the 7 C's of Communication

The Seven C’s of Effective Communication:

Principles Communication:

To compose an effective written or oral message, one must apply to certain principles. These principles provide guidelines for choice of content and style of presentation. When these principles are inculcated into the components of communication process, the desired feedback is received. Since all these principles are words starting with the alphabet ‘C’ the principles are generally known as ‘The Seven C’s’:

1. Completeness:

The message is Complete if it contains all information that Receiver or Decoder would need in order to give desired Feedback. The message composed should not prompt any questions. We know that Encoders and Decoders differ in their mental-filters; which are influenced by the backgrounds, view-points, needs, experiences, attitudes etc. Thus while composing a message the sender needs to assess the message according to the Decoder’s view-point, so that there is no communication barrier existing between both of them.

Completeness has great significance. Complete messages are more likely to bring out the desired results without sending additional message; they can do a better job at building Goodwill, as it shows concern for the Receiver; on official level, Complete Messages avert the chances of Lawsuits that may result if important information us missing; lastly, the messages that might be inconsequential can be surprisingly important if they contain complete and effective information.

While striving for completeness, keep the following points in mind:

a- Provide all Necessary Information:

While composing a message, keep in mind that your message answers to these Questions; who, what, when, where, why. Specify your desired items in an orders and requests and specify information in invitations and announcements.

b- Answer all Questions Asked:

In a Question/Answer session, answer all the questions, asked or implied. Sometimes a question is not asked directly rather it is expected from the Communicator to explain it without asking. An incomplete or simply yes/no answer might not be satisfactory. It shows carelessness on the part of communicators.

c- Give something extra when desirable:

Do not be miser in giving information. Sometimes it is not exactly asked but keeping a message too much, ‘to-the-point’ might end up creating confusion. For instance: if a friend who is new in your city asks you your address, you can not simply answer with your street number and house number. You have to give details about the link roads and pointers to make it convenient for your friend to find your address, by himself.

2. Conciseness:

Too much information results in confusion. Conciseness means that a message is composed in fewest possible words without scarifying any other ‘c’ quality. It contributes to emphasis; by eliminating unnecessary words, important ideas are let to stand out.

A Concise message has much significance; a complete and concise message is interesting for the Receiver, and it shows respect for Receivers by not cluttering up their lives with unnecessary details.

To achieve conciseness following rules should be followed:

a- Eliminate wordy expressions:

Expressions which make a statement ostentatious should be avoided. Wordy expressions refer to complicated or complex statements which can rather be replaced by a single word. For instance; ‘at the moment’ can be replaced by ‘now’, ‘in due course’ can be replaced by ‘soon’ etc. Thus, while composing a message one should replace wordy expressions with single words as often as possible, omit trite, unnecessary expressions, avoid overusing same words and empty phrases, omit which and that clauses, avoid use of passive voice.

b- Include only relevant material:

i- Stick to the purpose of the message

ii- Delete irrelevant words and rambling sentences

iii- Omit information obvious to the Receiver unless it is important to remind him/her.

iv- Avoid long introductions, overly dramatic explanations, excessive use of adjectives and prepositions, pompous words etc.

v- Do not rush to the main point rather go to relevant point tactfully.

c- Avoid Unnecessary Repetition:

Sometimes repetition is necessary for emphasis but unnecessary repetition leads to dullness and makes the message cloying. Thus try to avoid it by different means. For instance once you mentioned a long name, use a shorter version of it, use pronouns or initials of a lengthy name, cut out all the repeated sentences by joining two or more short sentences.

3. Consideration:

Consideration means preparing a message with the Receiver in mind. A person is considerate if he does not loose his temper, does not accuse, does not charge anyone without facts. A considerate person is aware of their desires, problems, circumstances, emotions and probable reactions to the request. Its more about, an empathetic, ‘you’ attitude rather than a ‘me’ or ‘we’ attitude that wins a Receiver. While making a considerate statement one should keep the following rules in mind:

a- Focus on ‘You’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘We’:

In order to compose a considerate Receiver-oriented message, the sender has to make the Receiver focus of his message instead of himself. For instance, instead of saying, “We are delighted to announce that we are increasing shopping hours” say, “Now you can enjoy shopping at evening with the extended hours.” But a considerate Sender makes sure that the Receiver is not the focus of Negative statements. In cases where Negative statements are to be used, passive voice can be used to avoid stress on the word, ‘You ’or make it depersonalized. For Instance, instead of saying, “you failed to enclose a check in the envelop” say, “the check was not enclosed”.

b- Show audience Benefit on Interest in the receiver:

Whenever possible show the audience that they are going to benefit from your statement or message.

c- Emphasize Positive, Pleasant facts :

Do not mention unpleasant facts rather accent the positive. This means do not mention what can not be done rather mention what can be done.

