8 chapter one: managerial communication air force organizations, communication flows in three...

8 Chapter One: Managerial Communication

Elements of Effective Communication

A final communication product will not only convey your thoughts, but it will also represent you, the level of your communication skills, and your aptitude as a supervisor and Air Force leader. This is why this volume emphasizes the proper preparation and delivery of the three main types of communication mediums: interpersonal, writing, and speaking. This chapter primarily focuses on writing and speaking. There is a separate lesson on interpersonal communication.

In some supervisory situations, the communication medium will be determined for you, for example, public speaking skills while introducing a new subordinate to the section, and narrative writing to inform shop personnel of the commander’s policies. However, in other situations, you’ll have to choose the communication medium. When requesting support from other shops or base agencies, announcing a schedule change to the shop or section, and correcting substandard performance or behavior, you’ll determine if speaking, writing, or interpersonal communication fits the situation. As an enlisted leader, you must ensure that all of your communication is effective. Therefore, in order to have effective communication, you must be able to convey your message correctly.

The Air Force requires you to establish a reliable set of communication skills that will serve as a foundation for virtually every supervisory task you’ll face. By the very nature of the position, you’ll routinely communicate the needs of the unit to the workforce to get the mission accomplished. Your unit’s mission depends on your success at developing effective communication skills.

According to Air Force Print News, in an article dated 20 Sep 06, then SECAF (Secretary of the Air Force), Michael W. Wynne and CSAF (Chief of Staff of the Air Force), Gen T. Michael Moseley realized the need to create a new office that dealt with the increasing need for effective communication in the Air Force. Gen Erwin Lessel III, Director of Communications from the SECAF’s Office of Strategic Communication said, “The whole idea of strategic communication is to use every opportunity to get our messages out there.”1 He went on to say his office’s goal was to teach Airmen how to effectively communicate with the public. “They must coordinate with public affairs before any public engagement, and ensure you’re ‘staying in your lane’ by speaking from experience.”

Chapter One: Managerial Communication 9

The most important thing is that all information needs to be truth based. Gen Lessel also said, “The American public looks up to you as a model of integrity, and by sharing your experiences, you are the best spokesperson for the Air Force.” This information further justified the need for Air Force supervisors to communicate effectively.

Communication experts state that there is a direct relationship between effective speaking and writing and the experience, background, and expectations of audiences. By taking into consideration the experience, background, and expectations of the audience, you can determine the most effective terms, examples, and analogies (words and language) to inform, motivate, inspire, and persuade them.

Good communication impacts your effectiveness. It reduces conflict, confusion, mistakes, re-work, etc. This leads to higher morale, better quantity/quality of work, more cost efficiency, and greater work center effectiveness. Effective communication also allows you to secure the resources (people, facilities, funds, and equipment) necessary to accomplish the day-to-day mission.

Good communication impacts your unit’s effectiveness. It helps to ensure clear direction, policy, and procedures up and down the chain of command increasing unit effectiveness.

Good communication also impacts the mission. It prevents misinterpretation of orders, direction, and planning, which limits confusion and reduces safety mishaps.

Air Force supervisors and managers are expected to meet their NCO responsibilities through an effective application of three general communication skills: speaking, writing, and interpersonal communication skills. As universal as these communication skills may seem, no other individual so desperately needs these skills more than you. You’ll be leading the youngest and most impressionable members of the force. To reach your goal of helping them and all enlisted personnel live up to the expectations laid out in The Enlisted Force Structure, you must concentrate diligently on developing your own communication skills. Look at some of the following examples of General NCO Responsibilities from AFI 36-2618, Chapter 4, and the corresponding communication skills.

Your effective speaking and writing skills provide

• Clear instructions

• Clear policies and procedures

• Help to articulate mission and goals

• Effective subordinate performance (EPRs, Awards, Decs, Admin Actions, etc.)

• How others perceive my knowledge and intelligence

• Positive viewpoints of my work center (unit, organization, service, etc.)


Effective Communication helps you to fulfill your responsibilities as described in AFI 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure. What communication skills do you think you will need to fulfill your job as an NCO? List your choices below:

The Enlisted Force Structure supports the Air Force’s Culture of Engagement and helps you understand your responsibilities as an NCO. Now that you have had a chance to think about ways to communicate your expectations with your subordinates, it’s time to move on to the basic communication process and how it works.

Basic Communication Process The sender forms his or her message with words or symbols. The message is then transmitted to the receiver, who must translate, or decode, the words and symbols, hopefully understanding what the sender meant to communicate. The result of the receiver’s understanding is returned to the sender with some sort of verbal or nonverbal feedback.

The Basic Communication Process includes four elements: sender, message, receiver, and feedback. It is also important to look at some approaches to communication and identify the approach that will help you obtain effective communication.


The Sender is the originator of the communication process. Speakers, writers, artists, musicians, and even architects can be senders of communication. The sender must select and arrange symbols (words, sounds, gestures, etc.) in such a way as to create an accurate message in the mind of the receiver. The process of selecting and arranging symbols is called “encoding.”

The Message is the idea, feeling, or information that a sender transfers to his/her audience by using written or spoken words and nonverbal symbols. It is important that the message you deliver is clear and precise so there isn’t any confusion. How often have you been given instructions and then completed a wrong task? As a leader, it is important your subordinates have a clear understanding about what is expected of them.

The Receiver is the target for the sender's message. You receive messages through reading, listening, observing, and even touching. To be a good receiver, you should use as many of your senses as possible to make sure the message you get is the one the sender expected you to receive. The process of deciphering the sender’s message is called “decoding.”

Feedback not only completes the communication process but also starts it all over again. It’s a reaction to the message as you receive it. Feedback has two forms: verbal and nonverbal. Senders must fight for feedback to ensure their message was received as intended. Feedback allows senders to adjust communication when necessary. Senders need to ensure their message is clear and received as planned; this equals effective communication. If the message is clear, then the flow of communication will continue. Now, take a look at the flow of communication.

Flow of Communication In Air Force organizations, communication flows in three directions: upward, downward, and laterally. Organizations lacking effective channels of upward, downward, and lateral communication limit the quality of service they can provide to their customers.


Upward communication is the flow of communication through the chain of command from the lowest organizational position to the highest. Upward communication is important to the survival of any organization. It provides feedback on the effectiveness of downward communication. It's also the avenue for lower levels to communicate facts, opinions, and ideas to higher levels in the organization.

