COMMUNICATING DECISIVELY
sure to run through anticipated questions and develop appropri- ate answers. Include in your kitbag of ready answers a well-worn phrase that will save you the pain and agony of a flummoxed or incorrect response to unexpected questions: “I don’t know, ma’am (or sir), but I’ll get you an answer.” I’ve found many times in briefings that I knew my subject matter well, but I had trouble answering questions concisely and decisively without melting into a molten flow of meaningless jargon. No one is impressed with jargon in briefings if it doesn’t help the audience to understand the point you’re trying to make. People who are actually smart don’t try to sound smart; they strive to explain complex ideas simply in a way anyone can understand.
STEP STAKEHOLDERS,
7: FOR BRIEFINGS THAT IDENTIFY
“LANES”
INCLUDE FOR
ANSWERING QUESTIONS, THEN MURDER BOARD THEIR ANSWERS. Many senior-level briefings will include stakeholders. Identify exactly who will participate in the briefing and include them in the murder board. For instance, any questions about a system’s requirements should be answered by the capability developer. Any questions about test results should be answered by ATEC and so on. As a rule, you, as the primary briefer, should not answer questions outside of
STEP 4: BEGIN WRITING THE SCRIPT. Yes, you need a script. No, you shouldn’t read from the script with your nose buried in the page when you’re briefing. Since you’ve already ensured your presentation is coherent and logical, figure out the appropriate talking points for each slide. What is the point of each slide? Why is it in the deck? Boil it down to the minimum number of words with minimal jargon required to get your point across in a way that cannot be misunderstood. Your voice track should stick to the subject matter on the slide at hand, but you should not simply read the bullets on the slide ver- batim; doing so conveys to your audience that your knowledge of the subject is only PowerPoint deep. Plus, it’s boring. Te slide and the talking points should complement each other. Be sure to build a bridge to the next slide.
STEP 5: REVIEW THE SLIDES AND VOICE TRACK WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND YOUR IMMEDIATE CHAIN OF COMMAND. Tis is the last step in completing the briefing package. Te intent is to make sure the briefing—slides plus narration—works as a completed product.
STEP 6: “MURDER BOARD” YOUR
ANSWERS. While you’re reviewing the com- pleted slide deck with your chain of command, be
112
your lane even if you know the answer unless the organization who “owns” the lane is not present.
STEP 8: REHEARSE. Tis is the connection between preparation and execution. Just like an orchestra con- ductor before a concert or a platoon leader before a deployment, you need to adequately rehearse, both by your- self and with your team. Rehearse your script until you only have to glance at it to keep yourself on track.
Bring the stakeholders you included in your murder board back for your team dress rehearsal. Tis may seem redundant, but it will ensure that the talking points and answers to questions generated during the murder board “stuck.” Honestly, including stakeholders in murder boards and rehearsals was not something I did well before the AAE brief, and I made a note to do a bet- ter, more deliberate job the next time. I was fortunate that the stakeholders were excellent briefers who knew exactly the right things to say.
STEP 9: WHEN YOU DELIVER THE BRIEF, STICK TO THE SCRIPT. Do it just like you practiced. No ad lib- bing. During one of my prebriefs to a general officer leading up
Army AL&T Magazine July-September 2015
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