Conducting Effective Briefings

The National Emphasis Topic for 2007

We have all been there, standing in some field at 0600 in the morning with our feet frozen, listening to someone trying to be funny. Or some person rambling on about some thing someone else is up to for the day. All we wanted was to get the important information, warm up, and head out to the line so we could get to work. That was just the morning briefing in fire camp or before a prescribed burn.

Let’s think about how many times you will either brief someone or give a briefing in a day. A normal day, not on an incident assignment, probably starts with:

Then we get a fire call or are on our way to project work.

Then we finally get down to:

From here we can get to work and forget about briefings, right? Well, we still need to communicate. The best way to pass along the important information is through more briefings. Although these briefing are not large formal affairs, they are briefings and some of the same information is passed along. Briefings continue up and down the chain of command as the situation changes (both good and bad), as new resources arrive, and as more current information becomes available.

As things change from initial attack to extended attack, it becomes critical to brief personnel on changes in strategy, tactics, updates on weather, fire behavior, hazards, and risks.

If we continue along to a large fire operation, we will be giving and receiving critical information everyday all day. This information will be passed along in both formal and informal briefings.

When we think about it there are a lot of briefings and a lot of information that needs to be passed along. Are all briefings the same? Is the information we need to have each time the same? What tools are out there to help us? One of the first places we can get help is the Briefing Checklist in the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG). The Briefing Checklist is broken down into the key elements. This is a good reference for a more formal briefing. All of these elements may not be needed every time you give or receive brief updates and trying to fit the model each and every time will detract from information you are trying to pass along or receive.

Passing along the intent of your information is more important than following a checklist. The NWCG Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program has compiled some good information on the concept of briefing for intent. The article “Communicating Intent and Imparting Presence” by Lt. Col. Lawrence G. Shattack, available online at
http://www.fireleadership.gov/toolbox/briefing_intent/Shattuck.pdf, discusses the importance of briefing for intent up and down the chain of command. Not all briefings are the same and briefings must be tailored for the specific audience and situation. Simply checking boxes on a checklist does not insure that your information and intent are getting across. For more information on briefings and delivering your message with intent, visit the NWCG Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program website at http://www.fireleadership.gov/toolbox/briefing_intent/index.html.

As a general rule, humans are not born effective communicators. Fortunately, conducting effective briefings is a skill that can be gained through learning and, perhaps more importantly, practice. As with most skills, the more we practice the more proficient we become. Tactical Decision Games at the Sand Table is a great place to practice and develop your communication and briefing skills. The Tactical Decision Games Library is available at http://www.fireleadership.gov/toolbox/TDG_Library/thelibrary.htm.