Downward communication normally begins with the organization's upper level of management and filters down through the chain of command. There are many different ways you can communicate information down the chain: memos, letters, meetings, phone calls, etc. The difficulty is in knowing which channel and how much information to use to converse without causing information overload. For example, should you communicate via letter, phone, personal

meeting, or all three? Also, how much information should you provide at one time? Should you include one page, ten pages, set a one-hour meeting, a two-hour meeting, etc.? The originator of the communication at each level determines the answers to these questions. The communicator must determine the most effective means and the amount of information to communicate at one time. This decision is based on who's receiving the information, the type of information, and how the information will be used.

When communicating down the chain, it is important to articulate clearly your leaders’ intent. The leader, in this case, refers to the person who has tasked you (supervisor, superintendent, Chief, commander, etc.) It is vital that you understand your leader’s intent before passing it down the chain. This requires the willingness and courage to ask clarifying questions of the leader when you are confused. One effective approach is to use a clarification response such as, “So, if I understand your orders (guidance, direction, task, etc.), you want __________ [fill in the blank by repeating what you believe you heard and understood]. Effective leaders are more than happy to clarify their instructions/tasking because they do not want people wasting time on things that are off track.

With lateral communication, information flows neither downward nor upward; instead, it flows across organizational channels. In the Air Force, each organization depends on another to carry out its respective mission. Lateral communication allows for coordination or integration of all diverse functions within and outside an organization. For instance, people in a small computer technical center depend on people in the civil

engineering electrical shop to carry out their mission. It requires communication across the board to make this happen, otherwise, better known as lateral communication between units.

Reading about the communication process in terms of four elements and three directions of communication makes it sound simple, but it's not! When you communicate, you involve your emotions and thoughts. Your values, interests, attitudes, culture, and the people who raised you influence your emotions and thoughts as well. Since all Airmen come from different areas and different cultures, it’s important that you make an effort to use words or symbols with the same meaning.


Even if you encode your message with your particular audience in mind, the most important thing you can do as a sender is to clarify the verbal and nonverbal feedback you receive. Fight for feedback! To have effective communication, use all the elements in the process and continue the process until you have a shared meaning. This will help you begin an effective communication process.

Progress Check

1. The basic communication process includes the following four elements:

a. Sender, message, receiver, and feedback

b. Sender, message, retriever, and comments

c. Sender, receiver, feedback, and comments

d. None of the above

2. What are the three ways communication flows?

a.

b.

c.


Effective Communication Process Effective communication is focused. It addresses an issue directly and completely without getting sidetracked and uses the least amount of words necessary to get the point across. High quality, well-focused communication follows the rules of language and grammar; presents ideas in a logical, systematic manner; does not hide ideas in a jungle of words; and takes the audience’s experience, background, and expectations into account. Moreover, effective communication uses logic and credible support to inform, persuade, or entertain an audience.

While you might vary how you approach a communication task, there are broad phases to effective communication. They are: diagnose communication needs, prepare the communication, and deliver the message. Regardless of whether your communication task is to write a letter, speak to an audience, conduct performance feedback, or correct a policy violation, following these basic steps will be your guide to success.

Regardless of how you’ll communicate your message (writing, speaking, counseling session, briefing, meeting), there are three broad phases you need to work through if you want to ensure an effective communication experience. The Tongue and Quill breaks out what needs to happen during each phase, so refer to it for reference. You’ll also be reminded of these phases in each separate Managerial Communication chapter, so you can see how they apply to each individual communication skill: speaking, writing, and interpersonal sessions.

Diagnose Communication Needs The first step in any successful military operation is diagnosing the situation; communicating in a managerial role is no different. Your success as a communicator is directly related to the amount of effort you’re willing to invest in diagnosing the communication needs of the situation. It’s critical that you take the time to perform this step since it sets the foundation that all remaining steps of the process rely on. The basic steps involved with diagnosing are defining the general purpose, selecting and narrowing the topic, defining the specific objective, analyzing the audience, and defining parameters.

When your communication isn’t as effective as you would like, it’s usually because you haven’t diagnosed the communication needs of the situation. The first of these steps is to determine your general purpose.


General Purpose

The purpose of communication is usually to cause an action, either mental or physical; to relay a message; or notify individuals about something. According to The Tongue and Quill, all Air Force writing or speaking falls under one or a combination of four general purposes: direct, inform, persuade, and inspire. The table below gives examples of each general purpose:

Directive communication is generally used to pass on information describing actions you expect to be carried out by your audience. The emphasis in directive communication is clear, concise directions and expectations for your audience.

The goal of informative communication is to pass on information to the audience. The communication is successful if the audience understands the message exactly the way the speaker or writer intended. The emphasis in informative communication is clear, direct communication with accurate and adequate information tailored to the education and skill levels of the audience.

Persuasive communication is typically used when you are trying to “sell” your audience on a new idea, new policy, new product, or change in current operations.

Direct

Emphasize what to do Tell what

must be done Audience

must follow directions Specific

Verbal, technical, or travel orders Letter of

counseling Operating

instructions Policy letters/

newsletters Memos for

record Bulletins Checklists Briefings Commander’s

call E-mail

Recruiting presentations Safety briefings Letters of

counseling Justification for

money, supplies, equipment, people, or other resources Retention

interview and career planning Fund raising

efforts

Heritage event speech Dining-in or

dining-out Speech during

a tribute Recruiters

speaking engagement to inspire and motivate

Inform

Persuade

Inspire


Though emotions are one tool of persuasion, most persuasive communication in the workplace requires convincing evidence put together in a logical way.

One final purpose of writing or speaking that doesn’t get much attention but is frequently used in the military is to inspire. As you climb the leadership ladder, you will increasingly be requested to perform retirements, promotions, and commander’s calls that will present opportunities where you will want to inspire the audience with your profound insight on someone’s career or possibly your philosophy on leadership.

Select/Narrow Topic

Once you know what your intentions are, you can select and narrow your topic if the topic is not assigned to you. This is especially true in a military environment. Some broad areas you might be asked to write or speak about could include: safety, training, your unit, professionalism, your job, or PME.

From those choices, begin by breaking a broad subject down. The best way to narrow the topic is simply to list all of the major aspects of the broad area on a sheet of paper. Once listed, you may want to prioritize the subtopics based on your experience with each, the amount of information available, the amount of time you have to prepare, etc. Ultimately, you’ll have to use some criteria to choose which aspect of the broad subject to focus on in your communication. Think about what your audience is already familiar with, the most critical aspects versus minor or insignificant ones, and what aspects will the audience likely need to know in the immediate future.

