There is a common idea that executive communication needs to be short and high-level, not detailed or “in the weeds.” Hence the term “executive summary.” This is not true at Amazon. Executive communication at Amazon is built on examining issues with precision, based on data and in-depth analysis.
This is one of the mechanisms that has created a culture that values truth-seeking, not glossing over shortcomings.
An example of “precision” in the Amazon style of communication is the avoidance of subjective language.
It is considered poor communication to use vague descriptors like “We’re growing very fast” or “The challenges are significant.”
Instead, you’re expected to present exact data, like “Q3 sales grew to $4.6 million (+8% quarter over quarter, +32% year over year).”
Another difference is that Amazonians must write in a way that stands up to deep scrutiny. Before sending an email or sharing a document, you must think through potential counterarguments, anticipate pushback, and ensure that your reasoning is airtight.
It is very common for an important email or document to pass through multiple rounds of review before being published.
Meetings operate the same way. When presenting a plan, you don’t just state what you’re doing—you provide the underlying analysis that led to your conclusions and an objective assessment of the opportunities and risks.
The downside of the approach is that writing data-rich documents and emails is difficult and time-consuming. But there are two big benefits:
1) It forces teams to gain clarity of thought, provide objective analysis, show how they reached their conclusions, omit less important information, and distill complex issues into simple summaries.
2) Executives gain a much more in-depth understanding of each business, function, and important challenge or opportunity. This leads to better decision-making and true top-to-bottom alignment.
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