1 00:00:08,069 --> 00:00:10,180 Communicating stories that align with 2 00:00:10,180 --> 00:00:12,013 commander's intent is crucial to 3 00:00:12,013 --> 00:00:14,236 supporting the mission and getting your 4 00:00:14,236 --> 00:00:15,902 story to the right audience. 5 00:00:15,902 --> 00:00:18,013 Commander's intent is the description 6 00:00:18,013 --> 00:00:20,013 and definition of what a successful 7 00:00:20,013 --> 00:00:21,902 mission will look like. Military 8 00:00:21,902 --> 00:00:23,736 planning begins with the mission 9 00:00:23,736 --> 00:00:26,069 statement that describes the who, what, 10 00:00:26,069 --> 00:00:29,309 when, where and why, the five 11 00:00:29,309 --> 00:00:31,670 Ws of how a mission will be executed . 12 00:00:32,668 --> 00:00:34,946 Commander's intent empowers initiative, 13 00:00:34,946 --> 00:00:37,188 improvisation and adaptation by 14 00:00:37,188 --> 00:00:39,410 providing guidance of what a successful 15 00:00:39,410 --> 00:00:41,410 conclusion looks like. Commander's 16 00:00:41,410 --> 00:00:43,577 intent is vital in chaotic, demanding 17 00:00:43,577 --> 00:00:46,319 and dynamic environments. When 18 00:00:46,319 --> 00:00:48,486 evaluating your audience, you need to 19 00:00:48,486 --> 00:00:50,486 be able to answer three questions . 20 00:00:50,486 --> 00:00:52,759 What is the point of the story? Why is 21 00:00:52,759 --> 00:00:55,040 it important? And who cares about this 22 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,549 topic? Knowing these answers will not 23 00:00:57,549 --> 00:00:59,771 only make your story more applicable to 24 00:00:59,771 --> 00:01:01,771 the relevant actors but will also 25 00:01:01,771 --> 00:01:03,438 help you assess sentiment and 26 00:01:03,438 --> 00:01:05,160 effectively capture changes in 27 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,271 knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. 28 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,111 Commander's intent is typically broad 29 00:01:10,111 --> 00:01:12,444 enough to align with the relevant story. 30 00:01:12,444 --> 00:01:14,611 Find the best angle that allows you to 31 00:01:14,611 --> 00:01:16,833 creatively tell your story to connect 32 00:01:16,833 --> 00:01:19,000 with an audience, answer a question 33 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,222 or solve a problem while still aligning 34 00:01:21,222 --> 00:01:23,370 with your commander's intent. For 35 00:01:23,370 --> 00:01:25,537 example, if the commander's intent is 36 00:01:25,537 --> 00:01:27,703 to make the base safer and problems on 37 00:01:27,703 --> 00:01:29,481 base include motorcycle and car 38 00:01:29,481 --> 00:01:31,703 accidents, you might write a narrative 39 00:01:31,703 --> 00:01:33,814 to address these problems. You could 40 00:01:33,814 --> 00:01:35,814 write the release of accidents that 41 00:01:35,814 --> 00:01:37,870 occur on base, and what base security 42 00:01:37,870 --> 00:01:39,981 and the safety office are doing to prevent 43 00:01:39,981 --> 00:01:42,037 future accidents. You could present 44 00:01:42,037 --> 00:01:44,092 the facts, figures and statistics 45 00:01:44,092 --> 00:01:46,269 plainly. But, a better approach is to 46 00:01:46,269 --> 00:01:47,991 start by answering those three 47 00:01:47,991 --> 00:01:50,150 questions: What's the point? Why is 48 00:01:50,150 --> 00:01:52,372 it important? And who cares about this 49 00:01:52,372 --> 00:01:56,010 topic? Lots of