4. Concreteness:

Concreteness means being specific, vivid and definite rather than being indefinite or vague. The message should be supported with facts and figures. Often it means using denotative (direct, explicit, often dictionary-based) rather than the connotative words (ideas or notions suggested or associated to words). Following are the rules for concrete messages:

a- Use specific Facts and Figures:

To support your statements, use specific facts and figures. Like instead of saying, “she is a brain” a more concrete statement can be given like, “her G.P.A in 2008 was 3.9 on four-point scales.”

b- Put actions in your verbs:

This means that Sender should preferably use active voice rather than passive voice except in negative statements. It also means that the stress should be laid on verb of a sentence rather than the noun. For example; instead of saying, “students held the meeting in the common room”, it would be better to say, “Students met in common room”.

c- Choose vivid, Image-building words:

Concrete messages often evoke sensory response to people; it appeals to one of their five senses. This does not mean that the message should be made long and tedious; it means it should build a clear and solid picture of the situation. Concrete messages can also be supported by comparisons and analogies to clarify the meaning. In formal letters, figurative language can also be used but this should be used with caution.

5. Clarity:

Communication means to create meaning at one end and to interpret it at other. Clarity intends to ensure that the meaning is understood at the other end. To ensure clarity following should be done:

a- Choose Precise, Concrete and Familiar words:

This means that words that create ambiguity, allegorical statements, pun or statements that have loopholes should be avoided. Words that have more than one meaning or belong to attic language can create a lot of confusion thus affecting the clarity of the message. This can create a communication barrier.

b- Construct Effective Sentences and Paragraphs:

The sentences and Paragraphs should have these qualities:

i- a normal Length

ii- Unity; which means it should represent a single idea

iii- Coherence; which means it should be composed correctly.

iv- Emphasis; the main idea should be emphasized properly in any sentence or paragraph

6. Courtesy:

It simply means to be Polite. It is an extension to consideration but it is more concerned with the way a message is sent. It means showing respect to the Receiver. To be impolite does not always mean being inconsiderate, it might be disrespectful or toned in a harsh voice. Thus, one should be courteous while sending a message.

Following are the guide-lines to a courteous message:

a- Be Sincerely Tactful, Thoughtful, and Appreciative:

Blunt people might be practical but they do not win many hearts. As a rule we like people who tend to show respect and politeness. Tact means to approach another person with a heart-winning attitude. Thus a successful communicator is always thoughtful and appreciative.

b- Use Expressions that show Respect:

No one likes to be offended, humiliated or irritated. Thus the Sender should omit all irritating expressions and omit Questionable Humor (disgusting jokes, rude sense of humor).

c- Choose Nondiscriminatory Expressions:

Do not use Gender-oriented words. Thus, instead of using words like Policeman use the term Police Officer, instead of using terms like Man is a social animal say human beings are bound to socialize by nature, instead of using freshman use First-year students etc.

7. Correctness:

At the core of correctness are proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and pronunciation. But it doesn’t just mean correct grammar. It also mean to:

a- Use the Right Level of Language:

There are three levels of language; formal, informal and substandard. Formal level of Language is used in scholarly writing, doctoral dissertations, legal documents and agreements etc. It is Academic language to be more precise. Informal language is used mostly in business writing. Since business-people are busy people, they don’t have time for formal language compositions. Substandard level of language means slang language or distorted form of language.

b- Check Accuracy of Figures, Facts and words:

No matter how correctly composed a message might be, unless its credibility is sound, it can not be a correct message. Thus before a message is sent, its accuracy should be weighed.

c- Maintain acceptable Writing Mechanics to ensure that the message is grammatically correct.

Conclusion:

If the above principles, along with the components of communication process, are kept in mind while composing a message, the message is bound to get the desired feedback. Thus, a successful Communicator always keeps the Seven C’s in mind.

For The Synopsis of 7 C's, click Here