Combat Writing: Discovery in Business Communication

Combat Writing is a conceptual tool for authors to uncover insights and publish outputs using those emerging discoveries. It is a methodology for professionals to build quality pieces through iterating, feedback loops, and implementing a variety of perspectives.

This approach systematically uses multiple artificial intelligence to reveal previously unforeseen results and angles. It also explores the hidden tension between the emerging dynamics of human learning and deep learning.

In other words, we understand learning is not what you know but how you move. Insights cannot be engineered nor designed, they must come about naturally through experience, practice, discussion and other unknown variables.

If you’re not using AI tools, try this with a committed group of friends or teammates.The human is the creator and decision maker building around the following questions:

• How does AI feedback complement human feedback in refining ideas?

• When evaluating the quality of rough drafts, where do we agree and disagree with AI?

• How does the Combat Writing approach engage with multiple AI to reveal hidden insights?

[Without AI]

• How does feedback refine our ideas?

• When evaluating the quality of rough drafts, where do we agree and disagree with one another?

• How does the Combat Writing approach foster the conditions for insights to emerge?

COMBAT WRITING FRAMEWORK OUTLINE

Key Terms:

• SM: Source Material

• C: Context Brief

• R1/R2: Rounds of Analysis

• FQ: Focus Question

• S1/S2: Synthesis Stages

• N: Navigating Collaboration

Motto:

Reading is peace.

Writing is War.

STRATEGY STAGE (Steps 1-3)

├─ SM: Source Material (human-created first draft)

├─ C: Context Brief (stakes, goals, constraints)

SPARRING STAGE (Steps 4-7)

├─ R1: Independent Analysis (3+ AI models rate & critique)

├─ Human Processing (identify patterns, make revisions)

BATTLE STAGE (Steps 8-15)

├─ FQ: Focus Question Injection (based on emerging insights)

├─ R2: Cross-Review Analysis (AI models analyze each other's feedback with FQ)

├─ S1: First Synthesis (each AI synthesizes other AIs' perspectives)

├─ N: Navigating Collaboration (address the AI crew collectively, increases focus)

├─ S2: Second Synthesis (each AI synthesizes other AIs' First Syntheses)

├─ Human Integration & Final Draft

CHAMPION STAGE (Steps 16-19)

├─ Publication

├─ Metrics Analysis

├─ Results Acknowledgment

└─ Follow Through

THE COMBAT WRITING FRAMEWORK

Strategy Stage

Step 1. Select a meaningful project unique to your work or business. If it’s not high stakes enough to require action, scratch it.

Step 2. [SM: Source Material] After reflecting on the desired outcome of the piece, type out your first draft. Created entirely by you, the human. This becomes your "source material" and the foundation for all subsequent analysis.

Step 3. [C: Context Brief] Describe and establish clear context: Who you are (or your team), your purpose for writing this piece, what you're attempting to accomplish, and the stakes involved. Share this context with multiple AI models. We use Anthropic's Claude, xAI's Grok, and our customized ChatGPT agent “Learning Producer”.

Sparring Stage

Step 4. [R1: Independent Analysis] Upload your rough draft or “source material” to an AI crew of your choice. We suggest at least three LLMs for identifying potential signals and patterns. 

Prompt them identically with the following: “Read this rough draft and rate it on a scale from 1–10, you cannot use 7. Explain your reasoning with evidence.”

Step 5. Process the feedback from each AI model separately. Consider how the different LLMs evaluated your first iteration. Most rough drafts are usually well, rough! If this is done without AI, consider the biases each person has when sharing their interpretations. Yet, at the same time, welcome various biases in a discussion as valuable learning signal.

Step 6. Discuss specific points with human teammates or reflect on where you agree and disagree with AI. For example, if the critique involves topics uniquely human, like emotional responses or physical sensations, remember that artificial intelligence can be excellent at explaining yet not always at understanding.

