Personnel—General Effective Writing for Army Leaders

1 Department of the army Pamphlet 600 67. personnel general Effective Writing for army Leaders Headquarters Department of the army Washington, DC. 02 June 1986. Unclassified SUMMARY of CHANGE. DA PAM 600 67. Effective Writing for army Leaders This pamphlet provides staff Writing standards and guidelines to army Leaders , and outlines two editing tools and one organizational technique for use by Leaders in achieving those standards and for obtaining them from their subordinates. RESERVED. Headquarters Department of the army Department of the army Pamphlet 600 67. Washington, DC. 02 June 1986. personnel general Effective Writing for army Leaders Applicability. This pamphlet applies to the form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publi- Active army , army National Guard, cations and Blank Forms) directly to Com- army Reserve, and Department of the army mander, army Training and Doctrine civilians.

2 Command, ATTN: ATCG W, Ft. Monroe, Proponent and exception authority. VA 23651 5000. Not applicable. Impact on new Manning System. This Distribution. Distribution of this issue has pamphlet does not contain information that been made in accordance with DA form affects the New Manning System. 12 9A R requirements for 600 series publi- Interim changes. Interim changes to this cations. The number of copies distributed to pamphlet are not official unless they are au- a given subscriber is the number of copies thenticated by The Adjutant general . Users requested in Blocks 378, 379 and 380 of the will destroy interim changes on their expira- subscriber's DA form 12 9A R. DA Pam tion dates unless sooner superseded or re- 600 67 distribution is highest quantity under scinded.

3 B, C, or D for Active army , ARNG, and History. The UPDATE printing publishes a Suggested Improvements. The propo- USAR. Future distribution of this publication new Department of the army pamphlet. nent agency of this pamphlet is the Office of will remain the same unless the Publications Summary. This pamphlet outlines, for the Assistant Chief of Staff for Information Account Officer adjusts the quantities using army Leaders , the standards of AR 600 70 Management. Users are invited to send com- the enclosed subscription card. and sets staff Writing guidelines to achieve ments and suggested improvements on DA. those standards. Contents (Listed by paragraph and page number) Setting the examples 5 2, page 2. Chapter 1 Figure List Introduction, page 1.

4 Purpose 1 1, page 1 Figure 3 1: Example of Writing without packaging, page 2. References 1 2, page 1 Figure 3 2: Example of Writing with packaging, page 3. Why there is an army Writing Program 1 3, page 1 Figure 4 1: Example of a quick screen edit highlight, page 3. Defining the standard 1 4, page 1 Figure 4 2: Example of a quick screen edit highlight, page 3. Figure 4 3: Computing clarity index, page 3. Chapter 2 Figure 4 4: Clarity index of original Writing , page 4. Leadership and Writing , page 1 Figure 4 5: Clarity index of revised Writing ., page 4. Why we need a leader Writing pamphlet 2 1, page 1 Figure 5 1: Clarity index of revised Writing , page 5. A different kind of Writing pamphlet 2 2, page 1 Figure 5 2: Memorandum Example of good Writing , page 6.

5 Your role as an army leader 2 3, page 1 Figure 5 3: Military letter Example of poor Writing , page 6. Figure 5 4: Military letter Example of good Writing , page 7. Chapter 3 Figure 5 5: DA form 4697 (Report of Survey), block 29 . Issuing the Guidance, page 1 example of poor Writing , page 7. Style Rules 3 1, page 1 Figure 5 6: DA form 4697 (Report of Survey), block 26 . Two essential changes 3 2, page 1 Example of good Writing , page 7. Chapter 4. Being a mentor, page 1. general 4 1, page 2. The quick screen edit 4 2, page 2. The clarity index 4 3, page 2. Chapter 5. Showing the New Standards, page 2. Establishing the guidelines 5 1, page 2. DA PAM 600 67 02 June 1986 i 9. Unclassified RESERVED. ii DA PAM 600 67 02 June 1986.

6 Chapter 1 Chapter 3. Introduction Issuing the Guidance 1 1. Purpose 3 1. Style Rules This pamphlet is a leader's manual. It Take these guidelines and publish them as your office Writing rules a. Provides accessible information on what kind of staff Writing to establish the new army Writing rules to establish the new army to demand and how to have it produced. Writing standard. Require all people who write for you . b. Explains in detail what good army Writing is and how to a. Put the recommendation, conclusion, or reason for Writing . establish uniform army Writing standards. the bottom line in the first or second paragraph, not at the end. b. Use the active voice. c. Describes two quantifiable tools to reinforce better Writing .

7 C. Use short sentences (an average of 15 or fewer words). d. Provides examples of the new standard for army Writing . d. Use short words (three syllables or fewer). (See the clarity index in paragraph 4 3.). 1 2. References e. Write paragraphs that, with few exceptions, are no more than 1. a. Required publication. AR 600 70, The army Writing Pro- inch deep. gram, is a required publication. (Cited in para 2 1d.). f. Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. b. Related publication. (A related publication is merely a source g. Use I, you and we as subjects of sentences instead of of additional information. The user does not have to read it to this office, this headquarters, all individuals, and so forth, for understand the pamphlet.)

8 AR 340 15, Preparing and Managing most kinds of Writing . Correspondence, is a related publication. 3 2. Two essential changes 1 3. Why there is an army Writing Program These new Writing guidelines mandate two critical changes that a. Too much army Writing does not communicate well. It con- Leaders must demand. The first change alters the structure of all fuses rather than clarifies; it is wordy rather than concise; it hides army Writing ; the second change transforms the style. the main idea rather than getting to the point. a. Structure main idea first. b. We all recognize the particular style described in a above as (1) Require all staff Writing to begin with the main idea. The army Writing . The army has developed this style collectively.

9 Greatest weakness in ineffective Writing is that it doesn't quickly That means that, collectively, we can build a better style. transmit a focused message. Too much army Writing hides the main c. Information overload and the complexity of the modern army point. Insist, as business writers do, on the bottom line first. Have demand a more Effective style and a new standard for Writing . subordinates start with the information they would keep if they had to get rid of all the rest. 1 4. Defining the standard (2) Require specific packaging of all Writing . Focusing first on a. According to AR 600 70, the standard for army Writing is the main point changes the overall construction of army Writing . Writing you can understand in a single rapid reading, and is gener- This restructuring, called packaging, is the framework of the new ally free of errors in grammar, mechanics, and usage.

10 Writing style. Packaging is not format. Formatting begins after pack- b. Good army Writing is clear, concise, organized, and right to aging to tailor the Writing to a specific purpose. To package . the point. (a) Open with a short, clear purpose sentence. (b) Put the recommendation, conclusion, or most important infor- mation (the main point) next. (Some Writing combines the purpose and the main point.). Chapter 2 (c) Clearly separate each major section. Use paragraphs, head- Leadership and Writing ings, or section titles. (d) Use a specific format if one is appropriate. 2 1. Why we need a leader Writing pamphlet b. Style the active voice. a. Leaders lose too much time grappling with poor Writing . (1) The major style change that makes army Writing clear, direct b.