Tongue and Quill_afh33-337.pdf

The

Tongue and Quill

AFH 33-337

27 MAY 2015

Incorporating Change 1, 19 November 2015 Certified Current 27 July 2016

Air Force Core Values Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do.

Acknowledgement

The Tongue and Quill has been a valued Air Force resource for decades and many Airmen from our Total Force of uniformed and civilian members have contributed their talents to various editions over the years. This revision is built upon the foundation of governing directives and user’s inputs from the unit level all the way up to Headquarters Air Force. A small team of Total Force Airmen from the Air University, the United States Air Force Academy, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command (AETC), the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), Air National Guard (ANG), and Headquarters Air Force compiled inputs from the field and rebuilt The Tongue and Quill to meet the needs of today’s Airmen. The team put many hours into this effort over a span of almost two years to improve the content, relevance, and organization of material throughout this handbook. As the final files go to press it is the desire of The Tongue and Quill team to say thank you to every Airman who assisted in making this edition better; you have our sincere appreciation!

–The Tongue and Quill Team http://wtmdoc.afncr.af.mil/wikipedia/commons/6/69/USAF_logo.png

BY ORDER OF THE AIR FORCE HANDBOOK 33-337

SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE 27 MAY 2015

Incorporating Change 1, 19 November 2015

Communications and Information

THE TONGUE AND QUILL

ACCESSIBILITY: Publications and forms are available for downloading or ordering on the e-Publishing website at http://www.e-publishing.af.mil.

RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication.

OPR: SAF/CIO A6SS Certified by: SAF/CIO A6SS (Col Heather L. McGee)

Supersedes: AFH33-337, 1 August 2004 Pages: 370

The men and women of the United States Air Force must communicate clearly and effectively to carry out our missions. Although we live in an era of rapid personal and mass communication that was barely imagined just a few years ago, our Air Force still requires face-to-face briefings, background papers, and staff packages to keep the mission moving forward. This handbook, together with Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 33-326, Preparing Official Communications, provides the information to ensure clear communications—written or spoken.

Send recommended changes or comments using AF Form 847, Recommendation for Change of Publication, to the Air Force Cyberspace Strategy & Policy Division (SAF/CIO A6SS) at USAF.pentagon.saf-cio-a6.mbx.a6ss-workflow@mail.mil. Ensure that all records created as a result of processes prescribed in this publication are maintained IAW AFMAN 33-363, Management of Records, and disposed of IAW the Air Force Records Disposition Schedule (RDS) in the Air Force Records Information Management System (AFRIMS). The use of the name or mark of any specific manufacturer, commercial product, commodity, or service in this publication does not imply endorsement by the Air Force.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

This edition has been substantially revised to 1) standardize the format and layout for readability;

2) improve the organization of chapters and content within each chapter; 3) provide additional material on preparing to write and speak, writing with focus, communicating to persuade, research, meetings, briefings and listening; 4) clarify guidance for Air Force written products with formatted examples for each product; and 5) update guidance for electronic communications. A margin bar (|) indicates newly revised material http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/ mailto:usaf.pentagon.saf-cio-a6.mbx.a6ss-workflow@mail.mil

The Tongue and Quill

AFH 33-337, 27 MAY 2015

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Table of Contents

PART I: COMMUNICATION BASICS

Plain Language Requirement: It’s the Law Plain Language in the Air Force: Be Clear, Concise and Specific

CHAPTER 1: A Basic Philosophy of Communication

What Do We Mean by Communication?

Communication, Teamwork and Leadership Principles of Effective Communication

CHAPTER 2: Seven Steps to Effective Communication (Overview)

Preparing to Write and Speak (Steps 1-4) Drafting, Editing, and Feedback (Steps 5-7) Seven Steps to Effective Communication: Quick Reference List

PART II: PREPARING TO WRITE AND SPEAK

CHAPTER 3: Step 1 (Analyze Purpose and Audience)

Key Questions What Is My Purpose?

Drafting a Purpose Statement Analyzing Purpose: Other Issues Audience Analysis: The Human Factor Tips for Success

CHAPTER 4: Step 2 (Research Your Topic)

Start Smart Getting Data Search Engines and Databases Evaluate Your Sources Useful Online Resources

CHAPTER 5: Step 3 (Support Your Ideas)

The Logic of Arguments: Fundamentals Evidence: Proving Your Point Characteristics of Good Supporting Evidence Logical Errors: Flawed Arguments Arguments, Truth and Persuasion

CHAPTER 6: Step 4 (Organize and Outline)

Organizing: Finalizing Your Purpose Statement and Bottom Line The Outline: Why Do I Need One?

Outlining the Body: Pick a Pattern

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PART III: WRITING WITH FOCUS

CHAPTER 7: Step 5 (Draft)

Drafting: Basic Philosophy Drafting Effective Paragraphs Drafting Effective Sentences Overcoming Writer’s Block

CHAPTER 8: Step 6 (Edit)

Editing vs. Feedback Editing Fundamentals Editing Efficiently: A Three-Step Approach Drafting Basics: Did You Apply Them?