Specific Objective

The next important step of diagnosing is to define the specific objective, or “bottom line” of the communication. Determine what you want the audience to do because of the communication. The general purpose objective identifies what the communicator intends to do: direct, inform, persuade, or inspire; but, the specific objective defines the desired result on the target audience. In defining your specific objective, ask yourself the following question: “What do I want my audience to do as a result of my communication?” The response to this question will always indicate some action expected of the audience. Defining what you want the audience to do is important because if the audience becomes confused, it will tune out your message. A specific objective will also help you stay focused and allow you to determine if the communication was effective. When drafting a document with a specific objective, your reader should always be able to comprehend how a supervisor’s communicator skills impact mission accomplishment.

Once you’re clear about what you want your audience to do, you’ll have to decide how much material you’ll need to accomplish that objective. The only way to know this is to analyze your audience.

Analyze Audience

There are actually two separate audiences to consider. The sending audience is the person responsible for the message, and the receiving audience is the intended recipient of the message.


The sending audience could be you or someone else for whom you happen to be writing or speaking. For example, suppose you must write a letter to some base organization on behalf of your supervisor or superintendent. In order to reach the specific objective, you’ll need to know some information about both audiences.

Analyzing your sending audience (when necessary) will help you understand the sender’s intentions, expected responses from the receiving audience, communication style, deadlines, etc. Determine what information you might need from your sending audience before you can proceed. Would the sender want you to direct, inform, or persuade? Determine if there are any details that need to be included. Next, determine the flow of communication – upward, downward, or lateral. Make sure you know who the point of contact will be for the project or activity for any questions you may have. You may also write a draft and have the sender preview it and provide you feedback.

Analyzing your receiving audience provides you with information like age, sex, experience, educational level, purpose, occupational skills, goals, etc. This will help you tailor the message to fit them. Determine what you need to know about your receiving audience before you proceed with your message. Who are they? What do they already know? What do they need to hear to reach the objective you have set? Do you know what their past experiences are? If so, can they be used as examples or ways to link to information you are providing? Research the receiving audience’s attitudes, values, and beliefs. Does your audience have any special needs? Research the average rank, AFSC, age, etc. to help customize your message.

You may be able to get some of this information from the person who asked you to write or speak. You may also ask the audience specific target questions as you begin speaking. Talking with a subject expert will help you gain knowledge of your subject. You may even find someone who has written or spoken to that group before.

So far, you’ve learned that diagnosing communication needs involved defining the general purpose by selecting and narrowing the topic, defining the specific objective, and by analyzing the audience. The last thing on the “diagnosis checklist” is to define parameters.

Define Parameters

Limitations come attached to all managerial communication tasks. These limitations may come in the form of explicit directions, or simply be implied according to the type of communication. In any case, defining your parameters early in the communication process will save you time and effort.


Think about some of the major parameters that affect managerial communication: the amount of product to complete (quantity), the amount of time to prepare the communication (timeliness), the specific form of communication needs to be defined (type), the desired level of formality, the tone of the communication, and the amount of time allowed for delivering the message.

How much time there is to prepare and deliver the message is important to diagnosing your message. Knowing or determining the best format, like e-mail, meeting, phone call, posting a memo to the bulletin board, etc., will help when diagnosing your message as well.

Now that you have thoroughly diagnosed your communication needs, you can move on to the next major phase in developing effective managerial communication: prepare the communication.


Progress Check

3. List the four General Purposes of AF communication and give an example of each one.

a.

b.

c.

d.

4. List each phase of effective communication process in the squares below.

5. Which one of the following is NOT an example of a general purpose?

a. Inspire

b. Inform

c. Convince

d. Direct

6. The best way to narrow the topic is to:


7. Why is the specific objective so important to effective communication?

8. Analyzing your audience step includes analyzing the sending, receiving, and external audiences.

a. True

b. False

9. Match the three major parameters that affect supervisory communication to their definitions:

Quantity

Timeliness

Type

Amount of time to prepare

Parameters of voice inflection

Words being spoken

Specific form of communication

Amount of product to complete


Prepare the Communication The next phase in preparing for a military operation is to decide how to accomplish the objective. In supervisory communication, this same logic applies as you prepare the communication. This step will require you to conduct research, develop support, organize those results, and wind up in the drafting and editing processes.

The Tongue and Quill highly recommends doing your researching first, then gathering support before you organize your data; other sources may recommend a different sequence. You may have even learned from civilian schools a specific order of these same operations. While there is no one best way to complete the steps in preparing the communication, choose The Tongue and Quill approach since it provides the most logical order and it will be a ready reference.

Research It is just about impossible to adequately prepare for any briefing, writing assignment, or interpersonal session without first doing some type of research on the subject. To develop “substance,” or foundation of information, you need to rely on certain sources of information. Your research plan should include these sources in this order: yourself, others who are familiar with your subject, and finally reference sources.

Development It is vitally important to support your communication because no one is an expert on every topic. Referring to factual information provides an effective motivator for the listener, especially if they are hostile to the message. Not all people interpret things the same way, so providing different perspectives helps the listener understand the concepts. By developing concept support, you enhance your credibility as a speaker.

When considering selections for your support material, look at information and decide how well it supports your ideas, how well it fits into the time limit, how much time there is to prepare, how it is important to the objective, and whether or not it has appeal to the audience.

Always remember that preparation time may limit your support due to the amount of time it takes to gather information. It also may limit the types of support you can provide. If you are fortunate to have a longer amount of time to prepare, it may allow you to include a greater variety of support from more sources.

Remember, the primary purposes for using support material are to clarify, amplify, reinforce, or emphasize your ideas or prove your assertions. To achieve this, you should use two types of support: clarification support and proof support.


Yourself as a Credible Source

When looking for source support, consider your personal knowledge and your own experience first. With that said, most students immediately ask, “Do I have to acknowledge myself as a source?” Well think of it this way, suppose you met CMSAF (Retired) Rodney J. McKinley and decided to write an article about the experience and then submit it to your base paper. You wrote about your feelings and impression of the chief and you conducted research and found out how many of the other former Chiefs have visited your base.

Given all the information in your article is obviously your own knowledge, experience, and research, there is no requirement to formally acknowledge yourself as the source.

