CHAPTER 3: Step 1 (Analyze Purpose and Audience)In Chapter 2, we introduced the Seven Steps for Effective Communication. Now we're going to discuss the first of these steps in further detail. First and most importantly, you can save yourself a lot of work by asking yourself if the briefing slides, memo, e-mail or meeting is going to help get the mission done or a task accomplished. In today’s fast-paced work environment, we don't need to create unnecessary work for anyone. Once you're clear on the need for communication, Step 1 requires you to get clear on your purpose and audience. As you'll see in this chapter, these are not two distinct categories. The characteristics of your audience will influence all parts of your message and your purpose often involves influencing your audience. To begin analyzing purpose and audience you should consider several key questions.Masters in the art of communication stay focused on their objective and approach audience analysis seriously. The more you know about your audience, the more comfortable you will feel. Where do you start in this? Here are some questions to help you begin to analyze your purpose and audience and get you on the right track. We’ll discuss many of them in more detail later in the chapter. * What is the overall purpose of the communication? Are you trying to make a change in your audience? Are you writing just to inform your audience? * If you had one sentence or 30 seconds to explain your specific objective, what would you write or say? (What is your “elevator speech” on the subject?) * What format are you using to communicate? How much time do you have to prepare? * Is there anything unusual about the time and place your audience will receive your communication (is it 1600 on a Friday before a holiday weekend)? A lengthy informative e-mail sent out late on a Friday afternoon may not be appreciated or even worse -- not read! * Who will read this communication? Your boss? Your subordinates? Civilians? The answers will have a direct bearing on the tone and formality of your message. * What are the education levels, career fields and areas of expertise of your readers and/or listeners? * Do you need to supply any background information, explanation of terms, or other information to your audience? Does your audience have experience with the ideas and concepts you are presenting? * What does the audience think of you? Are you known and trusted? * Is your audience motivated to hear and/or read your communication? * Do you need to coordinate your communication? * Are you making promises your organization will have to keep?U.S. Air ForceUSAF_f44f343c-b6c9-11e2-b3e2-1be1e2f52354Masterful CommunicatorsAudiencesKnowing your audience is nothing new. When you consider warfare as an engagement of strategy and the adversary is your audience (and you are the adversary's audience!), then the importance of knowing your audience is clear.Sun Tzu"Therefore I say: Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril." Sun Tzu was ahead of his time. He knew the importance of audience analysis! We're not recommending you view your audience as "the enemy," but Sun Tzu had the right idea. It is essential that we know the audience being engaged -- in communication or in conflict. Clarity and relevance of communications_0bfa78f2-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3cTo document the process of analyzing purposes and audiences for communications_0bfa7a32-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3cSuccessTips for Success:RankDon't be afraid of it. Differences in military rank can be a real barrier to communication. Too many of us become tongue-tied when communicating with those senior in rank and cursory or impatient with those who are junior in rank. We must constantly remind ourselves we are all communicative equals and should strive to be candid, direct and respectful with everyone.LanguageJARGON -- tailor to your audience. Don't overestimate the knowledge and/or expertise of your readers, but don’t talk down to them either. Be careful with excessive use of career-field specific jargon and acronyms. Yes, they are second nature to most of us in the military, but you can lose your audience with unfamiliar terminology.InclusivenessBe INCLUSIVE -- remember our diverse force. Sometimes we inadvertently exclude members of our audience by falling into communication traps involving references to race, religion, ethnicity or sex. Remember this concept when designing your visual support. Your visual aids should show a range of people who represent our Air Force. Avoid traditional stereotyping of jobs based on sex or race. Inclusiveness also applies to humor. Humor is not universal and joke telling is the biggest area where otherwise sensitive people unknowingly get themselves into trouble. Knowing your audience and adhering to good taste and sensitivity will keep you in check.Tone... more than what you say, it is how you say it. Closely tied to the purpose of your communication is the tone you take with your audience. Speakers have gestures, voice and movements to help them communicate. Writers only have words on paper. How many times have you seen colleagues get bent out of shape over a misunderstood email? Why? Because the nonverbal signals available during face-to-face communication are absent. Recognize this disadvantage in written communication and pay close attention to it. Words that carry uncomplimentary insinuations (ignorant, opinionated) make negative suggestions (failure, impossible) or call up unpleasant thoughts (liable, unsuccessful) can potentially defeat your purpose.CourtesyBe polite (please!). The first rule of writing is to be polite. Forego anger, criticism and sarcasm -- strive to be reasonable and persuasive. Try not to deliberately embarrass someone if it can be avoided with a more tactful choice of words. Rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength.PersonalityMake it PERSONAL -- but it’s not all about you! When appropriate, use pronouns to create instant rapport, show concern and keep your reader involved. Using pronouns also keeps your writing from being monotonous, dry and abstract. The pronouns you'll probably use the most are you, yours, we, us and our. Use I, me, and my sparingly. One rule of business writing is "put your audience first," so when possible, avoid using I as the first word of an opening sentence and avoid starting two sentences in a row with we or I unless you're trying to hammer home a point. These guidelines will help you