Making Corporate Reports Readable - Time to cut to the chase

An ability to discern the wood from the trees is a tribute to effective communication. Over the last decade, the corporate reporting wood has become undeniably dense and dark, especially in the banking and financial services sectors. Shareholders have been the so-called beneficiaries of more information than they could have ever believed possible. But more does not mean better. The reality is that more and more corporate information meant that directors and shareholders struggled silently to deliver effective accountability. Stewardship suffered and today we are slowly coming to terms with the painful consequences. (Read Making Corporate Reports Readable - Time to cut to the chase, a 2010 discussion document issued by the Technical Policy Board of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.)