BLUF

You may work in an organization where the norm is to start with the punchline. That is, state the bottom line up front (BLUF) before articulating the reasons supporting a conclusion. This is a common practice in the military and in organizations with busy executives who don’t have time for details.

In these cases, start your professional email or document with the recommendation or conclusion; put it first in the introduction.

Here’s an example of putting a BLUF in the introduction of a memo:

TO: Executive Director

FROM: Director of Operations

SUBJ: Annual Budget

I recommend a 4.5% increase in next year’s budget over this year’s figures.

A small budget increase will support extending our programs’ reach to young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. It will also enable adding an extra grant cycle each calendar year. Finally, it will support an increased cost of living adjustment to help our employees contend with higher inflation. The overall budget increase will be offset by $100,000 in savings stemming from changing technology providers.