7 C's of Communication

The 7 C's of Communication are:-

1. CLEAR - For effective communication, messages need to be coded clearly so they can be decoded easily. A clear message reduces noise and thereby increasing the clarity of the message.

2. CONCISE - To make your messages concise, remember to follow the principle of KISS - "Keeping It Short & Simple". In today's fast-paced world, time is a depleting resource...hence, keep your messages short.

3. CONCRETE - There are times when you need to be vague. If that's the case, I'll not stop you. But for the others, here's a little tip - For proper communication, be concrete in your messages. For instance, don't tell your boss - "I'll submit the report ASAP". Instead use concrete words such as - "I'll submit the report by Monday 6 P.M.". This will reduce ambiguity and is sure to impress your bosses (ofc, keeping your word is of paramount importance)

4. CORRECT - Use correct words, spellings, details, punctuation and grammar. Needless to say, do not dupe and be sure on what's to be communicated and communicate only that.

5. COHERENT - Messages need to make sense. You cannot talk about mangoes, then jump onto the nuclear disaster, back to oranges and then to widowhood. Messages need to be structured and the transition from one message to the other needs to be smooth.

6. COMPLETE - This seems to be quite obvious. However, most of us forget to include the complete details only to realize later that we've missed the most important details. One of the classic examples is the episode from Friends in Season 10, when Ross chases after Racheal to the JFK only to realize that he had incomplete information (her flight actually left from the New York Airport). Ofcourse, thanks to Phoebe (and her death-defying driving) - everything turned out OK in the end.

7. COURTEOUS - Use politically-correct langauge, avoid biases and prejudices and always use appropriate salutations.

These simple rules, if followed religiously, will ensure your communication to be effective and efficient.