Common Grammar Traps Common Writing Errors

CHAPTER 9: Step 7 (Fight for Feedback and Get Approval)

Fighting For Feedback Getting Approval: Staff Coordination

PART IV: SPEAKING AND LISTENING

CHAPTER 10: Air Force Speaking

Verbal Communication Non-Verbal Communication Overcoming Anxiety: Some Simple Steps Common Nonverbal Quirks Delivery Formats: Impromptu, Prepared and Manuscript Preparing Your Slides

CHAPTER 11: Effective Listening Strategies

Understanding Hearing and Listening Informative, Critical and Empathic Listening Better Listening Overcoming Barriers to Listening

PART V: WORKPLACE CHALLENGES

CHAPTER 12: Electronic Communications and Social Media

Electronic Mail (E-Mail) Social Media Instant Messaging (IM) and Texting Telephones, Voice Mail and Fax Electronic Communications Glossary

AFH 337, 27 MAY 2015

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CHAPTER 13: Meetings

Planning an Effective Meeting Running Your Meeting Group Dynamics and Fun

PART VI: DOCUMENT STANDARDS

CHAPTER 14: The Official Memorandum

The Heading Section The Text of the Official Memorandum The Closing Section Additional Information Attachments The Official Memorandum: Examples Spelling Checkers: Before You Sign

CHAPTER 15 The Personal Letter

The Heading Section The Text of the Personal Letter The Closing Section Forms of Address, Salutation and Complimentary Close Military Ranks and Abbreviations The Personal Letter: Examples

CHAPTER 16: Air Force “Papers”

Form and Function Point Paper Talking Paper Bullet Background Paper Background Paper Position Paper

CHAPTER 17: The Staff Study

Purpose Process: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Writing the Report Complete the Study

CHAPTER 18: The Staff Package

SSS Fundamentals Completing the SSS Form Assembling the Package Coordinating the Package Sample SSS and eSSS

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CHAPTER 19: Writing Better Bullet Statements

Getting Started Drafting Accomplishment-Impact Bullet Statements Polishing Accomplishment-Impact Bullet Statements Bullet Statement Mechanics

CHAPTER 20: The Official Biography

The Official Biography: Fundamentals Getting Started Associated Press (AP) Style Guidance for Official Biographies Official Biography Elements

CHAPTER 21: The Résumé

Function and Organization Seven Steps to an Effective Résumé Things to Include Things to Omit The Résumé Cover Letter Examples

CHAPTER 22: Envelopes and Mail

Envelope Fundamentals Envelope Anatomy Address Format Standards USPS Mail Terminology

CHAPTER 23: Air Force Publications/Forms

Dual Responsibilities in Developing Publications/Forms Publications/Forms Process Overview Plain Language Challenge

PART VII: WRITING MECHANICS

CHAPTER 24: Writing Terminology

Common Grammatical and Writing Terms Irregular Verbs

CHAPTER 25: Punctuation

Punctuation: Why Do We Need It?

Open and Closed Punctuation Punctuating Terms in a Series Punctuation Usage Guide Summary

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CHAPTER 26: Abbreviations

Definition and Implications Types of Abbreviations General Guidelines Common Abbreviations Researcher’s Guide to Abbreviations

CHAPTER 27: Capitalization

General Capitalization Guidelines Specific Capitalization Guidelines

CHAPTER 28: Numbers

Three General Rules Specific Guidance Summing Things Up

PART I:

Communication Basics

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PART I:

COMMUNICATION BASICS

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Plain Language Requirement: It’s the Law Agencies of the US Government have a long history of trying to improve their ability to communicate with the public they serve. Public Law 111-274, Plain Writing Act of 2010, is the most recent mandate to target unclear language in government documents. The Plain Writing Act is implemented in the Department of Defense (DoD) by DoD Instruction 5025.13, DoD Plain Language Program, which “promotes the use of clear, concise, and well organized language in documents to effectively communicate with intended audiences.” Everything you write in your official Air Force capacity needs to comply with the Plain Writing Act as directed by DoDI 5025.13. It should also comply with the specifics of Air Force Instruction (AFI) 33-360, Publications and Forms Management, for any Air Force publications. So, when you are preparing to write or speak, and before putting pen to paper for a report or publication, remember to keep it plain.

Plain Language in the Air Force: Be Clear, Concise and Specific

When drafting new publications or revising existing ones, authors will follow the Federal Plain Language Guidelines available at http://www.plainlanguage.gov, as appropriate. Specialized language may be required depending on the intended audience, but language and content organization should be as clear as possible.

–AFI 33-360, para. 6.5.10

The instruction also provides three plain language concepts (be clear, be concise, and be specific) with tips on how to write to achieve each concept. Keep these concepts in mind as you work prepare to write any document. These concepts will help with your briefings, too!