Furthermore, determine what you already know about the subject before you start looking elsewhere. Your experiences with the specific situation, or your collective years with similar situations, can often provide a strong base of information. In examining your own personal knowledge base, you might discover you have gaps in your information. This will indicate where you need to conduct more research.

For example, imagine that you must prepare a letter of counseling (LOC) for your subordinate based on his repeated failure to carry out a routine. Tap into your own knowledge to research this situation by recalling the standards you had set for the task. Depend on your own observances of the poor performance and refer back to any previous verbal feedback or written correspondence.

Common Knowledge

Common knowledge can be used in the same manner as your own personal knowledge and experiences; there is no need to acknowledge the source. Some examples of common knowledge are:

• There are four seasons in the year.

• There 365 days in a year.

• The United States entered World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

• The state bird of Georgia is the brown thrasher.


Standard Information

Sometimes you know a fact, but you don’t know how you know it, where you learned it, or where you could find it to give the source credit. According to The Little Brown Handbook,

standard information includes facts commonly known, including historical facts.

For instance on 7 December 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor, on 18 September 1947, the Air Force became an independent service, and on 3 April 1967, Paul W. Airey became the first CMSgt of the Air Force.

How many references do you think acknowledge these facts, dozens, or perhaps

hundreds? The Little Brown Handbook says that you don’t have to acknowledge the source even if you had to look the information up. While standard information can often be found in multiple references, the second area of common knowledge, folk literature, has more elusive origins.

The Tongue and Quill says that support materials represent a larger fact in order to cite an abstract idea or support a claim. Examples must be appropriate, brief, and attention arresting.”

Others as Credible Sources

You may consider speaking to others who have information on the subject that you’re researching. The best information sources are those individuals who can assist in clarifying your questions and those who can provide facts and testimony to support your efforts. These subject matter experts can usually provide additional sources of information.

Other people could prove to be a valid source of support in this situation, such as coworkers or other supervisors that may have observed the subordinate fail to accomplish the task. Co-workers may also be able to explain how your subordinate’s poor duty performance has affected them.

Reference Sources

Most of the communication tasks you’ll receive during your first few years as a supervisor won’t require extensive research beyond the boundaries of your organization. However, you should become familiar with how to find timely and accurate information in case the need arises. The Internet, including Air Force websites like the e-publishing site, and libraries are great places to begin your research.


Other examples of reference sources include Internet search engines, paper-based or electronic books, periodicals, AFIs, the World Wide Web, The Tongue and Quill, and UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). Other reference information can be found through a career field education and training plan, technical orders, training plan, Air Force directives, operating instructions, safety directives, shift logs, and automated performance tracking systems.

Review your personal knowledge base regarding writing a letter of counseling and consider how to further research the subject from sources beyond yourself and other people. Determine whether or not you have gaps in your information. Learning more about what information you have and don’t have will indicate where you need to conduct more research.

Clarification Support

Clarification support presents a clearer message to the audience and gives variety to your communication. When you use clarification support, you’re able to provide examples and additional descriptive details and emphasize the ideas. You can accomplish that by using definitions to explain standards to new Airmen or provide clearer understanding of abstract ideas like customs and courtesies. During training, clarification support would be helpful when explaining how failing to perform a task impacts mission accomplishment. It would also help when comparing the lack of attention to detail to other critical duties in the work center. Sharing examples of past incidents resulting from someone failing to perform similar duties is a highly motivating clarification method.

Clarification support is very effective and you’ll use it often, but sometimes you’ll need something a little stronger to prove your point.

Proof Support

Statistics are considered the most powerful proof support you can use. You may ask yourself, “How would I use statistics in a supervisory role?” Use them to provide briefings on safety, suicide prevention, and work center effectiveness. They may be used in an official memorandum to justify additional manpower. You would also want to use them when writing an award package or EPR to justify the impact of superior performance.

Refer to AFH 33-337, The Tongue and Quill, for

guidance on written and spoken communication.


Always remember to consider how recent the statistics are; old statistics can hurt your credibility if someone in your audience has more recent data. There is even the possibility that old statistics may not be relevant any more.

Testimonials or quotes will sometimes aid specific types of supervisory communications, especially from commanders who support a promotion recommendation in writing. Testimony from a renowned expert can convince an audience to take action in a briefing. Quotes from famous personalities could generate interest or offer help during interpersonal sessions and meetings.

Using clarification and proof support will greatly enhance your communication; however, you must remember to cite and integrate your sources properly to achieve maximum results. You will learn more on support sources in the Source Support main point.

Integration and Citation

Integration and citation are two requirements for source support in written and spoken projects. While citing sources, you should integrate and give them proper citation. Integration means the source is incorporated into the text, paper, or speech; it allows the reader or listener to know where the information came from simply by reading or listening. Far too many times the writer depends on a citation page or other attachments to provide support. This is not an effective way to communicate. The document should stand on its own by having the source directly integrated.

Example: Dr. Green said that stress accounts for over 60% of heart attacks.

When you work with spoken projects, integration and qualification are also the two requirements for source support in spoken projects. It lets the listening audience know where you obtained your information. If you were using Dr. Green’s material, you could say:

“Dr. Green said that stress accounts for over 60% of heart attacks.”

Citation is a method used to verify the source’s credibility on a book, article, webpage, or other published item. When using any material word-for-word from a source, use quotation marks around the entire statement. Introducing the author of your quote provides credibility to your speech by convincing your audience that the quote came from a reputable source. At the NCOA, endnotes are used to indicate where you got your information.

Example: Dr. Green said that stress accounts for over 60% of heart attacks.

In spoken projects, your audience will not have the benefit of a citation page so verbal citation is the only way to indicate the validity of your material. Take a look at the best way to qualify Dr. Green’s material in a briefing.

When quoting or paraphrasing (taking the meaning and/or similar words from a source

and restating them in a different way), you must give credit to the original author

for his or her work. Otherwise, you could be in danger of

plagiarizing.


Example: “Dr. Green, a heart specialist at the Mayo Clinic, says stress accounts for over 60% of all heart attacks.”

The qualification of Dr. Green as “a heart specialist at the Mayo Clinic” tells the audience that he is a credible expert on heart attacks.

For clarification, always integrate and cite source support in papers and integrate and qualify source support in your speeches and briefings. Since there are several ways to cite sources shown in the reference books, refer to The Tongue and Quill for how to cite. For the NCOA in-residence course, the use of endnotes is mandated using the source’s name in the text and the source information in the endnote entries. The Tongue and Quill, pages 344 and 353, provides guidance on endnotes.

