NCOA Managerial Communicator - 1 Managerial Communication

When using quotation marks, where are commas and periods placed vs where colons and semi-colons are placed?

Commas and periods are placed inside quotation marks while colons and semicolons are placed outside the quotation marks.

What should you take into consideration to create effective writing and speaking?

The experience, background, and expectations of your audience.

What is Upward Communication?

The flow of communication through the chain of command from the lowest organizational position to the highest. Upward communication is important to the survival of any organization. It provides feedback on the effectiveness of downward communication.

What is an Independent Clause?

The independent clause is also known as a main clause. It expresses a complete thought and can function either as a separate sentence or as an integral part of a sentence.

What 6 things can effective speaking and writing skills provide?

1) Clear instructions 2) Clear policies and procedures 3) Help to articulate mission and goals 4) Effective subordinate performance (EPRs, Awards, Decs, Admin Actions, etc.) 5) How others perceive your knowledge and intelligence 6) Positive viewpoints of your work center (unit, organization, service, etc.)

What 4 things should a topic sentence do?

1. express the main ideas of each paragraph; 2. serve as the focal point for supporting details, facts, figures, and examples; 3. prepare readers for supporting information; and 4. normally be the first sentence; it sets the mood and catches the reader's interest.

What is the difference between a Description and a Definition?

A Description is similar to a definition but adds more adjectives or adverbs and lets the audience see, hear, or feel the expanded definition.

What are Clauses?

A clause is a group of words with a subject and a predicate that can function either as a complete sentence or as part of a sentence.

Describe a good Introduction.

A good introduction includes an Attention Step, Purpose Statement, Motivation/Hook, and Overview. These elements capture the audience's attention and inform them of the purpose of the communication. A good introduction also provides a roadmap so the audience knows where your communication is headed.

What makes a good Overview?

A good overview provides a road map for your audience. It gives clues to the structure of the communication (main points), tells the audience where you will begin (main point 1) and end (main point X), and tells how you're going to accomplish your purpose.

What is a Pronoun?

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. In the sentence, 'Everyone here edits over 12 pages a day', the word everyone is a pronoun. The word everyone is also an Indefinite Pronoun.

What are the 2 voices of verbs?

A verb has two voices, active or passive. In the active voice, the subject is performing an action; in the passive voice, the subject is being acted upon.

What type of voice is preferred in Air Force writing?

Active voice is preferred over passive voice.

What are 2 types of modifiers?

Adjectives and Adverbs.

What do Adverbs do?

Adverbs describe verbs, and they are usually directly before the verb they describe.

Do you capitalize quotations used in context?

Always capitalize the first word of a direct quotation because it's the first word of someone's sentence.

When should you use integration and citation vs integration and qualification?

Always integrate and cite source support in papers and integrate and qualify source support in speeches and briefings.

What is a Personal Air Force Narrative Briefing?

An Air Force Narrative focuses on you responding to questions from key audiences that want to know what you do for the Air Force, why you joined, why you are still a member, and so forth.

What makes an effective Motivation/Hook?

An effective motivation/hook tells Why the audience needs to listen, How they can use the information, and what makes them Want to listen.

What are the 2 types of explanations?

Analysis and description.

How can you begin to organize your ideas into main and sub-points?

Begin by listing all ideas about the subject, combine related ideas into groups, and complete an outline to see where everything fits.

Where should you place the topic sentence in a paragraph?

By placing the topic sentence up front, you save your readers the trouble of sorting through all the details before they decide that the information you included doesn't really apply to them.

What is a Citation?

Citation is a method used to verify the source's credibility on a book, article, webpage, or other published item.

Name 3 types of brief examples.

Citation support, proof support, and narrative.

What are the 2 types of support?

Clarification support and proof support.

What is Clarification Support?

Clarification support presents a clearer message to the audience and gives variety to your communication. When you use clarification support, you're able to provide examples and additional descriptive details and emphasize the ideas.

Where are dashes, question marks, and exclamation points placed when using quotations?

Dashes, question marks, and exclamation points are placed inside quotation marks only if they belong to the quotation. Otherwise, place them outside the quotation marks.

What is the process of deciphering a sender's message called?

Decoding.

What are the 5 basics steps for diagnosing the communication needs of any given situation?

Defining the general purpose, selecting and narrowing the topic, defining the specific objective, analyzing the audience, and defining parameters.

What are the 3 broad phases of effective communication?

Diagnose communication needs, prepare the communication, and deliver the message.

What are 2 types of testimony?

Direct quote and paraphrase.

What is Directive Communication?

Directive communication is generally used to pass on information describing actions you expect to be carried out by your audience.

When preparing communication, what sequence of events is recommended by the Tongue and Quill?

Doing your research first, then gathering support, then organizing your data.

What is Downward Communication?

Downward communication normally begins with the organization's upper level of management and filters down through the chain of command. There are many different ways you can communicate information down the chain: memos, letters, meetings, phone calls, etc. The difficulty is in knowing which channel and how much information to use to converse without causing information overload.