Plain Language Concepts (Adapted from AFI 33-360, Table 6.3) Be Clear • Use plain language whenever possible; avoid jargon

• Avoid overuse of acronyms; when used, make certain acronyms are established [written out] upon first use

• Use the active voice

• Format documents so that they are easy to read and understand

• Use tables and figures if that’s the best way to show information

Be Concise • Remove unnecessary words

• Focus sentences on a single thought or action; strive to write sentences with no more than 20 words

• Focus paragraphs on a single main point; strive to write paragraphs with no more than seven sentences Be Specific • Include only information that the reader must know

• Use words with precise meaning

• Include details that are directly relevant to the main point

CHAPTER 1:

A Basic Philosophy of Communication

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A Basic Philosophy of Communication

This chapter covers:

• What do We Mean by Communication?

• Communication, Teamwork and Leadership

• Principles of Effective Communication

This is an exciting time to be in the United States Air Force! Our mission and our operations tempo reflect the larger world around us—a world of rapidly accelerating technology and nearly unlimited access to information. Airmen successfully accomplish more missions with fewer people than ever before and there is a constant battle to cover the bases with limited resources.

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What Do We Mean by Communication?

Communication is defined as the process of sharing ideas, information and messages with others.

In the Air Force, most communication involves speaking and writing, but this definition also includes nonverbal communication, such as body language, graphics, electronic messages, etc.

Any communication can be broken into three parts: the sender, the message and the audience.

For communication to be successful, the audience must not only get the message, but must interpret the message in the way the sender intended.

com·mu·ni·ca·tion n

1. an act or instance of transmitting information

2. a verbal or written message

3. a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior

Since communication requires effort, it should always have a purpose. If the purpose isn’t clear to the audience, you have a problem! Most Air Force communication is intended to direct, inform (or educate), persuade or inspire. Often the sender has some combination of these motives in mind.

Chapter 3 describes the process of determining your purpose and audience in detail, but here are a few examples of Air Force communication targeted toward a specific objective:

1. The headquarters staff (the sender); writes a new policy on trip report procedures (the message); and sends a copy to all subordinate units (the audience).

Purpose of this communication: to direct.

2. An aircraft technician (the sender); reports the results of an aircraft engine inspection (the message); to his supervisor (the audience).

Purpose of this communication: to inform.

3. A branch chief (the sender); requests additional funding for new office furniture (the message); in a meeting with the division chief (the audience).

Purpose of this communication: to persuade.

Most communication outside the Air Force falls in these categories as well. If you look carefully, you can see the efforts to inform, direct, persuade or inspire in this common conversation. Can you spot the purpose of each of the following sentences?

“You didn’t wash the car like you promised.”

“But Dad! Everyone else is going to the beach. Why can’t I go?”

“Son, I know you’re a fine young man and fine young men keep their promises.”

“Aw, Dad…”

“Wash the car NOW!”

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Communication, Teamwork and Leadership Communication skills are vitally important in any environment where teamwork is important.

Simply put, communication enables us to come together to accomplish things better as a group than we can accomplish as individuals. Communication skills are particularly important for leaders. The ability to communicate a vision and direction, to motivate and inspire others and to persuade our superiors are all essential in bringing people together to achieve a common goal.

The military environment is unique and much of its uniqueness requires extraordinary communication skills. We operate highly technical equipment in a lethal environment and we are held to very high standards by the country we serve. Miscommunication can cause expensive mistakes, embarrass our organization and in some cases cause accidents or even death. This handbook is designed to give you tools and ideas that will help you learn to communicate better … and to teach others as well.

The call to arms to improve our communication skills is clear. Both the Air Force and the large culture we live in are drowning in a sea of information. Around-the-clock media coverage, universal electronic mail (e-mail) and the overwhelming amount of data on the Internet make it difficult for us to sift out the valuable information we need to accomplish our mission. Now, more than ever, it’s important to communicate with clarity and focus.

The only way to become a better writer and speaker is to work at it—there are no short cuts. The good news is that service in the Air Force will provide plenty of opportunities for you to improve. Your communication skills will become stronger with practice, regardless of your initial ability, and this book is designed to help you on your journey.

Principles of Effective Communication Once you accept that communication is important, it’s important to understand what makes communication succeed and what makes it fail. Most mistakes are caused by forgetting one of five principles of good communication. This section addresses these core principles for strong writing and speaking, which we’ve organized to spell out the acronym FOCUS.

FOCUS Principles

• Focused: Address the issue, the whole issue, and nothing but the issue.

• Organized: Systematically present your information and ideas.

• Clear: Communicate with clarity and make each word count.

• Understanding: Understand your audience and its expectations.

• Supported: Use logic and support to make your point.

FOCUSED: Address the Issue, the Whole Issue and Nothing but the Issue The first hallmark of good communication is that it is focused. In a staff or academic environment, writing and speaking often attempts to answer a question provided by either a boss or an instructor. In such situations, answer the question, the whole question and nothing but the question. Failure to focus comes in three forms:

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1. Answering the wrong question. This happens when we don’t understand the assignment or what the audience really wants. Have you ever written what you thought was an excellent paper, only to be told you answered the wrong question or you missed the point? Have you ever asked someone a question and received a long answer that had nothing to do with what you asked?

