Role of the AdvisorWebster's defines Advisor as “an expert giving

advice”

• Your role is to find an enduring, sustainable solution• Success does not rest entirely in your relationship

with your Afghan counterpart. When you return to Eggers the ability to forge relationships with your

uniform partners there as well as coalition partners and NGOs across Afghanistan

will be equally critical to your success.• The heavy lifting here has been done by your

predecessors but it is a continuing focus area because of rotations. So how can we approach that

aspect?• How do I make the transformation for functional

expert to mentor?• How do I become a strategic catalyst for change?

For startersthe impact of your writing

marks you as a professional—or

not! This is particularly true

of your daily report.

• A daily paragraph is used to describe the significant issues that transpired during your interaction with your Principal. In large part the item should be of interest to a broader audience for their situational awareness or as a means to generate a synchronization of effects by Advisors

• There is no need to include mundane details such as having chai with your Principal even if it is the best chai you have ever had. I promise you folks are chai’d out by now.

• “Advisor Analysis/Comments” at the back end of a paragraph are used to elucidate a point in the paragraph or to provide background on activity that is being described. In essence this is an aid in eliminating an RFI by closing the loop on the issue

• The paragraph should attempt to use the 5W’s approach to ensure there are no open ended questions coming out of what you write

• If the daily material implicates more than one Principal in your paragraph ensure that the other Advisor has an opportunity to see your daily entry to confirm impressions or understanding of events.

• Contraction works in standard dialogue--not in reports. Words such as can’t, won’t, we’re….need to be written in full for the report.

• In the report do not refer to yourself in the first person, this report isn’t about you it is about your role as an advisor. You will henceforth be known as “The Advisor” or “Advisor”. Your name is at the bottom of the paragraph, you will get credit

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) It means just that---it is the first item…it is not

buried somewhere else in the text!!! It is not used on a regular basis but, rather, in those

cases where you want to highlight an important matter

So what should your daily entry look like?

The Entry has a title(U) The first item to include is a security classification. It is placed just before the first sentence, not before the title. Within the body of the entry succinctly outline the particular activity or interaction with your Principal. The paragraph is used to describe one event or activity and you must add additional paragraphs for other significant entries. Every effort must be made to address the activity with an aim towards ensuring there are no loose ends or open ended statements that will generate additional questions. If you have an attachment, such as an EXSUM, indicate this in your entry so that readers know to look for it. Finally, you finish the entry with the name of the person who wrote the paragraph in parentheses. (Mr. Gillette) (Advisor analysis go in separate parentheses here)

Who-What-When-Where-Why. No More-No Less unless titled advisor analysis

Atmospherics

• ‘Atmospherics’ are reports of conversations or behavior from your counterparts that is outside the norm. Atmospherics aid other senior advisors in their understanding of the current operating environment. For example, a conversation among Afghan GOs regarding their perceived impact of a recent change in some level of coalition support or, perhaps, their perception of the impact of ‘green-on-blue’ incidents as it relates to GIRoA’s relationship with the coalition

• Atmospherics are separate from you normal reporting items and are identified as such by either identifying them in a separate report or under separate heading titled “Atmospherics.

The Bottom Line:

• Your daily entry serves to provide the DCOM insight into what each of us in doing in an effort to gain a degree of synergy through broader understanding

• Your daily entry has reach – it is distributed to hundreds of addresses and works its way into IJC, ISAF and beyond.

• The quality of “your” product is a reflection of the professionalism of our mission in NTM-A.

Humility, Empathy & Respect…what more?• Make a valid assessment of the situation

• Adapt your thought processes to a different culture• Don’t listen with a deaf ear• Understand your counterpart’s motivations• Learn how to navigate patronage networks• Fight for Afghan ownership and sustainable systems• Ensure you have a complete understanding of value

tradeoffs, or similar quid-pro-quos • Ultimately what you want to do is create & implement

processes which have stakeholder buy-in as well as strengthen transition• NEVER FORGET WHO YOU WORK FOR…THERE

CANNOT BE CONFLICTING LOYALTIES.

Your World…and Theirs

The Coalition (US)

•Finite inputs•Defined processes•Particular outputs

•Within a defined time (real deadlines)

The Afghans

•Often faulty inputs•Ambiguous processes•Ill defined outputs•Uncertain/Undefined

time lines. (time warps that will test your

patience)