Step 7. Identify patterns among the multiple AI feedback and make revisions or edits. Or, if the topic is too controversial, discuss it with human collaborators or with an offline, uncensored AI model (we use Llama 3 for this using the Ollama app).

Battle Stage

Step 8. Upload revised draft and ask specific follow-up questions: Would you recommend this piece? Purchase this service? Join this team? (AI has its own biases, responses can be subjective, and hallucinations do occur so take it with a grain of salt.)

Step 9. [FQ: Focus Question Injection] Create a focus question based on insights that have emerged. This might involve evaluating your work against specific criteria, research, outside references (books, articles, datasets, philosophies), or newly discovered frameworks.

Step 10. [R2: Cross-Review Analysis] Ask your focus question to each AI separately. Make a document organizing all three responses (or however many models you’re using) to make it easier to copy and paste.

You can guide this move by prompting: “Everything I have shared with you in this discussion as far as my contexts, prompts and source materials, are identical with my interactions with the other AI models involved in this project. I am going to share their perspectives with you. Provide any additional insights after considering all their responses.”[Copy and paste document with all AI responses and include any further customized instructions.]

Step 11. [S1: First Synthesis] Each AI creates their own synthesis, considering their blind spots and how their interpretations overlap and diverge with their AI peers. You now have three "First Syntheses." If S1 reveals the structure your piece needs, proceed to step 13. You willingly decide when you are satisfied.

Step 12. [Optional N: Navigating Collaboration]: Create a separate document where you address the AI crew collectively. Here you address pros and cons of their First Syntheses. Include a “why” to each pro and con. Your following prompt will then have a unique guided focus, proceed to step 13 or 14 when ready.

Step 13. [Optional S2: Second Synthesis] Share each AI's First Synthesis with the other AI models. Again, you can create a separate document with all First Syntheses to make it easier to share with every model. For example: Grok will receive a document with all three syntheses and so will Claude and Learning Producer GPT. Using this collection of feedback you will make any final requests before they provide their Second Syntheses. This step is for when S1 hasn't fully revealed what matters.

Step 14. Consider important details and results you may have previously been unaware of. Process the Syntheses you have completed (S1,S2 or both) and apply signaling feedback (patterns, latent structures) to reiterate your piece once more. If necessary, take any action you must to address any emerging insights unique to your circumstances.

Step 15. Prepare final draft, decide on the outlets to distribute your piece, and prompt your AI crew (or teammates in IRL) with the following:

“Read this final draft, is this piece grammatically correct and ready for publication?”

Review feedback and make last minute adjustments if needed.

Champion Stage [All Steps Required]

Step 16. Publish your piece. Share it with your intended audience across chosen platforms.

Step 17. Analyze metrics. Impressions, comments, business outcomes.

Step 18. Acknowledge results, whether engagement is high or low.

Step 19. Follow through with specific action. Reach out. Have the conversation. Close the deal. Make your next move.

Ready to Begin? Quick Tips for Your First Combat Writing Session

• Most AI platforms offer free tiers sufficient for Combat Writing. Claude, ChatGPT, and others provide enough monthly usage for several writing projects without paid subscriptions.

• Offline AI is always a recommended option for anyone with privacy concerns about using major AI models.

• Begin by uploading the Combat Writing framework (PDF or copy and paste) to each AI Model to facilitate the process.

“I'm using this Combat Writing methodology to analyze my drafts. Reference these steps throughout our sessions:”

• Create a document with the context of your project recorded. In case you reach a chat limitation or it lags due to length/data constraints. (Restart chat.)

• Prepare two documents to save and track Syntheses 1 and Syntheses 2 responses to easily copy and paste.

• Organize a separate document for your FQ injection, (excerpt or file reference to be copy and pasted).

• If sharing with team members create a folder and organize all relevant information and insights, including a doc for “Navigating Collaboration”.

• Combat Writing’s iterative process invites seemingly endless depth to emerge, remember to stop when satisfied and publish!

For additional support or guidance through the CW process, join:

The Writing Production (https://www.learningproducers.com/services).