As an added bonus, by sticking with words and concepts that appear virtually self-evident and value-neutral,  successful  executive presentations convey a sense of objective clarity and simplicity.

These attributes are prized by decision makers who no longer have the time or perseverance to ascertain all the facts of a situation, or to contend with tempestuous politicking, claims, and counter-claims on the part of those beneath them.  Instead of the turmoil and uncertainty of having one department claim that taking course X would save the company a million dollars, while another department claims it would cost the company that much or more, the executive sees a calm and orderly review of issues and apparent facts.

But of course, what the decision maker sees is often no more than a carefully crafted facade or Potemkin village.

Originators of modern executive presentations have as many reasons for wanting to steer the decision maker in a given direction as do more traditional and overt special interest pleaders;  they have just learned to disguise their motivations more effectively.

Thus, any verbiage that might be considered passionate, inflammatory, or even opinionated is assiduously muted down, or excised altogether.   Opposing viewpoints are not only acknowledged, but actually presented in a manner that appears to be positive.  (In an adroit presentation, the underlying belittlement and dismissiveness can be artful enough not to be discerned by the decision maker.)

How much of a grip does this form of communication have on today’s corporations?   My own personal experience is that once the techniques have taken root, it can be all but impossible to get a contemporary executive to read a more conventional document.  

In fact, above a certain organizational level, even what would not long ago have been purely verbal discussions may now require the new-style documents, because without them, the conversation is likely to seem unfocused to the decision maker.   And since only a relatively small subset of people knows how to communicate in the newly-required form, it is easy for executives to become increasingly cut off from healthy diversity in their sources of information.