Open Doors to Opportunity — How? “Write to Influence!”
by Exhibiting Author Carla D. Bass
Oprah calls it, “a heart song” … I call it, “a passion.” And, I’ve been blessed with two. The first — a career in Air Force intelligence, a path I chose in 7th grade, following my father’s footsteps. I served 30 years in Germany, Bulgaria, Korea, Turkey, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., and other locations.
This first passion led unexpectedly to the second … teaching people to write powerfully … which brings us to my book, “Write to Influence!” and my current journey described here in 5 Q&As.
Question: Why did I compose “Write to Influence!”?
Answer: My battle cry says it all, “Powerful writing changes lives!” I saw how powerful writing correlates directly to successful careers – power of the pen can open doors to opportunity … or close them. For example, you can be THE most qualified for a job – hands down – but, if the competition is better at telling a story … you lose.
Genesis of the book – I was selected to command the 324th Intelligence Squadron (324 IS), a unit comprised of 480 people in Hawaii. When I arrived, it was the most losing unit for professional quarterly/annual All Air Force Hawaii Awards. Time and again, talented people were passed over for these critical awards not because they were underserving, but because most supervisors could not write compelling nominations. We lost to units that did … an untenable problem I had to fix.
Question: Did something specific prompt the book?
Answer: Yes! “Scored 3+/3+ on the Chinese DLPT”… the opening and most important line on an annual performance review, a document critical to promotion. This line is gibberish. You don’t understand it; neither did I. THAT’s the problem. Translated, the individual scored A+ in reading/listening on the Defense Language Proficiency Test and placed in the top 5% of her peers … a tremendous achievement. As written, that story is completely lost.
Question: How long did it take to compose, “Write to Influence!” ?
Answer: Short answer – 3 days. Long answer – 24 years. To resolve the situation at 324 IS, I took 3 day’s personal vacation; sequestered myself in a beach cabin; and grappled with two questions, “How is it that I can consistently write award-winning nominations?” and “How do I teach others?” I departed that cloister with my “Word Sculpting” concept and 10 “Word Sculpting tools” (that now constitute the core of Part 1, “Write to Influence!”).
I then generated a 15-page handbook, transformed that into a one-hour workshop, and taught my troops to write. We soon swept those awards and became the unit to beat. Not only did these victories catapult individual careers, the unit took pride in itself and morale soared. So popular was the workshop, I taught it to thousands of people for the next 15 years.
Question: Why Do you consider writing a fundamental skill for effective leadership?
Answer: I taught leadership classes to scores of people during my 30-year Air Force career. When challenged to identify leadership skills, people never included the ability to write well on that august list of esteemed characteristics: integrity, courage, honesty, empathy, high work standards, loyalty, etc.
But, think about it. The ability to write powerfully … to present a case with focused intensity … is intrinsic to being a good boss and a successful leader. Whether advocating for that stellar employee or submitting a persuasive budget proposal, influential writing is that secret sauce. However, it’s a skill you must learn, practice, and refine. That’s where I can help and delight in so doing.
Question: What has been your greatest surprise on this journey?
Answer: I was stunned by an email from an individual I taught 25 years ago, “Colonel Bass, I was a senior airman, one of your first students in the 324 IS. I want to convey that I used your handbook for 18 years. By learning to write powerfully, I was selected for Officer Training School (Note to readers: this is a highly competitive program) and recently retired after 20 years as an Air Force officer. I’m now the vice president of a defense corporation. This wouldn’t have occurred without you and the writing skills you instilled. Thank you!” So, what surprises me? The ability of help people change their own lives by learning how to write … and the extent to which this “heart song” consequently has changed my own life.
Conclusion: I’m grateful to those dedicated individuals who make the Gaithersburg Book Festival possible and for the opportunity to participate, share my “heart song,” and hopefully help others along the way.