When using more than one source in a project, reintroduce the source in the text (integrate) and endnote the source information (citation) in each paragraph. For an example of this, look for the names Bassett and Leedy, on page 353 of The Tongue and Quill.

When you are giving a speech or brief, you do not have to fully integrate and qualify the source each time. Instead, once you have qualified the source in your presentation, simply reintroduce the name of the author, book, etc. to communicate the source information. Your next step is to organize your support material into a logical flow so the target audience can easily make sense of it.

Organizing Communication Organizing communication is an important step toward effectively reaching your specific objective. Organized communication is carefully planned and follows a logical sequence, grouping related ideas together.

There are several important sub-steps to organizing your communication: selecting a suitable pattern, defining main and support points, constructing an outline, and transitioning between main points. When you’re given or when you select your own subject, your mind starts to generate ideas about the subject. Organizing those ideas will help you develop the subject clearly and logically and ultimately help your audience reach the specific objective.

Following a sequence allows the audience to understand the logical progression of your ideas. Organization also helps you fully develop each idea before moving on, show the clear relationship between ideas, and finally build your communication to a logical conclusion.

Grouping your related ideas together will make it easier for your audience to understand the message. It will also form complete units of thought, which are easier for people to process mentally. Grouping also helps you determine which ideas are relevant to your subject and audience.


Selecting a Pattern

Using a pattern helps you present ideas in a logical sequence and allows the audience to follow the communication from start to finish. A pattern will also help in developing transitions. When selecting your pattern, consider how to best reach your specific objective, what are your audience’s needs, and what is the nature of the material.

Having already reviewed the information you gathered from your research efforts, you may have found that you can organize some topics in only one logical pattern. However, some topics can be developed in a number of different fashions. Look at some of the patterns most common to supervisory communications.

Some communication patterns for you to consider: topical, time/chronological, spatial/geographical, reason, problem/solution, and cause/effect (or effect/cause).

Time/chronological pattern is a talking paper detailing the implementation schedule for a change in procedures, a letter of counseling, or a letter of reprimand.

Reasoning pattern is a shop chief wants to convince the superintendent to increase his supply budget to cover an unexpected increase in the cost of cleaning supplies necessary to his operation.

Problem/solution pattern is the unit training manager has to brief the commander about a plan to solve the problem of overdue training in the unit (or any communication that details a process like problem-solving or step-by-step course of action).

Cause/effect pattern is a report that details the causes of a vehicle accident and the damages that resulted (effect); a briefing covering a decrease in section manning (effect) caused by budget cuts and wing reorganization (cause).

Topical pattern is a talk about how the typical college population might be divided into topical divisions of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

• Time/Chronological

• Reasoning

• Problem/Solution

• Cause/Effect

• Topical


A combination of patterns can also be used. For example, the first main point could detail the problem, with the sub points following a cause/effect pattern. The second main point, the solution, may follow a reason, time, or spatial pattern. The key to selecting patterns is to choose the one that logically develops your ideas from start to finish.

Once the ideas are grouped together based on a relationship or theme, you’ll need to find one or two words that describe the relationship between each of the items in the group. This will become the main idea that will be used later in the organizing process. That’s the next step in organizing your communication.

Determine Main Points and Support

Once the pattern has been chosen, the next step in organizing is to sort all of the ideas about the subject to determine the main points and sub-points.

How can you begin to organize your ideas into main and sub-point? Begin by listing all ideas about the subject, combine related ideas into groups, and complete an outline to see where everything fits. By listing all of your ideas when organizing your communication, you are able to clear your mind and get all of your ideas out where you can see them. This will help you see how much you already know about your subject and decide how much research, if any, you’ll have to do. You can sort relevant ideas from those that are not relevant to your subject and visualize naturally related groups of ideas.

Once you get all your ideas on paper, look for common themes or related ideas and group those related ideas together. Once you’ve selected your pattern and defined your main and support points, you need to test your ideas to see if they’ll work within that pattern. The best way to do that is to create a visual picture of your ideas. That visual picture is called an outline.

Outlining Even the most experienced builders follow a blueprint when building a house. A well-constructed outline is a blueprint for your communication that ensures your finished product looks the way you intended it to.

By using an outline, you can concentrate on one point at a time to ensure ideas are fully developed. The outline keeps you on course, despite any interruptions that may occur. By being well organized, you will save time and that means less editing. An outline provides a brief visual overview of your presentation to ensure it is the best sequence of ideas and that it has a logical arrangement. You can also use an outline to act as a road map for putting together your entire paper or verbal presentation.

One other benefit of outlining is the flexibility it provides you. Would you rather find out that an idea doesn't fit now or when your entire product is finished? If something is not working now, recheck your logic and try again.


The outline will help you see potential problems before they become serious setbacks. Remember, an outline is simply a tool to help you organize and visualize your thoughts and ideas.

At this stage in preparing your communication, you need to consider how the audience will know that you’re moving from one main point to the next. Transitions are the devices that help the audience know this shift is occurring. While not every form of supervisory communication uses the same type of transition, you need to incorporate some type of transition into all of your communications.

Transitions

Transitions show connections between ideas. Without transitions, your communications are nothing more than a group of individual ideas. In some narrative writing, and in virtually all public speaking situations, transitions need to be clearly expressed. To transition effectively between main ideas, remember this handy formula: restate, relate, and introduce. Begin your transition by restating the main point or idea you just covered, then describe its relationship to your next main point, and finally introduce the next main point or idea you’ll be covering. For example: “As I stated at the beginning…”, or “then it will be necessary to…”, and “lastly, it is important to remember…” By providing these transitional cues, your audience will be able to follow your ideas from start to finish.

When working with a chronological pattern, transitional words or phrases could include first, then, and lastly. You may want to use “initially…until…finally” to keep your ideas in order. Some speakers find words like “started by…went on to…concluded with” to be good pattern choices.

Transitional words or phrases in a problem/solution pattern might include, “the problem with…the solution to the problem…”, or “now that we’ve become familiar with the problem, let’s devise a solution.”

Transitions help the audience follow the same logical flow of ideas you used to develop your communication. They serve as verbal bridges linking ideas together. Transitions provide the common threads that tie your entire communications, so an audience can easily reach the objective. By letting people know what’s coming next, you allow them to process the information much easier and retain it longer.


Now that you have all the information you need, and it’s organized and flowing in a clear, logical order with a definite beginning and ending, it’s time to fill in the bulk of the communication. Just like any masterpiece, it may take several attempts to get it like you want it. The final step in preparing communication, draft and edit, will help you obtain a positive result.

