The five C’s of effective communication

Solid communication skills are essential for building trust and producing positive outcomes. But no matter how great a communicator you are, there’s always more you can do. If you’d like to start your personal training programme with a focus on the five C’s of effective communication, as defined in a recent article by Forbes, please see our synopsis of the highlights below.

1. Be clear. Before starting a conversation, you should have a clear idea about what you want to achieve and what you need from the other person to get there. Let your desired outcome guide what you say as you move closer, point by logical point, to your end message.
2. Be concise. In other words, be direct, simple and to the point. Don’t ramble.
3. Be compelling. You need to make your listener understand the benefits of your request or message to secure their buy-in. Sometimes the necessary future actions are obvious but, at others, you may need to workshop potential solutions together. Either way, remember that you’re not talking at the person but with them.
4. Be curious. This means genuinely listening to the other person to unlock a true understanding of their viewpoint. Check that you’ve understood properly, ask questions and remember: it’s not all about you!
5. Be compassionate. Curiosity on its own is not enough to achieve understanding. You need to be compassionate and considerate and care about what the other person is saying. This helps to foster the trust required for open, honest communication, and to achieve solutions that satisfy both parties.

In conclusion, you can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your communications by focusing on the 5 C’s listed above. There’s a lot to play for in terms of connecting with others, building trust and achieving successful outcomes.

Do you agree with the above points? If you’d like to add your voice to the conversation or flag up other work-related topics you’d like to read about going forwards, please get in touch. ABL Recruitment – your trusted, recruitment partner – is, as always, here to help!