2. Answering only part of the question. If a problem or question has multiple parts, sometimes we work out the easiest or most interesting part of the solution and forget the unpleasant remainder.

3. Adding irrelevant information. Here the communicator answers the question, but mixes in information that is interesting but unnecessary. Though the answer is complete, it’s hard to understand—it’s like finding that needle in the haystack.

fo·cus n

1. a state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding: direction;

2. a center of activity, attraction, or attention; a point of concentration;

directed attention: emphasis.

Failure to focus can really hurt staff communication. Time and time again, our efforts crash and burn because we don’t carefully read the words or really listen to the speaker for the real message … for the specific question! Most executive officers will tell you that failing to answer the question is one of the primary reasons staff packages are returned. Chapter 3 provides suggestions on how to be clear in your purpose and avoid these problems.

ORGANIZED: Systematically Present Your Information and Ideas Good organization means your material is presented in a logical, systematic manner. This helps your audience understand you without reading your words over and over, trying to sort out what you’re really trying to say.

When writing or speaking is not well organized, audiences become easily confused or impatient and may stop reading or listening. Even if you’re providing useful, relevant information, your audience may underestimate its value and your own credibility.

Chapter 6 is full of suggestions on how to organize well. Problems with organization are relatively easy to fix and the payoffs are enormous. In our limited time and resource environments, a little effort on your part will save your audience a lot of time and pain.

CLEAR: Communicate With Clarity and Make Each Word Count This principle covers two interrelated ideas. First, to communicate clearly, we need to understand the rules of language—how to spell and pronounce words and how to assemble and punctuate sentences. Second, we should get to the point, not hide our ideas in a jungle of words.

People are quick to judge your credibility through your mastery of language to convey ideas.

Acceptable English is part of the job, so commit to improving any problems you may have.

Developing strong language skills is a lot like developing strong muscles—steady commitment produces steady improvement. Always remember that progress, not perfection, is the goal.

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Grammar scares most of us, but the good news is that many common mistakes can be corrected by understanding a few rules. Start by scanning our section on editing sentences, phrases and words. If you want to dig deeper, then check out some of the books and Internet sites that address grammar and writing—contact your local librarian or our References section for some suggestions.

Using language correctly is only half of the battle, though—many Air Force writers and speakers cripple themselves with bureaucratic jargon, big words and lots of passive voice. These bad habits make it hard to understand the message.

UNDERSTANDING: Understand Your Audience and Its Expectations If you want to share an idea with others, it helps to understand their current knowledge, views and level of interest in the topic. If you’ve been asked to write a report, it helps to understand the expected format and length of the response, the due date, the level of formality and any staffing requirements. It’s easy to see how mistakes in understanding your audience can lead to communication problems, and I’m sure you’ve watched others make this mistake. Check out Chapter 3 for some helpful hints on audience analysis.

SUPPORTED: Use Logic and Support to Make Your Point Most writers and speakers try to inform or persuade their audience. Part of the communicator’s challenge is to assemble and organize information to help build his or her case. Support and logic are the tools used to build credibility and trust with our audience.

sup·port n information that substantiates a position;

v to furnish evidence for a position.

Nothing cripples a clearly written, properly punctuated paper quicker than a fractured fact or a distorted argument. Avoiding this pitfall is most difficult, even for good writers and speakers.

Logic is tough to teach and learn because it challenges the highest levels of human intellect—the ability to think in the abstract. We slip into bad habits at an early age and it takes effort to break them. Chapter 4 provides practical advice on how to use support and logic to enhance your effectiveness as a speaker and how to avoid common mistakes.

SUMMARY: In this chapter, we defined communication as the process of sharing ideas, information and messages with others and described how effective communication enables military personnel to work together. To help writers and speakers stay on target, we introduced five FOCUS principles of effective communication. In the next chapter, we’ll describe a systematic approach to help you attain these principles and meet your communication goals.

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CHAPTER 2:

Seven Steps to Effective Communication (Overview)

• Preparing to Write and Speak (Steps 1–4)

• Drafting, Editing, and Feedback (Steps 5–7)

• Seven Steps to Effective Communication: Quick Reference List

Chapter 1 introduced the FOCUS principles of effective communication (Focused, Organized, Clear, Understanding and Supported). In this chapter, we’ll introduce a seven-step approach to effective communication based on the FOCUS principles. Here you’ll get the big picture introduction, but later chapters will describe each of the seven steps in greater detail.

You can tailor the steps to your own style and approach, but completing each of them will increase your chances of speaking and writing success. These steps are not always used in sequence and for long and complicated assignments you may find yourself moving back and forth between steps. That’s OK—it’s better to deviate from a plan than to have no plan at all.

