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
