For those in need of time-saving shortcuts, the term bottom line has always been a useful way of skipping the analysis and going straight to the conclusion. The ‘bottom line’ often refers to a business’ profit or loss — which is usually recorded on the bottom line of a financial statement. Managers will frequently ask their subordinates for the BLUF (bottom-line up-front), suggesting that they don’t have time to read the detail of reports and just want to hear the key points.
However, grabbing at the headlines while ignoring the story behind them is a risky game. Decisions that are only based on the bottom line may well be different to those that have been taken with a wider appreciation of the context.
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