What is the process of selecting and arranging symbols called?

Encoding.

Name 5 types of support materials.

Examples, statistics, testimony, comparisons, and explanations.

What are 3 benefits of conducting Air Force Strategic Initiative Briefings?

Exposes your audience to USAF Strategic Initiatives they might not know about or fully understand; become proficient at conducting research that helps expand the your worldview; and provides you with an opportunity to be prepared to speak publically about a key Air Force topic.

What are External Transitions?

External transitions are sentences used to provide a link between paragraphs within your communication.

What 3 things should be included in a well-developed purpose statement?

First, it narrows the subject. Second, it makes an assertion or states a precise opinion about the subject. Third, it lets the reader or audience know your reason for the communication—to inform, to persuade or to motivate.

When is the Problem/Solution Pattern used?

For any communication that details a process like problem-solving or step-by-step course of action.

Do you need to acknowledge yourself as a source during communications?

If all of the information you share is obviously your own knowledge, experience, and research, there is no requirement to formally acknowledge yourself as the source.

What is a trick to remember subject-verb agreement?

If the noun ends with an "s," then the verb will not end with an "s." Likewise, if the noun does not end with an "s," then the verb will end with an "s." The dog plays. The dogs play. Sarah always jumps rope at lunchtime. The girls jump rope at lunchtime.

What should you do if a quote you want to use contains an error?

If your quote contains an error (incorrect date, grammatical error, etc.), put the letters sic in brackets, for example [sic], after the error. This is Latin and means "thus" to indicate that you are copying the quote as written although you recognize the error. Example: "...and George Washington, the vice president [sic] was..."

What is the purpose behind a rough draft?

In the first draft, your main objective is to get your ideas down on paper. Develop your three-part structure containing an introduction, body, and a conclusion.

What is Informative Communication?

Informative communication passes 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.

What does Integration mean?

Integration means the source is incorporated into the text, paper, or speech; it allows the reader or listener to know where the information came from simply by reading or listening. Example: Dr. Green said that stress accounts for over 60% of heart attacks.

Name 2 brainstorming tools.

Mind-mapping and Free writing.

What are Modifiers?

Modifiers will usually provide an answer to the questions commonly referred to as the six W's or five W's and one H: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, and How?. In addition, modifiers can clarify additional, frequently asked questions such as, What kind? How many? To what extent? Under what conditions?.

When using Folk Literature, do you have to cite the source?

No, Folk literature does not require the author to acknowledge the source, but published literature belonging to an author does.

Do you need to cite common sense observations?

No, it is not necessary to acknowledge commonsense observations. As The Little Brown Handbook states, "Commonsense observations" are something most people know, such as "inflation is most troublesome for people with low and fixed incomes."

Do you need to acknowledge Common Knowledge as a source during communications?

No. Some examples of common knowledge include: • There are four seasons in the year. • There 365 days in a year. • The United States entered World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. • The state bird of Georgia is the brown thrasher.

What is the difference between open and closed punctuation?

Open punctuation involves using only what's necessary to prevent misreading. Closed punctuation involves using what the material grammatically requires. The Air Force prefers open punctuation.

What is Persuasive Communication?

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.

How do you do a verbal citation during spoken projects?

Qualify the information as part of the statement, such as "Dr. Green, a heart specialist at the Mayo Clinic, says stress accounts for over 60% of all heart attacks."".

Name 2 types of examples.

Real-life examples and brief examples.

What does it mean to develop support for your message?

Referring to factual information provides an effective motivator for the listener, especially if they are hostile to the message. Not all people interpret things the same way, so providing different perspectives helps the listener understand the concepts.

What is the formula for handling transitions?

Restate, relate, and introduce. Begin your transition by restating the main point or idea you just covered, then describe its relationship to your next main point, and finally introduce the next main point or idea you'll be covering.

What is the purpose of Inspirational Communication?

Retirements, promotions, commander's calls, etc., present opportunities where you will want to inspire the audience with your profound insight on someone's career or possibly your philosophy on leadership.

What are the 4 sub-steps to organizing communication?

Selecting a suitable pattern, defining main and support points, constructing an outline, and transitioning between main points.

What is a Dependent Clause?

The dependent clause is also known as a subordinate clause. It doesn't make sense if placed alone. This type of clause "depends" upon the independent clause for its meaning.

What are the 4 Basic Communication Process elements?

Sender, message, receiver, and feedback.

Why is information about your "receiving audience" important?

So you can tailor your message to best accomplish the specific objective of your message.

Why is Proof Support so important?

Statistics are considered the most powerful proof support you can use. Always remember to consider how recent the statistics are; old statistics can hurt your credibility.

Name the 3 elements of a good conclusion.

Summary, restatement of purpose and/or re-motivation, and closure.

What does it mean to Synthesize?

Synthesize means to put different elements together to form a new whole; to draw conclusions about the relationships and implication.

