Explaining numbers to non-technical bosses
Listen to this lesson
Nigerian voice narration
Fictional training case. Bello's 10-page analytical report went unread by her Director, who is sharp but not a data specialist. This lesson covers compressing findings into a 3-sentence executive summary and flagging which numbers need a caveat before being repeated upward. Work through the example, identify the evidence needed and practise the method with cleared or synthetic inputs. Any additional figures in the explanation are separate practice examples, not claimed rows in a downloadable file.
Worked example
Bello asks AI to compress her analysis into exactly three sentences: what happened, why it matters, what she recommends. The draft reads: 'Collections fell 12% after the March policy change, risking the Q2 revenue target. This matters because Q2 funding gaps would delay planned procurement. We recommend a review of the policy's regional rollout before Q3.' She then asks AI to list the three numbers a Director would most likely question — the 12% figure, the 'Q2 target' baseline, and the procurement delay estimate — and attaches a one-line caveat to each (e.g., '12% is based on 2 months of data; confirm against Q1 last year for seasonality') so the Director isn't caught off guard quoting an unqualified number.
The method
Compress to exactly three sentences (what/why/recommendation) for the summary page, then separately ask AI to name the numbers most likely to be challenged and supply a one-line caveat for each, keeping detailed tables in an attached annex.
Worked practice and common mistakes
Preserve the denominator, unit and period when shortening an analysis. “Most” means more than half, not merely the largest subgroup. Label projections and assumptions beside the figure a Director might quote. A three-sentence summary still needs fair uncertainty and an actionable recommendation. Moving methodological detail to an annex does not justify claiming that correlation proves a cause.
Review before using the result
Lead with findings, not methodology. Replace jargon with plain words. Flag which numbers need a caveat before a non-technical boss quotes them publicly, and keep full tables in an annex.
Your workplace practice
Use the recommended free assistant with this lesson's fictional example. Compress my analysis below into a 3-sentence executive summary (what happened, why it matters, recommendation), then list the 3 numbers a Director would question first. Keep a copy of the input and draft. Compare the result with the verification steps above, record any correction, and retain placeholders where evidence is missing. The expected result is a checked draft for human review, not an automatically approved decision. Course examples and practice responses are fictional; amounts, dates, rules and thresholds are not official guidance or supplier quotations.
Open Claude (free tier) and paste this prompt there. Explains numbers clearly for non-technical readers.
Compress my analysis below into a 3-sentence executive summary (what happened, why it matters, recommendation), then list the 3 numbers a Director would question first.
Why this tool: Explains numbers clearly for non-technical readers.
Hit a free limit? Switch to ChatGPT or Gemini and continue — the prompt works in any assistant.