Definition: The 7 c’s Of communication can be defined as a checklist used to help effective communication between two or more parties and make sure the message is clearly understood.
You can use the 7 Cs of communication as a list of principles that you should use to communicate more effectively. These 7 cs come into play for verbal, business as well as written communication, as they ensure that your listeners understand what you are trying to say without any misinterpretation.
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What are the 7 C’s Of Communication?
The 7 c’s of communication is a guideline that ensures effective communication by functioning as a checklist. The eponymous seven c’s are concise, clear, considered, courteous, correct, concrete, and complete. The 7 C’s are designed to boost communication and productivity significantly in the workplace and everyday life in general.
The 7 cs here ensure that there is no room for misinterpretation or confusion that could otherwise disrupt the workflow or send a wrong message to the listener/public/audience while communicating/advertising/presentations/management.
List of the 7 Cs Of Communication – Let us take a more in-depth look at each of the 7 Cs of effective communication to gain a better understanding of this principle:
1. Concise
Being concise in communication refers to avoiding unnecessary fillers – especially while writing – that can hinder the accessibility of the content. It would be far better to communicate the message in short and clear sentences and paragraphs or points without compromising the central idea or any nuances.
This generally involves removing filler words and adjectives, such as “definitely”, “literally”, “for instance”, or “you know”. Unnecessary sentences can easily be removed, and repeating sentences is best avoided. Too much filler in any form of communication can only lead to more confusion, so conciseness is critical.
2. Clear
There should be transparency with regards to the work that is to the message being communicated. It is recommended to avoid any jargon and keep the message simple. It is necessary to keep in mind the purpose or goal behind the message, and in the case of multiple messages, it is best to convey them separately.
The focus should be on delivering the core of the message with simplicity and conviction. Failure to do this can give rise to false assumptions and leave the message receiver in disarray. For effective communication, it is a must that recipients are aware of why they are receiving a piece of information or message. Having clarity will also help the speaker to have the right tone to put forward all the relevant and related details accurately.
3. Concrete
Logical and orderly facts are crucial to communication. All facts and opinions should be made with credible and verifiable sources at hand. The sender needs to ensure all the facts and figures are mentioned and that no impeachments are aimed at the integrity of the message being communicated.
Concreteness is crucial to shaping up your communication by being specific in a logical fashion. Your messages should fit together in a cohesive manner to support each other and they should be based on solid facts and examples from credible sources.
4. Courteous
Courteous communication can pave the way for an honest and insightful exchange of ideas and information. Any perceived slight or passive-aggressiveness can turn the exchange toxic and deprive it of any educational value.
To counter this, empathy must be fostered between the parties. Communication needs to be honest and unbiased to substantiate the message to be delivered. Courtesy can increase the effectiveness of your communications. For effective communication in education or organization, framing your sentence in a professional, courteous, considerate, respectful, open, and honest manner.
5. Correct
The message must be conveyed in a manner that is bereft of any spelling or grammatical errors. It should be timed well to deliver a greater impact on the mind of the receiver. Technical jargon should only be used if the audience can understand them, or the message conveyed can come across as pretentious and/or confusing.
For effective communication skills, ensuring that your factual information, language, and grammar are correct is extremely important. In case your audience or reader finds errors in your communication, they will neither respect you nor find you credible.
6. Complete
A complete message covers all the core ideas of a given topic and covers its nuances. It should include all necessary references, contacts, dates, names, and locations. The recipient of the message should follow the sender’s line of thought and reach the same primary conclusions.
A “call to action” should also be issued, with guidance on that action. Attaching external links to address doubts or to send feedback can bolster communication and inspire the receiver to engage and improve the exchange of ideas.
7. Consideration
Consideration is a passive yet crucial aspect of communication. It involves the message’s sender considering the receiver’s opinions, mindset, personality, and past experiences to gauge how the message should be framed and conveyed. Senders’ messages should always relate to the inclinations of the recipients.
Being considerate may not appear very crucial, or the recipient may be oblivious to the sender’s meticulousness. Still, lack of consideration can certainly have a markedly negative impact on the message being conveyed. A speaker or writer should always take into consideration the mindset, knowledge, opinions, and background, etc of the listener or reader.
Conclusion
The key takeaway is that The 7 C’s Of Communication are not only a guideline to adhere to in the modern world; they are quite often a necessity. We all communicate every day but when we incorporate these 7 cs, we communicate more effectively with more credibility and effectiveness.
Therefore, for making your communication more efficient and engaging, you should follow the 7 Cs of effective communication in a coherent fashion.
Now, on the concluding note, it is your turn to share some instances when you used these 7 cs of communication! Also, what are your thoughts about the effectiveness of these 7 cs in the comment section below?
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