Bits and Pieces: Week 3

Image
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw
How many times have you been in a discussion or meeting and when the notes were published you wondered if you had been in the same meeting?  Or, you have been in a discussion and the audience does not seem to grasp what you are communicating?  Communication, next to listening, is one of the most overlooked and under developed skills that an individual needs for success both personally and professionally.
In a 2 part series of Bits & Pieces, I will share with you a recent blog I read regarding the 7 C’s of effective communication.
  • Clear – When writing or speaking to an individual or group, be clear about your goal or message.  Try not to introduce multiple ideas in a sentence and do not require the audience to “interpret or read into” the information.  To “interpret” and “read into” communication will come in another series called “Office/Client Politics Communication – how to recognize”.
  • Concise – When communicating, you should stick to the point, and keep it brief.  Communicating in 7 sentences when 3 would do will cause confusion and fatigue with the receiver.
  • Concrete – When communicating, use details (not too many), relevant facts, and focus so you are presenting a clear picture to your audience.
  • Correct – When communicating is it technically correct? Grammatically correct?  Is it correct for the audience? This is the fastest way to lose credibility with your audience when your communication has errors.
As we communicate every day with colleagues, clients and on a personal level, applying this checklist will help to eliminate confusion.  Something that I try to do especially with high-level communications is to read them out loud prior to sending.  When you read them silently, you will many times plug in the missing words.