to avoid sounding self-centered and repetitive.StyleFORMAL ("To be, or not to be") versus INFORMAL ("hey dude"). Different communication situations require different levels of formality. The informal tone is more like a conversation between you and your reader and it is characterized by clear, direct, active language. In today's Air Force, most of your writing will be informal, though ceremonies and awards may require more elaborate (formal) language. Whether your tone is formal or informal, you still need to follow the accepted rules of grammar. In any case, the best advice is to keep your writing clear, concise and simple. See chapter 7 for more details.PositivityBe POSITIVE. To cultivate a positive tone, give praise where praise is due; acknowledge acceptance before focusing on additional improvements; and express criticism in the form of helpful questions, suggestions, requests, recommendations, or clear directives rather than accusations. When having to give bad news, lead with a neutral comment before jumping in with the bad news. Save the positive for the closing by offering alternatives, etc. Stay away from using clichés, restating the refusal, hiding bad news in a fog of wordiness and inappropriate apologizing. Your audience always appreciates sincerity and honesty. PurposeDetermine the purpose._0bfa7b04-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c1What Is My Purpose? Most Air Force writing or speaking falls under one of the following purposes: to direct, inform, persuade or inspire. Your task is to think about the message you want to send (the "what") and make some sort of determination of what your purpose is (the "why"). Some communication has primary and secondary purposes, so don't kill yourself trying to make sure your message fits neatly in one of these categories. Once you decide the purpose, you'll know where to place the emphasis and what the tone of your communication should be. Here's a quick synopsis of these purposes and how they might work for you. DirectionProvide information describing actions to be carried out._0bfa7d70-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c1.1To Direct. Directive communication is generally used to pass on information describing actions you expect to be carried out by your audience. The emphasis in directive communication is clear, concise directions and expectations of your audienceInformationShare information with the audience._0bfa7e92-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c1.2To Inform. The goal of informative communication is to pass on information to the audience. The communication is successful if the audience understands the message exactly the way the speaker or writer intended. The emphasis in informative communication is clear, direct communication with accurate and adequate information tailored to the education and skill levels of the audience. Audience feedback and interaction may be appropriate in some situations to make sure they "got the message."PersuasionConvince audiences to accept new ideas, policies or products or changes in current operations._0bfa7f82-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c1.3To Persuade. Persuasive communication is typically used when you are trying to "sell" your audience on a new idea, new policy, new product or change in current operations. Though emotions are one tool of persuasion, most persuasive communication in the workplace requires convincing evidence put together in a logical way. Audience analysis is critical because different audiences have different views on what evidence is convincing. Since the purpose is to guide your audience to a specific course of action, you cannot overlook tone and delivery. Chapter 5, Supporting Your Ideas, describes howto build your persuasive skills.InspirationInspire audiences with profound insights._0bfa8086-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c1.4To Inspire. One final purpose for writing or speaking that doesn't get much attention but is frequently used in the military is to inspire. As you climb the leadership ladder you will increasingly be requested to perform retirements, promotions, commander's calls -- opportunities where you will want to inspire the audience with your profound insight on someone's career or possibly your philosophy on leadership. Although protocol drives portions of these events, the opportunity to send a personal message and inspire the audience should not be overlooked. The emphasis in inspirational communication is delivery, a thorough knowledge of your topic and likewise your audience.StatementDraft a purpose statement._0bfa8176-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c2OK, you have a feel for the general purpose of your communication (to direct, inform, persuade or inspire), but what is your "bottom line" you need to communicate to your audience? If you have difficulty nailing down your objective, your audience will be equally confused. One way to make sure you're clear on your objective is to write a purpose statement, which is one sentence that captures the essence of what you're trying to do -- your "bottom line." It's the one sentence you'd keep if you were allowed only one. Developing a clear purpose statement will help you in two ways: * It will help you focus as you develop your communication. * It will help your audience focus when you deliver your message. Think about it; your audience wants a clear statement of your position and where you are going. This is especially true when your audience consists of higher-ranking individuals with many demands on their time and issues requiring their attentionDevelopmentFocus as you develop your communication._0bfa8414-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c2.1DeliveryHelp your audience focus when you deliver your message._0bfa850e-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c2.2Other IssuesAnalyze other issues._0bfa8612-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c3Analyzing Purpose: Other Issues -- Knowing your "bottom line" is not the end of analyzing purpose. Here are some questions you want to ask to make sure you look at all parts of the equation. The answers will help refine your purpose and shape your entire project.FormatDetermine what format to use._0bfa86f8-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c3.1What format will I use to communicate? Today's commanders are increasingly more vigilant of the value of their troops' time -- and their own. Make sure that the communication is required and that