Seven Steps To Effective Communication (Overview)

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Preparing to Write and Speak (Steps 1-4) Like many things, good communication requires preparation and the first four steps lay the groundwork for the drafting process. Though much of this seems like common sense, you’d be surprised at how many people skip the preparation and launch into writing sentences and paragraphs (or speaking “off the cuff”). DON’T DO IT! Good speaking or writing is like building a house—you need a good plan and a firm foundation.

Seven Steps For Effective Communication

1. Analyze Purpose and Audience

2. Research Your Topic

3. Support Your Ideas

4. Organize and Outline

5. Draft

6. Edit

7. Fight for Feedback and Get Approval

1. Analyze Purpose and Audience

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.

–Anthony Robbins

Too many writers launch into their project without a clear understanding of their purpose or audience. This is a shame—a few minutes spent on this step can save hours of frustration later and help determine whether you end up looking like an eagle or a turkey. You’re much more likely to hit the target if you know what and who you’re aiming at.

Carefully analyzing your purpose helps with FOCUS Principle #1: “Focused—answer the question, the whole question and nothing but the question.” In some cases, if you take a hard look at the purpose, you might find that a formal paper or briefing might not be needed. You’d be startled at how many briefings, paper documents and electronic messages are processed in a typical day in a major command (MAJCOM) or wing. Formal communication takes effort and costs money—make sure you don’t unnecessarily add to everybody’s workload.

If you take the time to “understand your audience” (FOCUS Principle #4) and think about their current knowledge, interest and motives, you’ll be better able to tailor your message so that you’ll accomplish your purpose, regardless of what it is. Instructing a hostile audience about changes in medical benefits will be different than inspiring a friendly audience at a Veteran’s Day celebration and writing for the general’s signature will be different than writing for the base webpage. Chapter 3 has lots of helpful suggestions about analyzing purpose and audience.

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2. Research Your Topic

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.

–Abraham Lincoln

Remember that FOCUS Principle #5 states good communication should be supported with information relevant to your point. Step Two—“Research your topic”—gives you the raw material to build your case.

For many of us, “research” sounds intimidating—it brings back memories of painful school projects and hostile librarians who wouldn’t let us sneak coffee into the building. Don’t let the idea of research scare you. In the context of the seven-step approach, research is the process of digging up information that supports your communication goals. Think of it as “doing your homework” to get smart on your communication topic. Chapter 4 is full of helpful advice on how to approach the challenge. For those of you interested in academic research, Appendix 2 has additional information on the topic.

3. Support Your Ideas

If you wish to converse with me, define your terms.

–Voltaire

Often our communication goal involves persuasion. In such cases, throwing information at our audiences isn’t enough—we have to assemble and arrange our facts to support our position.

Different kinds of information gathered during the research process can be used to form a logical argument. A logical argument is not a disagreement or a fight—it’s how we assemble information to make decisions and solve problems.

At the same time we are trying to persuade others, others are trying to persuade us and not all their arguments are airtight. A logical fallacy is a weakness or failure in the logic of an argument. Chapter 5 describes logical arguments and several common logical fallacies— allowing you to recognize mistakes in other’s arguments and avoid them in your own.

Building logical arguments are part of everyday life. We build arguments when we decide which new car to buy, who to nominate for a quarterly award or how we should spend our training budget. You’ll find that many of the ideas described in Chapter 5 are part of the way you think, even if you didn’t know the formal terminology.

4. Organize and Outline

Organizing is our core principle. It is our north star.

–Anna Burger

You know your purpose and audience, you’ve done your homework—it’s time to deliver your message, right? Not so fast! Before starting to write sentences and paragraphs (or deliver your speech), you’ll save time and frustration by organizing your thoughts and developing an outline of how you are going to present your information.

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Successful communicators organize their material logically and in a sequence that leads their audience from one point to the next. Audiences often “tune out” a speaker or writer who rambles on without a logical pattern. Poorly organized essays are a common complaint in both civilian and military schools. Save yourself and your audience a lot of pain—read chapter 6 to learn different patterns and techniques to organize and outline your material.

FOCUS Principle #2 states that good communication should be organized so that the audience can efficiently understand your point. You’ve taken the first steps towards accomplishing this principle when you take the time to organize and outline your work before starting to write … but how you actually draft and edit paragraphs will take you the rest of the way.

Drafting, Editing, and Feedback (Steps 5-7) The first four steps are identical for both writing and speaking assignments, but the drafting and editing processes are somewhat different for the two forms of communication. In this section we’ll describe the steps from a writing perspective and chapters 9 and 10 will describe how the steps are adapted for Air Force speaking.

5. Draft

It is a draft—a draft which should be discussed and improved.

–Michael Barnier

When we think about the writing process, we immediately think of drafting sentences and paragraphs. If you’re uncomfortable with your writing skills, this step usually causes the most anxiety. The good news is that your work on Steps 1-4 will make the drafting process less painful and more efficient.

Once you’ve completed the preliminaries and are ready to write, there are several practical ways to ensure you connect with your readers.

