Effective Communications
"To lead effectively requires a command of communicative skills. Teaching, writing,
briefing, and speaking are unavoidable. Leaders who lack competence in these areas
waste their own time and that of their soldiers and superiors.
- General William Richardson
"Our soldiers deserve leaders who think and communicate clearly and
concisely. Anything less wastes time, money, and possibly lives.“
- General Maxwell Thurman
Reasons for Communication
Skills by Leaders
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Increases likelihood of right decision
Affects Mission Accomplishment
Time Often Critical
All the facts
Lives Could Depend on it
Effective Army Writing
“Effective Army writing transmits a clear message in a
“single, rapid reading and is generally free of errors in
grammar, mechanics and usage.”
“ Good Army writing is concise, organized, and right to
the point.”
--AR 25-50, Preparing and
Managing Correspondence
The Six-Step Writing Process
• Step 1 - Understand your writing task and your
writing conditions
• Step 2 - Gather and organize your ideas
• Step 3 - Write a complete draft
• Step 4 - Edit your draft ruthlessly
• Step 5 - Fight for feedback
• Step 6 - Go final and proof it
The Seven Rules
• Rule 1 - Use mostly short, conversational words
• Rule 2 - Write Short Sentences
• Rule 3 - Prefer active voice
• Rule 4 - Write short paragraphs
• Rule 5 - Write short papers
• Rule 6 - Put the main idea up front
• Rule 7 - Be correct, credible, and complete
Types of Army
Correspondence & Documents
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Memorandum
Letter
OPORDER
SOP (Standard Operating Procedures)
DA and DD Forms
email
The Memorandum
• The Army’s main format for preparing correspondence.
• The Basic or Formal Memorandum:
• The Informal Memorandum.
• The Memorandum For Record.
• The Memorandum of Agreement (or Understanding).
Myths
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Military writing requires formality
“I” and other personal pronouns don’t belong
It forces me into an unnatural style
It promotes “Dick and Jane” writing
It contradicts what I learned in school
It results in incomplete staff work
QUESTIONS?