Comm - 01. Preparing for Communication Flashcards
AFH 33-337
The Tongue and Quill
AFMAN 37-126
Preparing Official Communication
The person or organization we are communicating on behalf of, such as our supervisor, commander, or the AF.
Sending Audience
The person who will be receiving the communication.
Receiving Audience
Questions we should ask about the Sending Audience
- Will my communication be in sync with organizational policy?
- Am I communicating the intended message?
- Who should coordinate on this?
- Will the organization be embarrassed by what I write or say?
Questions we should ask about the Receiving Audience
- Who will be my audience?
- Why should this concern us?
- We should gauge the tone of our message, the detail of our message, and the purpose of our message to the audience.
- What does the audience know about the subject and why is this important?
- What’s their background? Why is this important?
- Will the audience be receptive or hostile?
This will allow you to do the following:
- Allows adequate coverage of the material
- Focus your attention on a specific area
- Require less research
- Provide a better chance for your audience to get your intended message
Narrowing Your Topic
The reason for our communication
Purpose
Benefits of knowing your purpose
- Ensures your communication does what you intended
- Helps you organize your thoughts
- Focuses your communication
- Identifies what you want the receiving audience to do with your communication
Four Purposes
- To Inspire
- To Direct
- To Persuade
- To Inform
An effective _____________ not only lets the audience know the reason for your communication, but also appeals to the audience.
Purpose Statement
- What is in it for them?
- Use Empathy
- Establish common ground
Types of Appeals
Purpose Statement: Experts tell us, to improve our organizations efficiency by more than 40%, we must incorporate problem solving techniques in our daily routine. What is the reason for this communication?
To Persuade
Purpose Statement: Experts tell us, to improve our organizations efficiency by more than 40%, we must incorporate problem solving techniques in our daily routine. What method is used to appeal to the audience?
Tells the reader what’s in it for them
Finding Supporting Materials
- Libraries
- Yourself
- Interviews
- Coworkers
- Office Files
- AF Operating Instructions, Manuals, Handouts, etc.
- Other organizations
Key to Finding Supporting Materials
To quickly and efficiently find appropriate support materials.
Four Techniques of Organizing
- Generating and Refining Content
- Choosing a pattern of organization
- Develop the introduction, body, and conclusion
- Use transitions
Forces you to align your main points and supporting ideas in logical order
Outlining
Implies that you get moving - that you write without critical judgment
Drafting
Drafting DOs
- Get those ideas out, even if they seem silly. They journey to polished communication starts with creativity.
- Stick to your outline. This is not the time to rework the wheel.
Drafting DONTs
- Second guess yourself
- Worry about grammar or punctuation
- Worry about perfection
Tongue and Quill Patterns of Organization
- Chronological
- Spatial/Geographical
- Cause/Effect
- Problem/Solution
- Sequential
- Topical
- Comparison/Contrast
- Reasoning/Logic
Discussing events, problems, or pressures in the sequence of time they take place or should take place. This is the simplest and most commonly used approach in writing.
Chronological (Pattern of Organization)
Starting at a point in space and proceeding in sequence to another point. For example, north to south, clockwise/counterclockwise, top or bottom, etc.
Spatial/Geographical (Pattern of Organization)
