The First Page Is Where It Counts

How many pages are in your progress report?

I’ve asked myself that question many times—especially when I feel tempted to add more details, more charts, more analysis. But then I always remember a piece of advice from one of my former managers. He once told me:

“Ahmed, we are paid for the information you provide in your first page. So be careful what we’re paying for.”

That line has stuck with me ever since.

As project control professionals, we often want to show the depth of our work—the models, the curves, the logic that led to the conclusion. We want people to see how much thought and effort went into that single number on the front page. But here’s the hard truth:

Most people don’t read the second page.

Executives and representatives often take their entire impression of the project from the first glance. That first page is not just an introduction—it’s your message. If you don’t get it across there, you may not get a second chance.

That doesn’t mean hiding the truth or oversimplifying. It means being intentional. It means giving people what they need to know, not everything you know.

It’s a challenge, I admit. It takes discipline to condense your insights into one clear, visual, and purposeful page. But if you get it right, that one page can speak louder than a full report.

So the next time you prepare a dashboard or a progress report, ask yourself this:

If they only read one page—will they walk away with the right message?

Because that’s the one they’re actually reading.