2.1: 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.

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 fallaciesallowing 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. CHAPTER 2:

Seven Steps To Effective Communication (Overview)

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.