Seven C’s of Effective Communication

 Communication 

Communication concerns itself with sharing or conveying information through experience, speech, or behavior and it is usually two-sided. Any source of information is ineffective if it is not communicated well. Thus, Communication is considered a significant skill and its importance is not negligible. 

 Communication Process 

The identification of the communication process requires first identifying the stakeholders involved in communication. These are the Sender (who sends a message) and Receiver (who receives the message or report, to whom the message is sent). These two members form the core of the communication process. Additionally, feedback is also an integral part, of which the response of the receiver and sender are gauged. Generally, there are 5 elements of this communication process:

1. Sender’s initiative
2. Receiver’s reception 
3. Message or content 
4. Medium of instruction

•  Feedback of both sender and receiver Integral parts of communication include the following:

1. Be very specific. That is, use only actual information and not distracting, overwhelming, or unnecessary information. Time is of crucial importance. 
2. Use supporting facts and figures, whenever possible, to be more credible.
3. Be mindful of the reader's benefit and interest. 
4. Your communication should be coherent and clear in meaning, with one basic idea. In terms of reporting writing, remember the previous discussion about thesis statements, unity, and coherence.
5. Consider using the right level of language. This is based on the level of the person for whom you are writing a report or generally with whom you are communicating. 
6. Ensure that your communication has no emissions or errors. That is, do not let important information be omitted or erased from the report. Furthermore, errors must be avoided. 

 Reasons to Communicate 

1. To persuade an audience to accept your point of view 
2. To instruct an audience by directing actions 
3. To inform an audience of facts, concerns, or questions you might have
4. To build trust and rapport by managing work relationships 

Seven C’s of Effective Communication

 On a professional level, there is no space for mistakes in our communication. To achieve this, a popular checklist called Seven C’s of Communication helps you improve your professional communication skills it enhances the probability that the message will be comprehended in the same way as it was intended. On a Professional level, we communicate through meetings, emails, conference calls, reports, presentations, etc.

These Seven Cs are referred to as the 'Principles of Effective Communication (EBC)'. The name “Seven Cs” stems from two facts: that each letter starts with a “C” and that they are seven in number. These Seven Cs may look innocuous but do act as good aides with a significant standing.  

 1. Clarity 

This C aims to get the meaning from your head to the head of your reader, accurately. This is not as simple as it sounds. The process is muddled by the fact that we all carry unique interpretations, ideas, and experiences associated with each word or non-verbal gesture. To achieve clarity in communication, choose precise, concrete, and familiar words. Consider the following examples:

Unfamiliar: After our perusal of pertinent data, the conclusion is that a lucrative market exists for the subject property. 

Familiar: The data we study show that your property is profitable and in high demand.

Another way to achieve clarity is by constructing effective sentences and paragraphs The core approach to achieving clarity lies in the construction of the sentences. Any grammatically correct statement, when clearly expressed, moves thoughts within a paragraph. The important mnemonic to help you remember is LUCE, which stands for Length, Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis.  

1.1.  Length 

Constructing effective sentences and paragraphs requires a balanced length consideration. To manage any sentence properly, there is a recommended strength of words in a sentence. 

• The upper limit of recommended length of words for sentences is 17 to 20 words. It can exceed 30 words if there is such a need. The only emphasis lies in helping the receiver to get a full grip or understanding of the sentence. 
• If the length of a sentence exceeds 40, then divide the sentence into 2 sentences.

1.2.   Unity 

The sentences must be constructed in such a way that the idea must stand united. The ideal approach is to have a single idea per sentence. However, if a supporting idea is needed, you may add these, with appropriate use of transition words and phrases. The aim must still be to construct sentences where ideas are interconnected.  For example: “Economics is taught at CIIT to prepare students to contribute to Pakistani economy in a better way.” In this sentence, two interrelated ideas are shown but they are connected. 

1.3.   Coherence 

This may sound synonymous with “unity”, and indeed, the fundamental purpose is the same. However, what makes this different is that coherence is more global than unity. By this, we mean that sentences together should be weaved together to discuss a common theme.

