Army Briefing Techniques.pdf - UNC Charlotte Army ROTC

Personal Development TrackSection1ARMY BRIEFINGTECHNIQUESKey Points1 The Four Types of Military Briefings2 The Four Steps of Military BriefingseBe sincere; be brief; be seated.Franklin Delano Roosevelt

70 ■ SECTION 11. Analyze Situation and Prepare a BriefingOutline.a. Audience.Number?Composition? Single service or joint?Civilians? Foreign nationals?Who are the ranking members?What are their official positions?Where are they assigned?How well do they know the subject?Are they generalists or specialists?What are their interests?What are their personal preferences?What is the anticipated reaction?b. Purpose and Type.Information briefing (to inform)?Decision briefing (to obtain decision)?Mission briefing (to review importantdetails)?Staff briefing (to exchange information)?c. Subject of Briefing.What is the specific subject?What is the desired coverage?How much time will be allocated?d. Physical Facilities and Support Needed.Where will the briefing be presented?What arrangements will be required?What are the visual aid facilities?What are the deficiencies?What actions are needed to overcomedeficiencies?e. Prepare Schedule.Finish analysis of the situation.Prepare preliminary outline.Determine requirements for training aids,assistants, and recorders.Edit or redraft.Schedule rehearsals, facilities, andcritiques.Arrange for final review by responsibleauthority.2. Construct Briefing.a. Collect Material.Research.Become familiar with the subject.Collect authoritative opinions and facts.b. Prepare First Draft.State problem (if necessary).Isolate key points (facts).Identify courses of action.Analyze and compare courses of action.(State advantages and disadvantages.)Determine conclusions and recommendations.Prepare draft outline.Include visual aids.Fill in appropriate material.Review with appropriate authority.c. Revise First Draft and Edit.Make sure that facts are important andnecessary.Include all necessary facts.Include answers to anticipated questions.Polish material.d. Plan Use of Visual Aids.Check for simplicity and readability.Develop method for use.e. Practice.Rehearse (with assistants and visualaids).Polish.Isolate key points.Memorize outline.Develop transitions.Use definitive words.3. Deliver Briefing.4. Follow Up.a. Ensure understanding.b. Record decision.c. Inform proper authorities.Figure 1.3Briefing Checklist

Army Briefing Techniques ■ 71Execute: Deliver the BriefingThe success of a briefing often depends on how well you present it. A confident, relaxed,and forceful delivery, clearly enunciated, helps convince the audience. You should alwaysmaintain a relaxed, but military, bearing. Use natural gestures and movement, but avoiddistracting mannerisms. Conciseness, objectivity, and accuracy characterize good delivery.You should remain aware of the following:• The basic purpose is to present the subject as directed and ensure that the audienceunderstands it• For brevity’s sake, avoid a lengthy introduction or summary• Conclusions and recommendations must flow logically from facts and assumptions.Interruptions and questions may occur at any point. If and when they occur, answereach question before continuing, or indicate that you will answer the question later in thebriefing. At the same time, do not permit questions to distract from the planned briefing.If answering the question later in the briefing, make specific reference to the earlier questionwhen you introduce the material. Be prepared to support any part of the briefing. Anticipatepossible questions and be prepared to answer them.Assess: Follow UpWhen the briefing is over, prepare a memorandum for record (MFR). This MFR recordsthe subject, date, time, and place of the briefing, and the ranks, names, and positions ofaudience members. Concisely record the substance of your remarks. Also recordrecommendations and their approval, disapproval, or approval with modification, as wellas any instruction or directed action. This includes who is to take action. When a decisionis involved and doubt exists about the decision maker’s intent, submit a draft of the MFRto him or her for correction before preparing it in final form. Distribute the MFR to staffsections and agencies required to act on the decisions or instructions, or whose operationsor plans may be affected.Critical ThinkingeYou’ve just learned that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs is stopping by your unitin Northern Kosovo the day after tomorrow on his way back to Washington fromthe Middle East. Your commander instructs you to prepare and present a briefingon the status of your mission. What kind of briefing will you prepare? How willyou get ready? How will you ensure that you don’t say something that mayembarrass you, your commander, and your fellow Soldiers?

72 ■ SECTION 1eCONCLUSIONMastering the spoken word is essential for all officers. Formal presentations andbriefings are how the military communicates. The Army expects officers to masterfour types of briefings during their careers—information, decision, mission, andstaff briefings. Each of these follows the same four-step process:1. Analyze the situation.2. Construct the briefing.3. Deliver or present the briefing.4. Follow up.Remember: You’ve studied the subject, logically organized the information, andprepared yourself. You are the expert! Present with confidence. What you say, andhow well you say it, will be major factors in how others assess your leadership.Learning Assessment1. What are the four types of military briefings and how do you distinguishamong them?2. What are the four steps you must take to present effectively?Key Wordseffective communicationbriefings

Army Briefing Techniques ■ 73ReferencesArmed Forces Information Service Department of Defense. (1975). The Armed Forces Officer(DoD GEN-36). Washington, DC.Field Manual 5-0, Army Planning and Orders Production. 20 January 2005.The Reader’s Companion to American History (n.d.). The Gettysburg Address. Retrieved23 March 2005 from http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/recah/html/ah_036300_gettysburgad.htm