• First, get to the point quickly—use one or more introductory paragraphs to state your purpose up front. Most Air Force readers don’t have the time or patience to read a staff paper written like a mystery novel with a surprise ending.

• Second, organize your paragraphs so the readers know where you’re leading them and use transitions to guide them along.

• Third, make sure your sentences are clear and direct. Cut through the jargon and passive voice, use the right word for the job and be as concise as possible. Finally, summarize your message in a concluding paragraph that connects all the dots and completes the message.

Chapter 7 is full of practical advice on drafting and it takes a top-down approach. It begins with preliminaries such as writing tone and formats, transitions to paragraph construction, provides practical tips on writing clear, vigorous sentences, then concludes with advice on overcoming writer’s block.

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6. Edit

Editing is the same thing as quarreling with writers—same thing exactly.

–Harold Ross

Experienced writers know that editing should be a separate, distinct process from drafting.

When you draft, you create something new. When you edit, you shift from creator to critic. This change in roles can be tough, and no one wants to admit that the draft may not be as good as he thought. Remember that criticism and judgment are inevitable in communication. The better you are at critically evaluating and correcting your own writing, the fewer people will be doing it for you.

There are two important aspects of the editing process—WHAT you are editing for and HOW to edit efficiently. What to edit for is simple—remember those FOCUS principles from chapter 1?

How to edit is a little more complicated, but we recommend starting with the big picture and working down to details like spelling and punctuation. Ironically, many people do just the opposite; they focus on details first. Some even think that editing is all about the details.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Though details are part of editing, they’re only part of the puzzle. Chapter 8 provides information on editing fundamentals and procedures.

7. Fight for Feedback and Get Approval

There is no failure. Only feedback.

–Robert G. Allen

When you’ve completed the editing process and done what you can to improve your communication, it’s time to move outside yourself to get feedback. We are all limited in our ability to criticize our own work, and sometimes an outside opinion can help us see how to improve or strengthen our communication. Your objective is to produce the best possible product; don’t let pride of authorship and fear of criticism close your mind to suggestions from other people. Also, what we write or say at work often must be approved by our chain of command through a formal coordination process. Your supervisor needs to see it, the executive officer needs to see it, then the big boss and so on. Chapter 9 provides tips on how to give and receive feedback and how to manage the coordination process.

SUMMARY: In this chapter, we summarized a systematic process—Seven Steps to Effective Communication—that will help you achieve the five FOCUS principles. These steps will help you improve your writing and speaking products. Each step is described in greater detail in subsequent chapters. The table on the next page lists the seven steps for effective communication and where you can find more information about each step in this handbook.

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Seven Steps to Effective Communication: Quick Reference List

THE BASIC STEPS… FOR MORE DETAILS, REFER TO:

1. Analyze Purpose and Audience Chapter 3

2. Research Your Topic Chapter 4

3. Support Your Ideas Chapter 5

4. Organize and Outline Chapter 6

5. Draft Chapter 7 (Writing); Chapter 11 (Speaking)

6. Edit Chapter 8 (Writing); Chapter 11 (Speaking)

7. Fight for Feedback and Get Approval Chapter 9

PART II:

Preparing to Write and Speak

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PART II:

PREPARING TO WRITE

AND SPEAK

CHAPTER 3:

Step 1 (Analyze Purpose and Audience)

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Step 1 (Analyze Purpose and Audience)

• Key Questions

• What Is My Purpose?

• Drafting a Purpose Statement

• Analyzing Purpose: Other Issues

• Audience Analysis: The Human Factor

• Tips for Success

In Chapter 2, we introduced the Seven Steps for Effective Communication. Now we’re going to discuss the first of these steps in further detail. First and most importantly, you can save yourself a lot of work by asking yourself if the briefing slides, memo, e-mail or meeting is going to help get the mission done or a task accomplished. In today’s fast-paced work environment, we don’t need to create unnecessary work for anyone.

Once you’re clear on the need for communication, Step 1 requires you to get clear on your purpose and audience. As you’ll see in this chapter, these are not two distinct categories. The characteristics of your audience will influence all parts of your message and your purpose often involves influencing your audience. To begin analyzing purpose and audience you should consider several key questions.

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Key Questions Masters in the art of communication stay focused on their objective and approach audience analysis seriously. The more you know about your audience, the more comfortable you will feel.

Where do you start in this? Here are some questions to help you begin to analyze your purpose and audience and get you on the right track. We’ll discuss many of them in more detail later in the chapter.

• What is the overall purpose of the communication? Are you trying to make a change in your audience? Are you writing just to inform your audience?

• If you had one sentence or 30 seconds to explain your specific objective, what would you write or say? (What is your “elevator speech” on the subject?)

• What format are you using to communicate? How much time do you have to prepare?

• Is there anything unusual about the time and place your audience will receive your communication (is it 1600 on a Friday before a holiday weekend)? A lengthy informative e-mail sent out late on a Friday afternoon may not be appreciated or even worse—not read!

