Replace the phase label with the actual request
Consider an energy-project slide headed “Next phase”. It lists grid assessment, design development and commercial discussions, then ends with “Approval requested”. A director can agree with the direction without knowing which work or spending they are authorising.
The revision asks for one defined commitment: “Approve a connection-options study capped at £25,000”. The supporting lines identify the study scope, why it is needed, the commitments kept outside this approval and who will return with the findings.
The project details and cost cap below are invented for this editing example. The amount is not a study-cost benchmark. In your deck, use the real total and state what it includes.
Name the commitment that a yes would authorise.
Approve the next phase
↳ A yes now has a defined scope and limit. It does not stand in for a later project decision.
Keep the reason and the alternative beside the request
A precise request still needs a case. In this example, the reason for the study is to compare connection options before choosing the site layout. An alternative is to defer it until land discussions progress; that avoids the immediate study commitment but leaves the connection question unresolved.
Use the actual alternatives and consequences for your project. If a material cost, uncertainty or dependency changes the recommendation, show it on the decision slide or an adjacent comparison. A confident title cannot replace that evidence.
The Northern Ireland Audit Office’s board-paper template calls for the required action, available options and reasons for the preferred recommendation. It addresses public-sector boards; the useful writing principle here is to let the reader assess the request, rather than merely acknowledge an update.
Make the approval boundary visible
Commissioning a study and accepting a connection offer are different commitments. In the revised slide, “No grid offer acceptance or construction award” prevents the broad phrase “next phase” from carrying either of those decisions.
Sport New Zealand’s board-paper guidance distinguishes information, discussion and decision papers, and describes staged decisions with later review points. For your presentation, say whether the audience is being asked to approve, recommend, discuss or note something. Use the verb that matches its actual authority.
Check what happens after the meeting
Ask the person responsible for the proposal to read back what a yes would authorise: the work, total limit, owner and return point. Then ask what would still require another decision. If the answers differ from the intended request, revise the slide before polishing its layout.
Keep the final wording consistent with the board paper and decision record. The slide helps communicate the request; the organisation’s approval process determines the authority and records the outcome.
Send me your decision slide and the action you need the reader to approve.