Draft and Edit Keep a few things in mind as you start the drafting process. A draft is not the finished product, and each sentence doesn’t have to be polished and perfect. In the first draft, your main objective is to get your ideas down on paper. Develop your three-part structure containing an introduction, body, and a conclusion. The introduction must capture your audience’s attention, establish rapport, and announce your purpose. The body must be an effective sequence of ideas that flow logically in a series of paragraphs. The conclusion must summarize the main points stated in the body and close smoothly. Take a closer look at each component.

Introduction

A good introduction includes an Attention Step, Purpose Statement, Motivation/Hook, and Overview. These elements capture the audience’s attention and inform them of the purpose of the communication. A good introduction also provides a roadmap so the audience knows where your communication is headed.

If you are conducting a briefing to an audience that may not know you, begin your briefing by introducing yourself. If the audience knows you, then you may not need to introduce yourself. Then your first step is to let your audience know it’s time to focus on your message. What follows are several techniques to gain your audience’s attention.

• Rhetorical Questions are used to prompt listeners or readers to seek answers in their own minds and to stimulate them to think about the matters that you want them to deal with.

Example: An insurance agent speaking to a group of potential customers, might say, “What would you do if your house burned down tonight?” This question gains the audience’s attention and gets them thinking about insurance.

• Quotations are also an excellent way to begin a speech or paper as long as it is relevant to what follows.

• Jokes must be appropriate for your audience and relevant to what follows. Do not use jokes if there is any chance that someone will be offended.

• Startling Statement can be used to jar the audience into paying attention.


Example: “You can eat in a different restaurant three times a day for 15 years and still not eat in every restaurant in New York City.”

• Gimmicks can quickly gain the audience’s attention.

Example: Speaker holds up a clenched fist, and states, “I have in my hand something that no human being has ever seen before, and, a moment after I open my hand, no one will ever see it again.” The speaker opens his hand revealing a peanut in a shell. He opens the shell, eats the peanut, and then makes the point that ideas are as useless as peanuts in a shell unless they are properly expressed.

• Common Grounds help audiences pay more attention when they have something in common with the speaker.

Purpose Statement

Your purpose statement must clearly and succinctly address your purpose for communicating. It must be well focused because it provides the underlying theme for the rest of your communication and addresses your reason for communicating.

A well-developed purpose statement does three things. First, it narrows the subject. Second, it makes an assertion or states a precise opinion about the subject. Third, it lets the reader or audience know your reason for the communication—to inform, to persuade or to motivate – in a smooth, seamless manner.

As The Little Brown Handbook states, avoid saying, “the purpose of my paper…” or “the purpose of my speech…”. Using phrases such as these are clear, but very heavy-handed and mechanical. 2

Jefferson D. Bates in his book, Writing with Precision, provides the following questions to answer while you are developing your purpose statement:

• What is the real reason I am writing this?

• What is the main idea I want to convey?

• What response do I desire to elicit from the reader?3

The Little Brown Handbook is an easy-to-use reference book

that will answer your questions about grammar,

writing, or research.


Motivation/Hook

An effective motivation/hook tells Why the audience needs to listen, How they can use the information, and what makes them Want to listen. Think about how you can relate to your listeners and get them to relate to you or your topic. Appealing to your audience on a personal level captures their attention, increasing the chances of motivation and successful communication. Some examples of motivational hooks include: presenting shocking statistics, asking direct questions of the audience, or enlisting audience participation.

Overview

A good overview provides a road map for your audience. It gives clues to the structure of the communication (main points), tells the audience where you will begin (main point 1) and end (main point X), and tells how you’re going to accomplish your purpose. A good overview not only sets up your audience’s expectations about the length and direction of your communication, it smoothly moves your audience forward as you transition to your first main point.

The introduction is critical to gaining an audience’s attention, but keeping it requires good organization and support. With that in mind, let’s explore the next component of basic communication, the Body.

Body

The body is where you deliver your message and achieve your objective (inform, motivate, persuade, etc.). A well-written body systematically guides the audience through your communication using a logical pattern.

The body is made up of an orderly sequence of main ideas (main points) using one or more paragraphs. Each paragraph has topic sentences and unity. That is everything in the paragraph relates to a single idea. The body also has coherence, which means it follows an appropriate pattern, contains effective transitions, and uses nouns, pronouns, and verbs correctly.

Topic Sentences

There is usually very little room in military or government writing for fiction. People do not have time to wade through piles of extraneous material trying to reach the "bottom line." Therefore, put the bottom line up front. Put the main idea in the topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph.

By placing the topic sentence up front, you save your readers the trouble of sorting through all the details before they decide that the information you included doesn't really apply to them. Also, when you include a bunch of information before the topic sentence, your readers must start juggling these bits of information while trying to tie them together. The more you give them to juggle, the better the chances they'll drop something.

A good topic sentence is the key to a good paragraph. There are several things your topic sentence should do to help your paragraph off to a good start and to keep your reader from dropping your writing into a desk drawer or the trash.


A topic sentence should:

1. express the main ideas of each paragraph;

2. serve as the focal point for supporting details, facts, figures, and examples;

3. prepare readers for supporting information; and

4. normally be the first sentence; it sets the mood and catches the reader's interest.

Every paragraph should have a topic sentence with a controlling idea that definitely announces what the paragraph is trying to convey. The first step toward paragraph unity often depends upon the application of this principle. Now that you understand what is needed for a good topic sentence, it's time to "prove" what you say to your readers. Here is where you add the next part of an effective paragraph—unity.

Progress Check

10. Topic Sentences

In the space provided, write the letter of the sentence that best expresses the main idea (topic sentence) of this paragraph.

(a) Is the training provided for these air traffic controllers adequate? (b) Are there sufficient regulations on private aircraft to reduce the possibility of their flying in airspace used by commercial airlines? (c) Questions abound about the safety of air travel in today’s crowded skies. (d) Finally, are the current regulations covering the aging equipment of commercial airlines sufficient to ensure the safest possible air travel? (e) Are there enough air traffic controllers to regulate the current flow of air traffic?

Topic sentence is _____


Unity

Unity means all sentences support the topic sentence, which, in turn, supports the main point. One of the most effective methods for checking unity is called the “because test.” Simply place the word “because” at the end of each supporting sentence, to see if it supports the topic sentence. Likewise, place “because” at the end of the topic sentence to see if it supports your purpose.