• Who will read this communication? Your boss? Your subordinates? Civilians? The answers will have a direct bearing on the tone and formality of your message.

• What are the education levels, career fields and areas of expertise of your readers and/or listeners?

• Do you need to supply any background information, explanation of terms, or other information to your audience? Does your audience have experience with the ideas and concepts you are presenting?

• What does the audience think of you? Are you known and trusted?

• Is your audience motivated to hear and/or read your communication?

• Do you need to coordinate your communication?

• Are you making promises your organization will have to keep?

What Is My Purpose?

Most Air Force writing or speaking falls under one of the following purposes: to direct, inform, persuade or inspire. Your task is to think about the message you want to send (the “what”) and make some sort of determination of what your purpose is (the “why”). Some communication has primary and secondary purposes, so don’t kill yourself trying to make sure your message fits neatly in one of these categories. Once you decide the purpose, you’ll know where to place the emphasis and what the tone of your communication should be. Here’s a quick synopsis of these purposes and how they might work for you.

• To Direct. 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 of your audience.

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• To Inform. 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. Audience feedback and interaction may be appropriate in some situations to make sure they “got the message.”

• To Persuade. 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.

Though emotions are one tool of persuasion, most persuasive communication in the workplace requires convincing evidence put together in a logical way. Audience analysis is critical because different audiences have different views on what evidence is convincing. Since the purpose is to guide your audience to a specific course of action, you cannot overlook tone and delivery. Chapter 5, Supporting Your Ideas, describes how to build your persuasive skills.

• To Inspire. One final purpose for 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, commander’s calls— opportunities where you will want to inspire the audience with your profound insight on someone’s career or possibly your philosophy on leadership. Although protocol drives portions of these events, the opportunity to send a personal message and inspire the audience should not be overlooked. The emphasis in inspirational communication is delivery, a thorough knowledge of your topic and likewise your audience.

Regardless of whether your mission is to direct, inform, persuade or inspire, there are general principles that apply to almost all communication. See “Tips for Success” at the end of this chapter to round out your portfolio for analyzing purpose and audience.

Drafting a Purpose Statement OK, you have a feel for the general purpose of your communication (to direct, inform, persuade or inspire), but what is your “bottom line” you need to communicate to your audience? If you have difficulty nailing down your objective, your audience will be equally confused.

One way to make sure you’re clear on your objective is to write a purpose statement, which is one sentence that captures the essence of what you’re trying to do—your “bottom line.” It’s the one sentence you’d keep if you were allowed only one. Developing a clear purpose statement will help you in two ways:

• It will help you focus as you develop your communication.

• It will help your audience focus when you deliver your message.

Think about it; your audience wants a clear statement of your position and where you are going.

This is especially true when your audience consists of higher-ranking individuals with many demands on their time and issues requiring their attention. Now, let’s look at some examples of draft purpose statements:

• To inform individuals in the Civil Engineering Squadron about new policies on hazardous waste disposal.

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• To encourage (inspire) at-risk high school students to work hard, stay in school and have hope in the future.

• To persuade the division chief to buy three laptops for use during official travel.

As we’ll mention in chapter 5, you may update your purpose statement after researching your topic. (For example, you might find out you need four laptops, not three.) Even if it isn’t locked down, a draft statement will help guide your research and support efforts.

Analyzing Purpose: Other Issues Knowing your “bottom line” is not the end of analyzing purpose. Here are some questions you want to ask to make sure you look at all parts of the equation. The answers will help refine your purpose and shape your entire project.

• What format will I use to communicate? Today’s commanders are increasingly more vigilant of the value of their troops’ time—and their own. Make sure that the communication is required and that you select the most appropriate format for delivery.

Think about how much time you will have to deliver your message before you go any further. Will you have 2 minutes in a staff meeting with the general that starts in 1 hour?

One hour at your commander’s call next week?

• How much time do I have to prepare my communication? The breadth and scope of a report your boss needs the next day will be different than a staff project due by the end of the fiscal year. What’s the suspense? How long is it going to take to write the report?

Be sure to budget adequate time for all “Seven Steps,” especially “Researching your Topic” (Step 2), “Drafting” (Step 5) and “Editing” (Step 6). If coordination is part of the master plan, it will also affect your timelines.

There’s more to successful communication than getting clear on purpose. There’s always that human factor and in the communication game that translates to analyzing your audience.

Audience Analysis: The Human Factor As stated in chapter 1, all communication involves a sender, a message and an audience. “A” sends the message (either verbally or in writing) with a specific intended meaning to “B.” “B” receives the message, processes the message and attaches perceived meaning to the message.

This is where it gets interesting. Did the intended message actually get to “B”? Was the perceived meaning what “A” intended? If not, why not?

Know Yourself Before you look around, look in the mirror. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you meet your communication goals.

• Do you do better with certain communication formats than others? Be aware of your personal strengths. If you know that you’d rather be buried in a pile of fire ants than speak in public, you may choose to send your message in writing—if that’s an option. If not, spend some time in chapter 10 and improve your speaking skills!

