Introduction
In the military, effective communication forms an integral part. Military leaders are problem solvers, strategy layers, managers, organizers and key influencers .All these activities can only proceed effectively if there is effective communication between different ranks within the forces. Success in military largely depends on ability to think critically and express your intentions and ideas effectively. Both written and verbal communication in the military plays a major role. Inability to effectively communicate and mis interpretation have historically cost the military. For instance, during the civil war, it is believed that Gettysburg victory depended on how the juniors decoded General Robert E. lee’s use of the remark –“practicable”.
Good communication skills in the army should not only be an issue to do with military leaders. The junior officers should as well uphold effective communication skills. It is true that a good communicator is a good listener as well. Good military leaders have usually shown ability to communicate their ideas and easily influence the thinking of other people. All forms of military organizations cannot grow or succeed without effective communication. A good leader is the one who expresses his or her ideas easily with no strain. His or her audience should easily understand his or her intentions and ideas.
Verbal and written communication within the military is greatly influenced by application of creative thinking and critical thinking. Good writing should be; concise, on point and organized. Military wring should as well have minimal or no grammatical errors. Critical thinking enables a person to asses or evaluates what is true. It involves high level of reasoning. Critical thinking influences proper decision-making .In the military, critical thinking forms the backbone of problem solving. Problem solving; calls for an analytical look at the problem and come up with informed decisions.
On the other hand, creative thinking is a process, which improves the ability of a person to think innovatively. Creative thinking allows the brain to be broad enough, to generate many ideas .Creative thinking in the military is very important .This profession is one of the few professions where problem solving needs to be very sophisticated and thorough. During problem solving, creative thinking plays a vital role. Creative thinking allows the brain to explore multiple avenues and routes towards solving a problem. However, inhibitors such as cultural and personal perceptions affect creative thinking. Intellectual ability, emotions, and environment also affect creative thinking. Army leaders use these two tools in problem solving. The collaboration of the two tools assures best solution to problems.
Identification of the problem is the first step towards problem solving in military. In this step, military leaders try to understand what caused the problem and who are involved in the problem. This step also seeks to identify when, where and why the problem occurred.
The next step is to gather relevant information about the problem. It involves gathering facts and assumptions about the problem .The next step are the development of criteria. This step involves screening and evaluating the information collected in the second step. The fourth stage is generation of possible solutions, which may offer solution to the problem. Analysis of possible solutions follows. In this stage, the most realistic and distinguishable solutions are taken. The sixth step involves looking at the solutions and settling on one. It seeks to identify the best solution to the problem. The final step is ti act. Creative thinking and critical thinking are very important in this process. Effective communication has major contribution is solving problems within the army. The orderly organization of information in the problem solving process is a result of effective communication.
Effective communication is not only confined to military activities. The skills of writing and speaking can go far beyond military operations. Developing effective communication among the army is not limited to military work only. We have so many army officers are great writers in the world. Admiral Jim Stavridis is a testimony to this. Admiral is a senior commander in the United States Navy. Admiral is also a famous writer. He encourages fellow navy men and soldiers to embrace writing and airing their ideas, experiences, and thoughts through print media. Admiral challenges Benjamin Franklin saying, “either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”, by opting to do both. That is, living a life and writing about it. He challenges his fellow navy to embrace writing since the sea is the biggest inspiration of most poets, storytellers, journalists, and novelists. The military profession offers the army a very big knowledge base for writing. The writer encourages junior military officers to follow the example of Ernest King, William Hasley, and Chester Nimitz who have written and published a book about their careers. Experiences in the army provide the soldiers with a very rich back literature ground.
Admiral points out that writing something worth reading is not very easy. Even the greatest writer has had their flaws. A writer may have very captivating ideas but fail to organize them in a way that meets the interests off the reader. Therefore, good ideas, if properly arranged will automatically provide something worth reading. A good writer should follow the correct procedure when writing or penning down his or her ideas. There are many forms of writings, ranging from argumentative essays to expository writing.
Admiral compares writing to bouncing a ball. Baseball players keep on batting the ball until they get on target. Similarly, a good writer should bounce his or her ideas. Through editing, these ideas can be converted in to good literature work, worth reading.
The military are out doing each other in what Admiral calls – “a market place for ideas”. Information has become very important in our modern lives. We are living in a continuous cycle where dissemination, of information and reporting has become the order of the day. The military have been constantly urged to take the forefront position in expressing the ideologies and beliefs of America. Former USA President John Adams stated that the best way to defend the ideologies of the United States is through speaking out our minds. This is practically possible through effective communication.
Effective communication within the army is very important, both for leadership purpose as well as for the purpose of coordination. In the army, profession communication alone stands out to be a weapon itself. Effective communication is very crucial for the success of military activities. Effective communication goes far beyond the basic activities of the army. It is evident that many soldiers and army personnel can turn their communication skills sources of livelihood. The military not only defend the citizens but also the ideologies the nation. Defending these ideologies is only possible if one is good at speaking, listening, and writing. As a field grade officer, effective communication will assist me in taking instructions properly from my seniors.
Ability to listen goes hand in hand with speaking and writing. These skills will assist me to rise in the ranks since leadership is greatly influenced by ability to communicate. I may also write about my experience as an army officer.