Read the following paragraph and use the “because test” to determine whether everything in the paragraph supports the topic sentence.

Did you catch it? The sentence about fishing flunks the “because test.”

“In south Texas hill country, numerous small lakes, and rivers invite the angler to try his hand at catching bass and trout because Texas is a hunter’s paradise.

At this point, you should either remove the line about fishing, or revise the topic sentence. Which would you do?

Important Note: Sometimes you will see topic sentences placed anywhere in a paragraph. However, in the Air Force the topic sentence is always the first line of a paragraph in the body of your communication projects. Remember, topic sentences introduce the main idea (theme) of a paragraph by summarizing what the paragraph is all about. They provide focus for the paragraph, order for the audience, and they tie back to the overview by answering the why, how or when of the purpose statement.


When you say that your controlling idea is true "because..." and then give support or evidence in a one-two-three order, your sentences of explanation are likely to actually support the central, or controlling, idea of your topic sentence. It follows that your remaining sentences will probably be logical and unified, that your paragraph will have a dominant idea throughout, and that every sentence idea given in support of the controlling idea will be closely related to it. But if you were to introduce one unrelated or irrelevant sentence or idea, you would destroy the unity of the paragraph. You’re not done yet, you’re paper needs to be coherent.

Progress Check

11. Unity

In the space provided, write the letter of the sentence that does not belong in the following paragraph.

(a) The practice of veterinary medicine today is becoming increasingly more specialized. (b) Thus, it is not uncommon, even in midsize cities, to find veterinarians certified as specialists in dentistry, cardiology, and surgery. (c) Many veterinarians have not read James Herriot’s books on the practice of unspecialized veterinary medicine in England in the 1920s. (d) These specialists must take additional course work after they have completed their D.V.M., must pass rigorous exams in their chosen area, and must practice veterinary medicine for a minimum of 2 years. (e) Both the number of specialties and the number of doctors electing to become certified in specialties are increasing, promising to change the nature of veterinary medicine in the near future.

Sentence ______ does not belong.

12. Unity

The following paragraph contains ideas or details that do not support the central idea. Circle the number next to the sentence that best expresses the main idea (topic sentence) of the paragraph and draw lines through any unrelated content in the paragraph.

(1) Next to most homes, there is a garden where fresh vegetables are gathered for canning. (2) They use coal or wood burning stoves for heating and cooking. (3) Their homes do not have electricity or indoor bathrooms or running water. (4) The towns can’t afford to put in sewer or power lines because they don’t receive adequate funding from the state and federal governments. (5) In the southern part of the state, some people still live much as they did a century ago. (6) Small, nearby pastures support livestock, including cattle, pigs, horses, and chickens. (7) Most of the people have cars or trucks, but the vehicles are old and junky from traveling on unpaved roads.

Topic Sentence is ______ Unrelated content in sentences _____________


Coherence

Internal transitions help ensure your communication is coherent by tying ideas and sentences together. They can be simple (and, but, nor, for, yet, or and so) or complex (however, moreover, nevertheless, therefore, hence, anyway, furthermore and on the other hand). External transitions are sentences used to provide a link between paragraphs within your communication. Transitions help an audience know where you’ve been and where you’re going, and they allow the audience to shift mental gears as you proceed through your communication.

Read the following two paragraphs out loud for a demonstration of how transitions can make a difference in coherence.

The two paragraphs clearly demonstrate how internal and external transitions not only give paragraphs coherence; they help move an audience smoothly along the communication path. With the body covered, it’s time to look at the final component of basic communication.


Progress Check

13. Coherence

When arranged correctly, the following sentences form one coherent paragraph. Write the correct order in the spaces provided.

(1) Halfway down the hill, they came to a screeching halt when they saw a large elephant standing in the middle of the road. (2) The elephant started running at an alarming rate of speed up the hill toward a fountain on the front yard of a large estate. (3) One late spring morning, Jane and Jill decided to drive to their favorite park in the Berkshire Hills, to have a picnic. (4) When the elephant reached the yard, it began to spray the water from the fountain with its trunk; obviously, the playful elephant presented no danger, so they drove on. (5) It was a scenic route through a broad river valley, up and down a winding road, which surrounded the valley.

The correct order is: ___, ___, ___, ___, ___

14. Coherence

When arranged correctly, the following sentences form one coherent paragraph. Write the correct order in the spaces provided.

(1) Then Maggie throws her head back and slaps her thigh. 2) When something strikes her as funny, she first lets out a shriek of surprise. 3) The most amazing thing about Maggie is her laughter. 4) After that, she breaks into loud hoots. 5) When the laughter stops, she shakes her head from side to side and says, “Lord have mercy.”

The correct order is: ___, ___, ___, ___, ___

Conclusion

The conclusion is the last and often neglected part of well-arranged communication. The conclusion is your last chance to summarize your communication and give your audience a sense of closure. Your introduction and conclusion should balance each other without being identical. Many professional speakers and writers consider the conclusion the most important part of the communication because it’s the final thought and because research shows people remember best what is said last. A good conclusion lets the audience know where you’ve been, how they can benefit, and that the communication is over.

All good conclusions include three elements: summary, restatement of purpose and/or re-motivation, and closure.


Summary

A summary is a brief and concise review of all main points and supporting ideas that are critical to achieving your goal. Well-developed summaries show a logical relationship between the main points and the purpose of the communication. In addition, summaries act like brake lights alerting your audience that the presentation is about to end. Always remember, your summaries must not contain any new information.

Restatement of Purpose/Re-motivation

If your purpose was to inform, tell the audience why they should remember or use the information. If your purpose was to persuade, you have two options. 1) Make a recommendation—tell the audience what you want them to do with the information. 2) Restate your position and make a final appeal to the audience. The most effective restatement/re-motivation ties back to the motivation used in the introduction while clearly indicating how the audience can benefit from the information presented.

Closure

An effective closure signals the paper or speech is over. It brings the paper or speech “full circle” by reminding the audience of your introduction. Therefore, you must plan a definite, obvious ending that provides a sense of finality.