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• Are you an inexperienced briefer that needs notes? If so, make sure they are written in a format that is easy to refer to while the general is listening intently and watching the beads of sweat form on your forehead.

• Do you have expertise in the area? If so … great! But don’t lose your audience with lots of lingo and unfamiliar jargon. You may think it’s cool; others may not. On the other hand, if you lack expertise in the area, you will need to focus your research to beef up on unfamiliar territory. Remember, there’s always someone in the crowd that knows as much or more, so you want to be as prepared as possible to answer potential questions.

• What is your relationship with the audience? Are you personally familiar with them?

You may be able to present a more informal briefing or written document if you know this is acceptable to the audience. See the section on tone for more guidance.

Know Your Organization Once you’ve taken a hard look at yourself, take a look at your work environment and your organization. In the military we rarely act or speak in a vacuum. Often we represent our organization, unit or functional area and must understand them and accommodate their views, capabilities or concerns in our communications. The following questions may help bring things into focus.

• Am I promising something my organization can deliver? (You can substitute boss or personnel for organization.) If not, why are you bothering?

• Is what I’m saying consistent with previous policy or operating philosophy? If not, you need to shift to a persuasive tone and explain why your approach warrants a change or breach in policy.

• Who needs to coordinate on this? Who else owns a piece of this action? The coordination game can be a mind maze, but if you leave a key player out, you will undoubtedly hear about it.

Know Your Audience The receiving audience falls into one of four sub-categories. Depending on the type of communication and coordination needed, you may or may not deal with every one of them.

• Primary receiver: The person you directly communicate with either verbally or in writing.

• Secondary receiver: People you indirectly communicate with through the primary receivers. Let’s say, for example, that you’re a wing commander. You send an e-mail to your wing first sergeants (primary receivers) identifying establishments near your base that are now designated “off limits” to troops. The first sergeants forward this e-mail to their unit personnel for “widest dissemination.” The secondary receivers would be the troops that read the commander’s directive.

• Key decision makers: These are the most powerful members of the audience … the ones that really make the decisions. Knowing who they are will help focus your attention and potentially your delivery in larger briefings and certain written communication.

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• Gatekeepers: These are people in the chain that typically review the communication before it reaches your intended audience. Knowing who they are and their expectations can save you embarrassment and help ensure your success in the long run. We all know that administrative assistants are keenly aware of their bosses’ preferences. Listen to their inputs!

Knowing your audience is nothing new. When you consider warfare as an engagement of strategy and the adversary is your audience (and you are the adversary’s audience!), then the importance of knowing your audience is clear.

Therefore I say: Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril.

–Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu was ahead of his time. He knew the importance of audience analysis! We’re not recommending you view your audience as “the enemy,” but Sun Tzu had the right idea. It is essential that we know the audience being engaged—in communication or in conflict. Read on for some final tips for connecting with your audience.

Tips for Success

• RANK—don’t be afraid of it. Differences in military rank can be a real barrier to communication. Too many of us become tongue-tied when communicating with those senior in rank and cursory or impatient with those who are junior in rank. We must constantly remind ourselves we are all communicative equals and should strive to be candid, direct and respectful with everyone.

• JARGON—tailor to your audience. Don’t overestimate the knowledge and/or expertise of your readers, but don’t talk down to them either. Be careful with excessive use of career-field specific jargon and acronyms. Yes, they are second nature to most of us in the military, but you can lose your audience with unfamiliar terminology.

• Be INCLUSIVE—remember our diverse force. Sometimes we inadvertently exclude members of our audience by falling into communication traps involving references to race, religion, ethnicity or sex. Remember this concept when designing your visual support. Your visual aids should show a range of people who represent our Air Force.

Avoid traditional stereotyping of jobs based on sex or race. Inclusiveness also applies to humor. Humor is not universal and joke telling is the biggest area where otherwise sensitive people unknowingly get themselves into trouble. Knowing your audience and adhering to good taste and sensitivity will keep you in check.

• TONE—more than what you say, it is how you say it. Closely tied to the purpose of your communication is the tone you take with your audience. Speakers have gestures, voice and movements to help them communicate. Writers only have words on paper.

How many times have you seen colleagues get bent out of shape over a misunderstood e-mail? Why? Because the nonverbal signals available during face-to-face communication are absent. Recognize this disadvantage in written communication and pay close

- 21 -attention to it. Words that carry uncomplimentary insinuations (ignorant, opinionated) make negative suggestions (failure, impossible) or call up unpleasant thoughts (liable, unsuccessful) can potentially defeat your purpose.

• COURTESY—be polite (please!). The first rule of writing is to be polite. Forego anger, criticism and sarcasm—strive to be reasonable and persuasive. Try not to deliberately embarrass someone if it can be avoided with a more tactful choice of words.

Rudeness is a weak person’s imitation of strength.

• Make it PERSONAL—but it’s not all about you! When appropriate, use pronouns to create instant rapport, show concern and keep your reader involved.