motorcycle accidents 50 00:01:56,010 --> 00:01:58,370 occur on and off base. People are in a 51 00:01:58,370 --> 00:02:00,569 hurry, trying to avoid traffic or 52 00:02:00,569 --> 00:02:02,930 distracted. The point of the story is 53 00:02:02,930 --> 00:02:05,097 to address the problem and make people 54 00:02:05,097 --> 00:02:07,290 pay attention. It's important because 55 00:02:07,290 --> 00:02:09,512 service members are the military's most 56 00:02:09,512 --> 00:02:11,734 important asset. Part of a commander's 57 00:02:11,734 --> 00:02:13,901 job is to keep people safe and protect 58 00:02:13,901 --> 00:02:16,123 the community. And the people who care 59 00:02:16,123 --> 00:02:18,179 are the motorcyclists, their family 60 00:02:18,179 --> 00:02:20,290 members and other drivers who share 61 00:02:20,290 --> 00:02:23,059 the road with riders. Instead of just 62 00:02:23,059 --> 00:02:24,948 listing the facts, figures and 63 00:02:24,948 --> 00:02:26,726 statistics, try writing from a 64 00:02:26,726 --> 00:02:28,869 storytelling perspective. Consider 65 00:02:28,869 --> 00:02:31,036 interviewing an accident survivor or a 66 00:02:31,036 --> 00:02:33,369 driver who narrowly avoided a collision. 67 00:02:33,369 --> 00:02:35,536 A first-person account of a near-fatal 68 00:02:35,536 --> 00:02:37,425 accident will affect people on an 69 00:02:37,425 --> 00:02:39,702 emotional level. By weaving the facts, 70 00:02:39,702 --> 00:02:41,702 figures and statistics into their 71 00:02:41,702 --> 00:02:43,758 personal story, you can deliver the 72 00:02:43,758 --> 00:02:45,758 information in a creative way while 73 00:02:45,758 --> 00:02:48,091 still satisfying the commander's intent. 74 00:02:48,091 --> 00:02:50,313 Or tell a story from the perspective of 75 00:02:50,313 --> 00:02:52,147 someone who caused an accident. 76 00:02:52,147 --> 00:02:54,369 Hitting someone doesn't just impact the 77 00:02:54,369 --> 00:02:56,147 victim. Often, the other person 78 00:02:56,147 --> 00:02:58,036 involved struggles with guilt and 79 00:02:58,036 --> 00:02:59,860 anguish. Another option is to 80 00:02:59,860 --> 00:03:01,860 interview family members who lost a 81 00:03:01,860 --> 00:03:03,971 loved one in an accident. This shows 82 00:03:03,971 --> 00:03:06,027 the impact to the ones who were left 83 00:03:06,027 --> 00:03:08,027 behind and can shine a light on the 84 00:03:08,027 --> 00:03:10,027 part of the story many people don't 85 00:03:10,027 --> 00:03:12,082 normally see. Or approach the story 86 00:03:12,082 --> 00:03:14,249 from a financial standpoint. Show the 87 00:03:14,249 --> 00:03:16,249 impact to the budget when insurance 88 00:03:16,249 --> 00:03:18,304 goes up after an accident, or write 89 00:03:18,304 --> 00:03:18,300 about the average deductible from this 90 00:03:20,380 --> 00:03:22,520 courses, available safety features 91 00:03:22,539 --> 00:03:24,372 and the cost of repairs after an 92 00:03:24,372 --> 00:03:26,595 accident are other things to consider. 93 00:03:27,630 --> 00:03:30,070 Your responsibility as a storyteller is 94 00:03:30,070 --> 00:03:32,181 to understand your commander's intent 95 00:03:32,181 --> 00:03:34,292 and your role in fulfilling it. This 96 00:03:34,292 --> 00:03:36,459 will ensure you tell your stories in a 97 00:03:36,459 --> 00:03:38,570 way that impacts knowledge, attitude 98 00:03:38,570 --> 00:03:40,681 and behaviors to achieve your mission 99 00:03:40,681 --> 00:03:41,529 while still engaging your audience.