1.4.  Emphasis

 The quality that gives force to important parts of sentences and paragraphs is emphasis. Good writers understand what should be emphasized and what shouldn’t be. There are various ways to emphasize different ideas which include the use of headings, tabulations, pie charts, graphs, underlining, Italics, colored fonts, etc. The following examples may be of more help:

Little Emphasis	Better Emphasis
Candidates should be motivated and have interest in static and dynamic testing of material, and have those prerequisites and other.	Prerequisites in candidates should include expertise in static and dynamic testing of material.

  Collectively, the LUCE approach is applied in the following examples: 

In the first “bad” example, we do not know who Waseem is, or what his duties are, let alone the purpose of the conversion. The “good” example corrects this. 

Flawed Emphasis

Better Emphasis

Hi Ahmad, I wanted to write you a quick note about Waseem, who's working in your department. He's a great asset, and I'd like to talk to you more about him when you have time. Best, Kamran

Hi Ahmad, I wanted to write you a quick note about Waseem Khan, who's working in your department. In recent weeks, he's helped the IT department through several pressing deadlines on his own time. We've got a tough upgrade project due to run over the next three months, and his knowledge and skills would prove invaluable. Could we please have his help with this work? I'd appreciate speaking with you about this. When is it best to call you to discuss this further? Best wishes, Kamran

Similarly, in the following example, the flawed example doesn’t inform readers which conversation Ali is referring to. If Ali had met Saba on multiple occasions that day, then he wouldn’t know what Ali is actually talking about. In the corrected example, the reader knows exactly what is expected of him because the message is clear.

2. Conciseness 

The word “concise” means “to the point”. In our context, in simple terms, this means avoiding the use a lot of words. A concise message saves time and expense for both sender and receiver. Conciseness contributes to emphasis; by eliminating unnecessary words you let important ideas stand out. When combined with “you-view”, concise messages are more interesting to the recipients. Conciseness includes, but is not limited to:

•  Eliminating wordy expressions: Use single word substitute instead of phrases without changing meaning. 

Wordy	Concise
At this time	Now
In due course	soon
Due to the fact that	Because

 Including only relevant material: Stick to the purpose of the message. Delete irrelevant words and sentences. Omit information obvious to the receiver. Avoid long introductions, unnecessary explanations, excessive preposition and adjectives etc. Get to the important point, concisely.

Wordy	Concise
At this time, I am writing to you to enclose an interview card, which has been post-paid, for the purpose of arranging a convenient time when we post-paid interview card might get together for a personal interview.	Please return the enclosed interview card to setup a convenient time for an interview.

 

Avoiding unnecessary repetition:

1.  Use short forms the second time e.g. instead of ‘Benazir Income Support Program’, ‘BISP’ should be used and instead of citing “American Association of Technical Analysts” again and again use “it” or “they” or AATA. 
2.  Use pronouns. Single 

Single Word Substitutes
With regard to	About
In the first place	First
At a rapid rate	Fast

Following is another example: 

Flawed Example

Better Example

Dear Zakir, I wanted to talk about the video editing ideas we sort of planned the other day. Don’t you think it would make a lot of sense to also add additional elements to the videos? I mean, I think that would sort of improve the quality of the videos as well as have a stronger impact on the client’s message. For instance, we could add a dissolve transition on each movie, which would then give it a seamless flow. This would then make the video cleaner and be more appealing in the minds of the people. The impact would just be a lot greater. This makes a lot more sense according to me. What do you think? Regards Bilal

Dear Zakir, I wanted to discuss the video editing ideas we planned yesterday. It would be better to add additional elements to the video to have a stronger impact on the client’s message. A dissolve transition would give a seamless flow to each movie and make the videos cleaner and appealing in the minds of the target audience. What do you think? Regards Bila

Again, this email is quite long and there is a lot of repetition. The email has been made shorter and to the point. 