What is the Little Brown Handbook?

The Little Brown Handbook is an easy-to-use reference book that will answer your questions about grammar, writing, or research.

What is AFH 33-337?

The Tongue and Quill - guidance on written and spoken communication.

What type of parameters might be defined for a message that you want to send out?

The amount of product to complete (quantity), the amount of time to prepare the communication (timeliness), the specific form of communication needed (type), the desired level of formality, the tone of the communication, and the amount of time allowed for delivering the message.

Describe the 3 parts of a communications project.

The introduction must capture your audience's attention, establish rapport, and announce your purpose. The body must be an effective sequence of ideas that flow logically in a series of paragraphs. The conclusion must summarize the main points stated in the body and close smoothly.

What is the key to selecting which Communication Patterns to use?

The key to selecting patterns is to choose the one that logically develops your ideas from start to finish, and you can combine patterns as well.

What is a Predicate?

The predicate consists of words stating what the subject is doing, or what is being done to the subject. All the words after the verb in a sentence (including the verb) make up the predicate

What is the "sending audience" and why is that relevant?

The sending audience is the person responsible for the message, such as a supervisor, commander, etc. Analyzing your sending audience will help you understand the sender's intentions, expected responses from the receiving audience, communication style, deadlines, etc. Determine what information you might need from your sending audience before you can proceed.

What is a Subject in a sentence?

The subject is that part of the sentence containing all the words identifying the person, place, object, idea, or quality that the rest of the sentence is talking about.

What is the purpose of Key Air Force Leadership Message Briefings?

They inform your work center of leadership messages from various levels of command and leaders.

What are the 4 primary purposes for using support material?

To clarify, amplify, reinforce, or emphasize your ideas or prove your assertions.

According to The Tongue and Quill, all Air Force writing or speaking falls under one or a combination of what 4 general purposes?

To direct, inform, persuade, and inspire.

Why is it hard to judge the Reliability of a source?

To judge reliability you have to dig deep and you must research the background of the material's author. It is important to determine if the author has sufficient expertise in the area to be considered reliable. You must also determine if the author is biased.

Name 6 examples of communication patterns.

Topical, time/chronological, spatial/geographical, reason, problem/solution, and cause/effect.

What is Unity, and what is a good test to ensure Unity?

Unity means all sentences support the topic sentence, which, in turn, supports the main point. One of the most effective methods for checking unity is called the "because test." Simply place the word "because" at the end of each supporting sentence, to see if it supports the topic sentence. Likewise, place "because" at the end of the topic sentence to see if it supports your purpose.

In Air Force organizations, communication flows in what directions?

Upward, downward, and laterally.

What should you do when using material word for word from a source?

Use quotation marks around the entire statement.

When quoting or paraphrasing, do you need to give credit to the original author?

When quoting or paraphrasing, you must give credit to the original author for his or her work. Otherwise, you could be in danger of plagiarizing.

When is the Reasoning Pattern used?

When trying to convince someone of facts or a needed course of action.

What does it mean to Analyze?

When you Analyze, you are making sure you separate the reading into parts or elements. Ask yourself why you are reading the material and what question are you trying to answer?

What is Lateral Communication?

With lateral communication, information across organizational channels. In the Air Force, each organization depends on another to carry out its respective mission. Lateral communication allows for coordination or integration of all diverse functions within and outside an organization.

Can nouns modify other nouns?

Yes, A noun may modify another noun. In the following examples, the first noun modifies a second noun: stage play, Christmas dinner, and fire drill.

Do you have to fully integrate and qualify a source each time you cite them in a speech or a briefing?

You do not have to fully integrate and qualify the source each time. Instead, once you have qualified the source in your presentation, simply reintroduce the name of the author, book, etc. to communicate the source information.

How is a Conclusion related to an Introduction?

Your introduction and conclusion should balance each other without being identical.

In what order should you include your research sources?

Yourself, others who are familiar with your subject, and then reference sources.

Name 5 benefits of Reflective Thinking.

• Enables self-awareness. • Enables personal and professional growth. • Helps you realize why your successes were successful and why your failures occurred. • Helps you reformulate personal goals and beliefs. • Helps you make life choices consistent with your beliefs.

Name 6 attention-getting techniques you can use at the beginning of a speech to get your audience's attention.

• Rhetorical Questions are used to prompt listeners or readers to seek answers in their own minds and to stimulate them to think about the matters that you want them to deal with. • Quotations are also an excellent way to begin a speech or paper as long as it is relevant to what follows. • Jokes must be appropriate for your audience and relevant to what follows. • Startling Statement can be used to jar the audience into paying attention. • Gimmicks can quickly gain the audience's attention. • Common Grounds help audiences pay more attention when they have something in common with the speaker.

What are 3 questions you can ask yourself when developing a purpose statement?

• What is the real reason I am writing this? • What is the main idea I want to convey? • What response do I desire to elicit from the reader?