Briefings are the most efficient and common means to present information to commanders, staffers, Soldiers, or other specified audiences. You conduct briefings when your listeners need information quickly, when they can get together conveniently, and when they need to decide how to act on that information. Briefings are often preferred to written or even electronic communication because they are direct, immediate, and interpersonal. When lives may be at stake and units must carry out the right decisions, most decision-makers prefer the immediate physical setting of the military briefing. While this guide focuses on the development of briefing skills for leaders, you must keep in mind that communication is a two-way process. The speaker has a responsibility to clearly present the material, and this involves knowing the needs and expectations of the audience. But the listener also has responsibilities—not only to listen, but to provide feedback to the speaker to confirm… read more
briefing
Used to keep the commander’s higher and lower staff updated and advised on the reporting commander’s critical situation. INTRODUCTION Greeting. Identification of self, if appropriate. Scope: Define the coverage of the briefing in terms of time, geographic limits, or specific topics. BODY Weather report and forecast. Terrain, if appropriate. Recent and present enemy activity. Other appropriate items (i.e., there has been a change in mission, enemy situation, weather, etc.). CLOSE Conclusions, if applicable. Solicitation of questions. Concluding statement and announcement of next briefing, if any.
PURPOSE The staff briefing is to secure a coordinated or unified effort. This briefing may involve the exchange of information, the announcement of decisions, the issuance of directives, or the presentation of guidance. The staff briefing may include the characteristics of the information, decision, and mission briefings. PROCEDURES Commands normally schedule staff briefings on a periodic basis. The attendees are usually the commander, his deputy, chief of staff, and senior representatives of coordinating and special staffs. Sometimes commanders from major subordinate commands may attend. In combat, commands hold additional briefings as the situation requires. The chief of staff usually presides over the staff briefing. He opens the briefing by identifying the purpose of the briefing and reviewing the mission of the next higher headquarters. He then restates the command’s mission and gives the commander’s concept, if applicable. He then calls on staff officers to brief their areas of responsibility. The… read more