3. Completeness 

Business message is complete when it contains all facts the reader or listener needs for the reaction you desire. As you strive for completeness, keep the following guidelines in mind: 

1. Provide all necessary information 
2. Answer all questions asked
3. Give something extra when desirable  

Answer all questions that are asked. Give something extra when desirable. Check for five W’s & one H (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How). Answering the five W’s helps make messages clearer. Look for questions: some may even appear buried within a paragraph. Locate them and then answer them precisely. Use your good judgment in offering additional material if the sender’s message was incomplete. 

Flawed Example	Better Example
Hi all, Let us meet tomorrow to discuss the product launch event. Please be there on time. Thanks Muraad	Hi all, Let us meet tomorrow at 11 AM at Conference Room 3 to discuss the product launch event. We should decide the keynote speakers and complete the event invite draft tomorrow. Please be there on time. Thanks Muraad

In the flawed example, there is no agenda, no location and no time is given in this example. If the flawed example above, there is another error. The writer has spelled “launch”. Spell checkers don’t always work so make sure you proof read everything

Flawed Example	Better Example
Hi everyone, I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting we're having tomorrow! See you then, Asad	Hi everyone, I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow's meeting on the new telecommuting policies. The meeting will be at 10:00AM in the second-level Conference Room. Please let me know if you can't attend. See you then, Asad

The flawed example misses the following: 

1.  What meeting?
2.  Where is this meeting? 
3.  When will it begin?

4. Concreteness 

Concreteness means something real, particular, or solid. This C, too, is an important part of the 7 C’s of communication. In the context of communication, concreteness requires us to be specific in giving information instead of being generic or general to the reader or audience. Thus, concreteness is an aspect of communication that means being specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague and general.  Communication is concrete if it uses exact facts and figures. 

An impact (strong effect) must be created by the sender so that the receiver feels comfortable to provide a positive response. This C is connected with the C’s of clarity, conciseness, and consideration. This is because concreteness depends on facts and figures, which should come up with interpretation. 

Since concreteness refers to the quality of being correct, it must be kept in mind that communication must be clear by providing factual information with grammatical precision, so that your audience doesn’t ask you for any other information. We should avoid vague words, particularly those with similar meanings. For example,  “several” and “multiple” give us only part of the information and are not precise.

Furthermore, both may be synonymous but there are situations in which the meanings differ. Another aspect to consider regarding concreteness is the avoidance of non-reliable sources. Always go for valid, reliable, authentic, and credible sources to provide information. We should use the right level of language keeping in mind the standards of languages.  To achieve concreteness, we may follow these four rules: 

4.1. Use specific facts and figures: 

Only important information should be provided to the receiver. If extra information is included, then the receiver would lose concentration and important information may be overlooked or ignored by the receiver. Relevant and important facts or information must be included so that the receiver gets the whole idea and no query remains unanswered. Answer all the questions like “when, where, why, who,  whom, and what” should be included.

• Active form of verbs should be used because: 

1. Fewer words cover the whole plan or idea in the better way.
2.  It is simple. 

4.2.  Put action in your verbs:

 Sometimes, if verbs are not used in Active form, they take the shape of Nouns. e.g., “She compiles the data.” Here, the verb “compiles” is in Active form but if we rewrite this sentence, then the verb  transforms into a noun as follows: “Data compilation is done by her.” Here, “compilation” is a noun and the information becomes complex. Consider the following examples to hit this point home:

Action hiding in a “quiet” noun	Action in the verb
The function of this office is the collection of payments and the compilation of statements.	This office collect payments and compiles statements.
Professor H. will give consideration to the report.	Professor H. will consider the report.
The proposal has a requirement for Concept X	The proposal requires Concept X

Action is hidden in passive form. Action must, preferably, not be hidden

4.3 Choose vivid (brilliant), image-building words: 

 Use attractive words or terms, which can stay in the memory of the receiver. If some new idea or mode of expression is used, then automatically the receiver would focus on it and a positive response would be generated.

