard leads, resulting in 3x higher engagement rates (58% vs. 19%). Sales teams prioritized these leads based on clear scoring criteria, and the shorter response time prevented leads from exploring competitor solutions."
Data Points:
NEXT (Break Into Two): "Recommendation: Expand premium lead criteria to include mid-market accounts, currently limited to enterprise. This will capture an estimated $8M additional pipeline in Q3.
Investment: $120K (2 SDRs + lead scoring automation) ROI: 67x return Timeline: 6 weeks to implement Risk: Requires sales team training on mid-market qualification
Alternative: Maintain current enterprise-only focus and increase marketing spend to generate more volume. Lower ROI (12x) but faster implementation (2 weeks)."
Emotional Tone: Inspired - shows unexpected success and path to exceed targets
Slide Structure:
Context: CIO presenting innovation initiative results to ELT
WHAT (Opening Image): "Design thinking labs generated 47 employee-submitted ideas in Q1, resulting in 3 prototypes now in pilot phase. These innovations target $2.3M in operational cost savings, supporting our financial efficiency goals."
Connection to CEO Priority: Technology (29%) + Financial (22%) - innovation driving efficiency
WHY (Catalyst): "The lab structure removed hierarchical approval barriers that previously delayed ideas by 6-8 months. Cross-functional teams (engineering, operations, customer success) identified pain points that individual departments missed. The rapid prototyping process (2-week sprints) validated ideas 10x faster than traditional development."
Data Points:
NEXT (Break Into Two): "Recommendation: Expand labs from 1 to 3 locations (Austin, Bentonville, Seattle) to include regional operational teams. Expected outcome: 150+ ideas annually, 10-12 pilots, $8M-12M in savings/efficiency gains.
Investment: $450K annually (lab space, facilitators, prototyping tools) ROI: 18x-27x return on projected savings Timeline: Q3 launch for Austin and Bentonville, Q4 for Seattle Success Metrics: Ideas submitted, pilot conversion rate, realized savings
Risk: Requires executive sponsorship to maintain cross-functional participation. Without active CXO support, attendance drops and idea quality suffers."
Emotional Tone: Reassured - early results validate investment, expansion is logical next step
Slide Structure:
Context: CISO presenting post-incident analysis to board
WHAT (Opening Image): "On May 15, we detected and contained a credential stuffing attack within 47 minutes. Zero customer data was compromised. Our incident response time was 83% faster than industry average (4.5 hours)."
Connection to CEO Priority: Technology (risk management) + Financial (avoiding breach costs)
WHY (Catalyst): "The attack exploited recycled passwords from a third-party breach (not our systems). Our automated threat detection identified 12,000 failed login attempts within 2 minutes and triggered account lockdowns. The security team's pre-defined playbook enabled rapid containment without executive escalation during off-hours.
However, the attack exposed a gap: 23% of customer accounts still use weak passwords despite our password policy updates in March. These accounts remain vulnerable to similar attacks."
Data Points:
NEXT (Break Into Two): "Recommendation: Implement mandatory multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all customer accounts by end of Q3.
Impact: 99.9% reduction in credential-based attack risk Investment: $85K (MFA provider, implementation, customer communication) Timeline: 12 weeks (phased rollout) Customer Experience: Minor friction (30-second setup), significant security benefit Risk: 5-8% of customers may contact support during rollout
Alternative: Make MFA optional with incentives (discounts, premium features). Lower implementation cost ($30K) but only 40-50% adoption based on industry data, leaving half our customers vulnerable."
Emotional Tone: Reassured (rapid response) + Concerned (remaining vulnerability) + Confident (clear solution)
Slide Structure:
Context: CHRO presenting retention initiative to ELT
WHAT (Opening Image): "Engineering turnover decreased from 24% to 11% following our retention program launch in Q4 2023. This prevented an estimated $4.8M in replacement costs and preserved critical product knowledge for our AI roadmap."
Connection to CEO Priority: Workforce (25%) + Technology (29%) - retaining AI/ML talent
WHY (Catalyst): "Exit interviews revealed that 67% of departing engineers cited limited career growth and skills development as primary factors. The retention program addressed this with:
The combination increased internal promotion rate from 8% to 22% and created clear growth paths that competing offers couldn't match."
Data Points:
NEXT (Break Into Two): "Recommendation: Expand retention program to product management and data science teams (combined 145 employees), where turnover remains elevated at 19%.
Investment: $580K annually ($435K learning budgets + $145K program administration) Expected Outcome: Reduce turnover to 10-12%, avoid $2.1M in replacement costs Timeline: Launch in Q4 2024 ROI: 3.6x in year one, higher in subsequent years as knowledge retention compounds
Alternative: Target only "flight risk" employees (top 20% identified via stay interviews). Lower cost ($190K) but doesn't address systemic career growth issues, likely resulting in continued turnover of mid-tier talent."
Emotional Tone: Inspired - unexpected success in competitive talent market
Slide Structure:
Each reference expands on the framework above. Pull in the one that matches what you are doing: