Efficiently conveying information to a group of people

S.M.E.A.C.
Ah, S.M.E.A.C.—a part of our family lexicon once again borrowed from the Marine Corps.

What is S.M.E.A.C.? It’s an easy, intuitive mental framework for efficiently conveying information to a group of people about an upcoming task. Once you’ve used it a few times, it comes naturally, and gives you a great mental checklist to ensure that no planning essentials get missed. S.M.E.A.C. stands for:


Situation—We’ve got to prepare a sales proposal for a new prospect at short notice.
Mission—To ensure that the plan that we prepare wins us the sale. (In the Corps, this also includes “Commander’s Intent”: this is especially important, because if everyone knows the overall mission—as opposed to just “do this by then”—then there is scope for individual judgment and initiative if the situation changes.)
Execution—Tom will gather data about the prospect’s formal requirements; Frances will gather information about who will be judging the proposal; John will be responsible for doing the graphical aspects of the presentation; we will then gather and do a first draft three days before the presentation is due.
Administration and Logistics (a.k.a. Bullets, Beans, and Band Aids)—What we’ll need to get the job done—We’re assembling in Tom’s offices next Tuesday at 9 A.M.; Frances is responsible for providing the laptop, dry erase board and pens for brainstorming; John is bringing the coffee. Keep receipts for any expenses incurred, as the client says that they will reimburse these if we file them following the presentation.
Communication—This is how we are going to stay in touch while executing the mission. E.g., any problems before Tuesday, use e-mail; if anyone gets held up on the day, give the rest of the team a call.