Seven C's of Effective Communication

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Topics: Communication, Improvement, Newpost

Effective communication is about more than just exchanging information. It's about understanding the emotions and intentions behind the information. Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive. For many of us, communicating more clearly and effectively requires learning some important skills. These skills can only be built by following certain principles.

The seven c's are seven key principles that underpin effective communication. They can be applied to both oral and written communication. These principles not only maximize the impact of a communication but also enhance the confidence of the user.

1. COMPLETENESS

"Having all the necessary or appropriate parts"
Source: Oxford dictionaries

The communication must include all the essential information to achieve the desired outcome. It should convey all the facts and figures required by the receiver to make decisions based on that information. This will help pitch the style of the message in an appropriate manner.

To help ensure the message is complete, you can use the 5 W's checklist:

Who
What
When
Where
Why

A complete communication will have following features:

- It provides all the necessary information to ensure that the receiver can interpret the message accurately

- It addresses all the questions previously raised and attempts to pre-empt and address subsequent questions that may arise as a result of this communication. If you are replying to a business letter, make sure that you've thoroughly searched through the letter to identify all the questions raised.

- It minimizes the cost of communication as there would be no need for subsequent communication if all the essential information has already been provided. In extreme circumstances, it may also help avert costly lawsuits.

- A complete message is more likely to persuade the recipient.

- The more complete the communication, the more capable it is of assisting better decision-making.

2. CONCISENESS

"Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive".
Source: Oxford dictionaries

For business communications, conciseness means communicating what you want to convey in the least possible words without forgoing the other 7 C's of communication. The message should only contain the information related to the topic excluding all the irrelevant data.

Concise communication should demonstrate the following:

- Wordy expressions are removed

Use single words instead of long words or phrases
Bullet points are an effective tool to help achieve conciseness
Avoid excessive and needless words

- Only relevant information should be included

Stick to the point
Delete dead statements
Do not repeat the words or ideas unnecessarily

- Put the action in the verb - for example:

Instead of using "It is our hope that . . ." Use "We hope that . . ." and so on.

- Avoid long introductions, insignificant explanation and over-politeness.

- Use active voice rather than passive voice

3. CONSIDERATION

"Careful not to inconvenience or harm others".
Source: Oxford dictionaries

Consideration means empathizing with others and taking into account some factors such as recipient's point of view, mind-set, education level, mood, desires and needs.

You should try to think of things from your recipient's perspective. For example:

What do they really need? A customer may already accept that the price is fair but want further reassurance on the safety features of the product. In this instance, a communication promoting the affordability will have significantly low impact as compared to a communication outlining the safety features and guarantees.
What emotions they might be currently feeling? Someone feeling angry or betrayed is likely to need extra assurance regarding trust and integrity as compared to a person who's happily living with peace.
What emotions might your message generate? Do you need to adjust your message to illicit a different type of emotion?
Consider current or potential problems your recipient might be facing. Having thought about such problems, your message can then convey solutions those problems rather than generate further problems.

Self-respect of the recipient is of paramount importance as any loss of respect, insult or humiliation could instantly trigger a harsh reaction from the recipient's side. Flattery and charm can be used; although, be careful to use sparingly and not to exaggerate, which can lose credibility.

In summary, modify the content and style of your message to suit the audience's needs whilst ensuring that your message is complete.

4. CONCRETENESS

"Specific; Definite"
Source: Oxford dictionaries

Concrete communication means being particular, clear, vivid, explicit and specific. General, vague and obscure messages tend to be met with either no response or equally vague and general responses.

Concrete messages have contain the following particularity:

Concrete messages are supported with specific facts and figures.
Concrete messages have a very slight chance of misinterpretation as they are so specific and clear.
Concrete messages convey professionalism and help towards building the reputation of the sender.
Using vivid and image-building words can help make the message more impactful and persuasive.

5. CLARITY

"The quality of being clear".
Source: Oxford dictionaries

Clarity in any communication requires emphasis on a particular goal rather than trying to achieve too much all at once:

- Total clarity of thought and ideas enhance the meaning of messages

- Choose exact, concrete, familiar and appropriate words:

Use simple and well-known words.
State your purpose clearly.

- Construct effective sentences and paragraphs:

Length - indicative sentences upto maximum 15-20 words
Unity - one idea per paragraph
Coherence - state clearly and be careful about the placement of subordinate clauses
Emphasis - focus on the single message you are conveying

- Clear messages make interpretation and understanding easier.

- Clear information stimulates the recipient into action.

When there is a choice between longer words and equivalent, shorter ones always use the shorter version.
Use synonyms instead of Latin terms.
Use English rather than foreign equivalents.

6. COURTESY

"The showing of politeness in one's attitude and behavior towards others".
Source: Oxford dictionaries

Courtesy in inter-personal communication implies that the message should show the sender's expression as well as respecting the receiver and being considerate to their personality. The sender should be sincerely enthusiastic, polite, judicious and reflective.

Following features are evident from courteous messages:

- Be sincere and tactful, thoughtful and appreciative.

- Use expressions and terminologies that show respect.

Avoid irritating expressions and cliches
Avoid using questionable humor and flippancy

- Use non-discriminatory words and ensure the message is unbiased

- Courteous messages take into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings of the receiver.

- Avoid communicating an assertion that sender is right and the receiver is wrong. This will at best irritate and at worst offend the. Phrases such as "You overlooked . . .", "We must emphasize . . ." and "Contrary to your understanding . . ." will invariably alienate the receiver.

7. CORRECTNESS

"Free from error; in accordance with fact or truth"
Source: Oxford dictionaries

Correctness means that there shouldn't be any grammatical, punctuation, spelling or other language errors in communication. Correctness also implies that the message is exact and well-timed.

- Use appropriate and correct language