Which characteristic of communication says that we can become more effective communicators?

Effective communication is a message that is understood as the communicator meant it to be understood.  In order to help ensure understanding, communicators need to understand and apply the 7 Cs of Effective Communication.  An effective communication should be:

1. Clear—main ideas easily identified and understood
2. Concise—gets to the point without using unneeded words or images
3. Concrete—includes specific examples or explanations
4. Correct—in information, word choice, and grammar
5. Coherent—information presented in a logical sequence
6. Complete—enough information so the audience can understand
7. Courteous—polite, professional tone

This video offers a review and brief additional explanation of the 7Cs.

The accompanying article mentioned in the video, The 7 Cs of Communication: A Checklist for Clear Communication, contains brief examples.

The following contains an example of ineffective communication.  As a self-test, can you identify specific places where the communicator did not apply the 7Cs?

Try It

Joanne supervised 36 professionals in 6 city libraries.  To cut the costs of unnecessary overtime, she issued this one-sentence memo to her staff:

When workloads increase to a level requiring hours in excess of an employee’s regular duty assignment, and when such work is estimated to require a full shift of eight (8) hours or more on two (2) or more consecutive days, even though unscheduled days intervene, an employee’s tour of duty shall be altered so as to include the hours when such work must be done, unless an adverse impact would result from such employee’s absence from his previously scheduled assignment.

After the 36 copies were sent out, Joanne’s office received 26 phone calls asking what the memo meant. What the ten people who didn’t call about the memo thought is uncertain. It took a week to clarify the new policy.

Gerry Kierans, an executive training professional, offers another way to consider the characteristics of effective communication.

The characteristics that Kieran presents, along with the 7Cs, offer complementary ways of thinking about what makes communication effective.  Keep these characteristics in mind as you create, review, revise, and evaluate the effectiveness of your own professional communications.

It is not what you say but how you say it – it is a timeless aphorism that is true even in today’s fast-paced workplace environments. It might sound harsh, but 86% of executives and employees cite ineffective communication as the cause of business failures. In other words, effective communication has the power to separate a poor leader from an exceptional one, and having excellent communication skills is what can make or break a business.

When you know how to communicate with your team in an effective and clear manner, you can easily eliminate misunderstandings, as well as encourage a healthy work environment where employees are not afraid to ask questions or raise concerns because they know their leaders are always ready to listen and answer.

Efficient and open communication will also let you and your team get things done quickly and professionally. Meeting targets and carrying out tasks and projects will also flow smoother than ever before. Read on and learn what the seven traits of effective communication in the workplace are!

Listening

The first trait of effective communication in the workplace is listening. The ability to listen with an open mind and without bias is what makes great leaders great. Listening effectively is important not only for fostering a productive work environment but also for personal growth. By learning to listen more carefully to what others are saying, you will be able to understand them better, which will allow you to serve them better, too!

If you feel like listening is something you should work on, consider taking the time to practice active listening. Active listening requires you to listen attentively to a speaker, understand what they are saying, respond and reflect on what is being said, and retain the information for later, no matter whether the speaker is talking about the discussion on the hardphones versus softphones debate or a blockbuster that everyone has been talking about. That way, both the speaker and the listener are kept engaged in the conversation.

Clarity

Another trait of effective communication in the workplace that every leader should possess is clarity. Clarity means that you are being direct and specific when speaking or writing and always giving clear and easy-to-understand instructions as to what needs to be done and how it should be done.

Being clear with your instructions and expectations has the power to eliminate a lot of confusion among your employees, as well as help them understand what they should be doing. It is also the trait that will help you get rid of ambiguity in your communication, which can benefit you greatly in the long run!

Empathy

Empathy is an important trait for leaders who want to become exceptional communicators. This trait will allow you to understand how your employees feel about their work, especially if they feel that their jobs are unsafe or that they are being treated unfairly.

To ensure your employees are happy at work, you have to learn to put yourself in their shoes and understand how they feel about the tasks that they have been assigned. If you are able to do this well, then you will be able to handle problems and deal with issues much more efficiently!

Honesty

Honesty is another essential trait for any effective leader who aims to communicate with their employees in an effective way. There are many people who think that honesty has no place in business because it is “too risky” and could endanger a business venture or a business relationship, but that is not true at all! In fact, honesty is one of the most valuable traits that you can possess as a leader.

When you are honest with your team members, they will trust you and feel safe working under you. Not only that, but you will also be able to build trusting relationships with them, as well as help motivate them to do their best in their jobs, which is essential for any type of teamwork.

Patience

It is easy to forget that being a leader often means being a teacher. You have a responsibility to educate your employees on the tasks that they need to accomplish and any other tasks that involve them. But in order to teach them effectively, you have to be patient enough to make sure that they fully grasp everything that they need to know, even if this takes longer than usual. Being patient as a leader will take some effort on your part, but it will also help you gain respect from your team members, as they will see how dedicated and invested in their work you are.

Adaptability

It can be difficult to change, especially when you are used to doing things a certain way, but as a leader, adaptability is one of the most important traits in communicating effectively. It is easy for things to happen unexpectedly in the workplace, and it is important for leaders to be able to react quickly and effectively when such unexpected events occur. In fact, it will benefit both you and your employees immensely!

Teamwork

As a leader, it might be easy for you to focus on yourself and the tasks that lie ahead of you, but when it comes down to it, your employees are what matters the most. Without them, there would be no effective communication in the workplace at all. Because of that, you need to get in the mindset of being a team player. It means more than just being willing to put in extra time and effort to complete tasks. In addition, it means investing your time into creating strong relationships with your employees so that they can truly trust you as a leader.

In Conclusion

To sum up, communication skills are not only essential but also a necessary tool for any leader. By learning to communicate effectively with your team members, you will be able to lead them smoothly and easily and help them succeed in their work.

Being a good leader is not something that you can simply learn overnight. It takes time and effort to develop the traits listed above, as well as a willingness to learn from your mistakes. But if you are willing to do all that it takes, then you should find yourself developing into an exceptional leader in no time at all!

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