Graduation Exercise

Introduce Key Points First

Lead with the Basics – Horse before the Cart

Introduce key points first. Demonstrates a writing technique from the multiple award-winning book "Write to Influence!" -- Place the Horse before the Cart

Introduce key points first. Place the horse before the cart … a Word Sculpting Tool from the multiple award-winning book “Write to Influence!” Re the image, one must retain a sense of humor!

I exemplify in this notional Congressional Notification the flawed technique of placing the cart before the horse at the document level. A similar document could easily be intended for a CEO or Board of Directors. You must introduce key points first to best leverage the time of such audiences.

Your challenge — find and properly sequence the key message, ancillary details, and background information. You might spend time comparing the Before/After versions … many lessons to be harvested!

Before [This is horribly written with intent]:

In accordance with Presidential Policy Directive 66 (PPD 66) and national-level Directive 33, Bioterrorism Attacks against the United States, several agencies participated in the live-field exercise of KILL THE BUG 2018. PPD 66 and Directive 33 require agencies at the federal, state, and local levels to conduct annual exercises to practice the response to major biological attacks. Exercise KILL THE BUG complied with these requirements. From 12-14 August 2018, Federal Agency ABC led the conduct of the annual live-field exercise KILL THE BUG as part of the nation’s counter-bioterrorism program. Over 150 people participated from 18 organizations in Washington, D.C.; Virginia; and Maryland.

Participating Regional Counterterrorism Coordination Centers, emergency response teams, local hospitals, law enforcement, and selected volunteers and media representatives responded to a real-world scenario of a terrorist launching a biological attack by releasing a biological bomb in a subway station. Participants executed steps in the scenario as coordinated among participating organizations to test the inter-agencies’ communication abilities and capability to secure the scene, protect the population, and evacuate injured people for needed medical attention.

This exercise resulted in outstanding performance by all organizations that participated; and exhibited unprecedented levels of information sharing among these participating organizations.

KILL THE BUG exercise program is really important, given the increasing threat posed by adversaries and their intent to attack the U.S. asymmetrically, the number of agencies required to respond to this type of event, and the various levels of effort required. It provides us real-world opportunity to test our coordinated response.

 

After [bold text to highlight teaching points]: 

Federal Agency ABC conducted the annual live-field exercise KILL THE BUG, from 12-14 August 2018 as part of the nation’s counter-bioterrorism program. This exercise was a tremendous success and constituted a landmark, paradigm shift in real-time information sharing among the medical, law enforcement, and emergency response communities at the federal, state, and local levels. Moreover, the exercise demonstrated not only a willingness to collaborate but also the efficacy of the various inter-agency communication systems.

More than 150 people participated from 18 organizations in Washington, D.C.; Virginia; and Maryland, representing four federal agencies, three Regional Counterterrorism Coordination Centers, emergency response teams, local hospitals, law enforcement, and selected volunteers and media representatives.

Collectively, participants responded to a real-world scenario of a biological attack in a subway station, a scenario that required them to neutralize the attack, secure the scene, protect the population, evacuate injured people to medical facilities, and interact with the media under these extreme, unique, and horrific circumstances.

The KILL THE BUG exercise is a significant element of the nation’s counter-bio terrorism program; it affords the real-world opportunity to test a coordinated response in these simulated, extreme circumstances. Continued funding for this exercise is essential given the increasing threat posed by adversaries, their inclination to attack the U.S. asymmetrically, and the number of agencies required to respond to this type of event.

This bioterrorism exercise complies with requirements stipulated in Presidential Policy Directive 66, Protecting against Bioterrorism Attacks against the United States and national-level Directive 33, Bioterrorism Attacks against the United States.