you select the most appropriate format for delivery. DeliveryDetermine how much time you will have to deliver your message._0bfa8810-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c3.2Think about how much time you will have to deliver your message before you go any further. Will you have 2 minutes in a staff meeting with the general that starts in 1 hour? One hour at your commander's call next week?PreparationBudget sufficient time to prepare._0bfa8914-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c3.3The breadth and scope of a report your boss needs the next day will be different than a staff project due by the end of the fiscal year. What’s the suspense? How long is it going to take to write the report? Be sure to budget adequate time for all "Seven Steps," especially "Researching your Topic" (Step 2), "Drafting" (Step 5) and "Editing" (Step 6). If coordination is part of the master plan, it will also affect your timelines. There's more to successful communication than getting clear on purpose. There's always that human factor and in the communication game that translates to analyzing your audience.Human FactorsAnalyze the human factors._0bfa8a2c-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4Audience Analysis: The Human Factor -- As stated in chapter 1, all communication involves a sender, a message and an audience. "A" sends the message (either verbally or in writing) with a specific intended meaning to "B." "B" receives the message, processes the message and attaches perceived meaning to the message. This is where it gets interesting. Did the intended message actually get to "B"? Was the perceived meaning what "A" intended? If not, why not?YourselfKnow your strengths and weaknesses._0bfa8b62-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.1Know Yourself -- Before you look around, look in the mirror. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you meet your communication goals.StyleRely upon your communication strengths._0bfa8c70-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.1.1Do you do better with certain communication formats than others? Be aware of your personal strengths. If you know that you'd rather be buried in a pile of fire ants than speak in public, you may choose to send your message in writing -- if that's an option. If not, spend some time in chapter 10 and improve your speaking skills!NotesMake sure to have easily referenceable notes._0bfa8e00-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.1.2Are you an inexperienced briefer that needs notes? If so, make sure they are written in a format that is easy to refer to while the general is listening intently and watching the beads of sweat form on your forehead.ExpertiseAnalyze your expertise in relation to the audience and the topic._0bfa8f40-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.1.3Do you have expertise in the area? If so … great! But don't lose your audience with lots of lingo and unfamiliar jargon. You may think it's cool; others may not. On the other hand, if you lack expertise in the area, you will need to focus your research to beef up on unfamiliar territory. Remember, there's always someone in the crowd that knows as much or more, so you want to be as prepared as possible to answer potential questions.AudienceAnalyze your relationship with the audience._0bfa904e-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.1.4What is your relationship with the audience? Are you personally familiar with them? You may be able to present a more informal briefing or written document if you know this is acceptable to the audience. See the section on tone for more guidance.Organization & Work EnvironmentAnalyze your work environment and your organization._0bfa915c-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.2Know Your Organization -- Once you’ve taken a hard look at yourself, take a look at your work environment and your organization. In the military we rarely act or speak in a vacuum. Often we represent our organization, unit or functional area and must understand them and accommodate their views, capabilities or concerns in our communications. The following questions may help bring things into focus.CommitmentsMake sure your commitments can be honored._0bfa92ce-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.2.1Am I promising something my organization can deliver? (You can substitute boss or personnel for organization.) If not, why are you bothering?ConsistencyEnsure your comments are consistent with policy or persuasive of the need for change._0bfa93e6-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.2.2Is what I'm saying consistent with previous policy or operating philosophy? If not, you need to shift to a persuasive tone and explain why your approach warrants a change or breach in policy.CoordinationCoordinate with the appropriate stakeholders._0bfa94ea-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.2.3Who needs to coordinate on this? Who else owns a piece of this action? The coordination game can be a mind maze, but if you leave a key player out, you will undoubtedly hear about it.AudienceKnow your audience._0bfa9616-f681-11e7-a2c9-ab29ea215f3c4.3Primary ReceiversThe person you directly communicate with either verbally or in writing.Secondary ReceiversPeople you indirectly communicate with through the primary receivers. Let's say, for example, that you’re a wing commander. You send an e-mail to your wing first sergeants (primary receivers) identifying establishments near your base that are now designated "off limits" to troops. The first sergeants forward this e-mail to their unit personnel for "widest dissemination." The secondary receivers would be the troops that read the commander's directive.Key Decision MakersThese are the most powerful members of the audience … the ones that really make the decisions. Knowing who they are will help focus your attention and potentially your delivery in larger briefings and certain written communication.GatekeepersThese are people in the chain that typically review the communication before it reaches your intended audience. Knowing who they are and their expectations can save you embarrassment and help ensure your success in the long run. We all know that administrative assistants are keenly aware of their bosses’ preferences. Listen to their inputs! The receiving audience falls into one of four sub-categories. Depending on the type of communication and coordination needed, you may or may not deal with every one of them.2015-11-192018-01-10