Flawed Example	Better Example
The function of this office is the collection of payments and the compilation of statements.	"Hilltop Resort is the jewel of the western hills. Take a break from your work. Escape from life’s chaos and stress. Relax and rejuvenate yourself at Hilltop. Go back fresh and energized!”

 This example on the left is flawed because it is a vague ad message. It is made to sound like just another resort advertisement among a hundred others. The audience will never remember this ad message. There are no concrete details to take away from this message.

  4.4  Be accurate 

Check the accuracy (exactness) of figures, facts, and words. This requires the information you provide to be correct and exact. As an example, consider the case that a single 0 can create problems: there is a great difference between Rs. 100 and Rs. 1,000.

 Secondly, grammar and punctuation are another important aspect. Place the commas, question marks, and other punctuation in their proper place. 

 Facts may change with time, so before writing about anything, verify that your fact still holds. For example, C++ used to be the most used programming language but now other programming  Action is hidden in passive form. Action must,  preferably, not be hidden. Languages have taken the place. So, the fact that “C++ is the most used programming language” is not true now, even if this was valid for a period after its release. 

The wrong placement of words can also cause problems. Many words are used in place of each other because they have similar sounds or similar meanings. But in Report writing, be careful before using such words; confirm the exact meaning of the word. Consider  this example, “Most of the time, travelers worry about their luggage.” Now delete the comma after the fourth word to change the meaning of this sentence: “Most of the time travelers worry about their luggage”. 

 5. Consideration 

Consideration generally means to show importance or respect or to show some care. For communication, importance must be shown to the receiver and, in this regard, a popular rule of thumb is the “you-attitude”. In this approach, instead of using “I”, “you” is used to make the receiver feel important.  This, however, should not be blindly adopted. In some cases, the “I-attitude” may be preferred over the “You-attitude” as it can be harsh in such situations. For example, the sentence “You have not paid the bill this month” not only sounds impolite but may be a downright accusation. Consideration C requires that this sentence be paraphrased in line with the “I-attitude” as follows: “I am waiting for the bill this month”.  

In general, it is better to use “I” when:

1.  You disagree with someone. 
2.  You refer to the mistake of the receiver. 
3.  You are irritated and want to hide that irritation or frustration. 

With the help of Consideration C, you may be able to attract the receiver towards your new project or business and show some benefits to the receiver so that the receiver understands his/her place or importance in that project or business and decides to provide you with a positive response.   

To show consideration, give a positive and friendly response to the receiver. In this regard, use polite language so that even a harsh message does not disappoint or hurt the receiver. 

What can be done	What should be avoided
Show possibilities	Avoid discouragements
Introduce other options	Don’t end up with the only option

The following examples illustrate these points:

What can be done	What should be avoided
Dear Mr. Sadan I'm sorry that we are presently out of stock of black hand bags and will be unable to fill your order now. An order has been placed with the manufacturer in the color you want. We will receive shipment after ten days. I trust this delay will not inconvenience you. Sincerely, Mudassir	Dear Mr. Sadan Thank you for ordering a black hand bag. The color you chose proved to be very popular, and we quickly sold all we had in stock. However, we've placed a rush order for more and are promised delivery within ten days. Yours will be shipped the same day our new supply arrives. I know you'll be delighted with the unique carry-on bag Mr. Hassan. It's not only very handsome, but incredibly inexpensive. Sincerely, Mudassir
You will be (or customers will be) able to do transactions after office hours, at the Teller counter till 5.00 PM.	We are happy to announce that transaction can be made even after 3.00 PM till 5.00 PM at the tellercounter.

 

 6. Courtesy 

True courtesy involves being aware not only of the perspective of others but also of their feelings. Courtesy stems from a sincere you-attitude. It’s not merely politeness with mechanical instructions of “please” and  “thank you” although applying socially accepted manners is a form of courtesy.  Rather, politeness grows out of respect and concern for others. In addition to following the guidelines discussed under “consideration”, courteous communicators generate a special tone in their writing and speaking. The following are suggestions for generating a courteous tone.

1. Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative.
2. Use expressions that show respect. 
3. Choose nondiscriminatory expressions. 

Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative.

Though few people are intentionally abrupt or blunt, these negative traits are a common cause of discourtesy. Sometimes, they stem from a mistaken idea of conciseness, sometimes from negative attitudes, and sometimes from not knowing the culture of a country or even groups of people. 

Inconsiderate, Blunt	Considerate
Stupid letter; I can’t understand any of it. Clearly, you didn’t read my latest fax. I rewrote the letter three times. Point	It’s my understanding that… Sometimes, my wording may not be precise. Let me try again I’m sorry the point wasn’t clear; here is another version.

Offensive	Considerate
Hey man, what’s this I hear about the good news? You sure pulled a fast one this past weekend – and they didn’t tell any of us about. Give my regards to the little lady, and wish her the best; she’ll need it.	Warm congratulations on your wedding! Well, you certainly took us by surprise. In fact, just a few of us even suspected you were taking off to get married. But even though we didn’t hear about it until later, we my wife and I wish you the best. Give our regards to your new partner.

7.  Correctness

Correctness in communication refers to the accuracy and appropriateness of the language, information, and content used in a message. It ensures that the message is free from errors in grammar, punctuation, facts, and language structure, contributing to the overall effectiveness of the communication process. When communication is correct, it not only enhances credibility but also helps to avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Correctness is critical in both verbal and written communication as it reflects professionalism and attention to detail.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the importance of correctness in communication:

• Incorrect: "Let's eat, Grandma!"
• Correct: "Let's eat Grandma!"

Explanation: The first sentence indicates an invitation to eat with Grandma, while the second one humorously implies something much darker. This simple example shows how a misplaced comma can significantly alter meaning.

• Incorrect: "The team are excited to start the project."
• Correct: "The team is excited to start the project."

Explanation: The word "team" is a collective noun, treated as singular. The correct sentence uses the singular verb "is" to match the subject, ensuring subject-verb agreement.

• Incorrect: "She will arrived tomorrow."
• Correct: "She will arrive tomorrow."

Explanation: In the first sentence, the verb "arrived" is in the past tense, conflicting with the future tense of "will." The second sentence correctly uses the future tense "arrive," making the sentence grammatically accurate.

 Correctness ensures that the message is consistent and precise, avoiding vagueness or ambiguity. Precision helps in ensuring that the audience understands exactly what the communicator intends to convey, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

• Vague: "We will increase sales soon."
• Precise: "We aim to increase sales by 10% in the next quarter."

Conclusion:

The 7 Cs of effective communication provide a framework for ensuring that messages are clear, impactful, and well-received. First, clarity focuses on making the message easy to understand and free of ambiguity. Conciseness emphasizes keeping the message brief, eliminating unnecessary words while retaining essential information. Concreteness ensures that the message is specific and supported by solid facts, avoiding vagueness. Correctness addresses the importance of accurate grammar, language, and factual content, making sure the message is error-free and suitable for the audience. Consideration involves tailoring the communication by keeping the audience's needs, knowledge, and perspective in mind. Completeness ensures that the message provides all the necessary information for the recipient to understand and take action. Finally, courtesy ensures that the message is respectful, polite, and empathetic, fostering positive relationships and goodwill. By applying these seven principles, communicators can deliver messages that are not only effective but also leave a lasting impression.

Also Read:  Comprehensive Guide to Barriers to Effective Communication

https://www.educationtechnologytimes.com/2024/09/comprehensive-guide-to-barriers-to.html

Note: 

Examples are taken from 

http://www.stpaulsice.com/Students/Blog/7-C-s-of-Effective-Communication

Some examples are taken from Business Communication 7th Edition Herta A. Murphy, Jane P. Thomas and Herbert W. Hildebrandt