Techniques used in the opening can be used to close as well. One of the most effective techniques is to tie closing remarks back to your opening statement. For example, “Let me close by asking a single question. Can we live with the results if this problem isn’t fixed? I say no!” See how this helps tie your original main theme to the closing remark? You may be thinking, “How do I get my thoughts organized?” Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Brainstorming Tools Mind-Mapping This is a great tool for brainstorming and the rules are simple:

• Have a well-focused topic. • Have a well-developed purpose statement. • Perform a Brain Dump! That is, write everything down as it comes to your mind

(brainstorming), without analyzing, or at least very little analyzing. • Connect like items/thoughts as you go along (getting organized). • Erase and/or redraw lines and correct items as you go, but don’t dwell on corrections. • Allow one thought to lead to another and another and keep connecting ideas until you

run out of ideas. • When you are finished, you’ll have a fairly accurate “blueprint” of all your thoughts and

with patterns of organization practically completed. • Group like items under categories.


Free-Writing

One other very useful tool to help you get started writing is called free writing.

When you write, you let your internal “critical judge” criticize and correct your work, which often results in writers giving up in frustration. Free writing is an effective method for overcoming your internal critical judge.


Just like mind-mapping, the rules are simple:

• Type/write whatever comes to mind and don’t worry about its relationship to the topic - suspend all judgment.

• Do not look back at what you wrote, but keep typing or writing.

• Do not worry about spelling, grammar, complete sentences and thoughts, paragraphs, transitions, etc.

• After exhausting your thoughts, walk away without looking over your work while you take a cooling-off period.

As you have just learned, writing can be fun and creative. Now that you have learned how to map out your plan, now take a deeper look at the various support material used to support your purpose.

SELF-REFLECTION OPPORTUNITY: Why is communication important in your profession? What are some ways you communicate at work? Do you prefer oral or written communication? Why? How are you going to improve your communication skills?


Progress Check

15. ___________________ ____________________ help you create a fairly accurate “blueprint” of all your thoughts and with patterns of organization.

16. The Free Writing Rules are:

a.

b.

c.

d.


Mind Map or Free Writing Exercise

Practice Free Writing or create a Mind Map using what you have just learned to show how to help your subordinates deliver effective communication.


Source Support Although you previously touched on source support when you learned about the development of your communication piece, let’s take the time to go a little deeper to learn more about it.

Support Material Examples The T&Q says, “An example is a specific instance chosen to represent a larger fact in order to clarify an abstract idea or support a claim. Examples must be appropriate, brief, and attention arresting.”4

Real life examples (historical or current events):

1. How powerful books can be. Uncle’s Tom’s Cabin started a war.

2. How costly a DWI can be? They increase insurance rates, create loss of life or limb, and dead-end careers.

3. Results of increased operation tempo relate to retention problems, increased family problems, and decreased morale.

4. Imaginary (jokes or parables):

5. Example:

David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, or Jay Leno commentaries.

Aesop’s fables.

Brief Examples

Brief examples are normally presented in short clusters of two or three. Brief examples are more effective if they are specific instead of general. They can be used as citation support, proof support, or to condense a massive amount of narrative information.

Here are three examples:

Citation Support: Defined as making it easier to understand:

Example:

Air University often looks at critical processes. For example, staff and faculty are currently looking at ways to leverage technology to reduce costs across the university.

Proof Support: Defined as establishing something as true and/or factual.

Example:


Speak slowly, and maintain control of the rate of your voice.

Speak loudly enough for everyone to hear you clearly.

Tailor the briefing to your audience (not over their heads, lower than their experience).

Most AF briefing are 3-5 minutes long.

Closing

Provide a summary to include key ideas.

Ensure that closing remarks summarize the topic and support the briefing’s purpose.

Avoid introducing any new information.

End the briefing on a note of completion. (This concludes my briefing)

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and PRACTICE some more!

Speakers who practice come across as experts on the subject…even if they are not! They establish a greater degree of flexibility, and are better prepared to answer questions from their audiences.

You are encouraged:

Time your briefing especially if you will be on the clock.

Practice your briefing in the room where it will be delivered when possible.

The Air Force Portal is great place to start for researching this topic.

Key Air Force Leadership Message Briefing You must be prepared to brief Key Air Force Leadership Messages to subordinates and other key audiences. Learning about the different messages helps NCOs to gain a better understanding of how Air Force leaders think. It’s essential to understand that these briefings are important because they inform your work center of leadership messages from various levels of command and leaders. To do this successfully, you must be able to conduct research about key messages, and then prepare briefings that capture the essence of the messages.

The Key Air Force Leadership Message is informational in nature. You should develop a talking paper first to help organize your message. When you deliver a briefing, be prepared to deliver it with minimal memory aids and very little reading. Make sure you limit reading to quotes and information that must be read to be accurate. You will receive additional information in The Culture of Engagement chapter.


Select a Key United States Air Force Leadership Message to brief.

Sources for Key USAF Leadership Message include but are not limited to:

HAF (SECAF and CSAF)

CMSAF

MAJCOM Commanders or Command Chiefs

Combatant Commanders or Command Chiefs

Direct Reporting Unit Commanders or Command Chiefs

Field Operating Agency Commanders or Command Chiefs

Number Air Force Commanders or Command Chiefs

Civil Air Patrol (National Commander only)

Once again, the Air Force Portal is a good place to research this topic. Now that you have covered the Key USAF Leadership Message, turn your attention to the Personal Air Force Narrative Briefing.

Personal Air Force Narrative Briefing An Air Force Narrative focuses on you responding to questions from key audiences that want to know what you do for the Air Force, why you joined, why you are still a member, and so forth. All NCOs need to understand the requirement and rationale for all Airmen to engage the American public to “tell the Air Force story.” Therefore, you as an NCO must be prepared to tell your positive Air Force story to key audiences. To do this successfully, you must compose a personal narrative that tells your personal story while also staying in your lane and without compromising OPSEC (Operational Security). Writing your Air Force Narrative gives you the opportunity to demonstrate/hone/improve your writing and speaking skills.

The Air Force Narrative briefing is informational in nature. When you give a briefing of this nature, do not use any acronyms; the public does not understand them. It is always best to prepare a talking paper first to organize your thoughts.

Key points to remember, your briefing should only be between three to five minutes when delivered. If you are using a source other than yourself, fully integrate and qualify each. If you cite yourself, it should come from your own experience.

The purpose of this project is to expose you to the Air Force Strategic Initiative known as “Culture of Engagement.” Secondly, developing a personal narrative helps you properly prepare for the inevitable question associated with being in the military, “So, what do you do?” Your Personal Narrative should focus on:

Current roles and responsibilities (stay in lane, keep OPSEC in mind)

8 chapter one: managerial communication air force organizations, communication flows in three...

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