Newsletter 021
The Symphony Way: Effective Communication by Our Talent Development Department vol. 1
As we discussed in the previous three newsletters, a simple and concise visual presentation can do magic for our flow. It becomes elegant, straight-to-the-point, but most important of all — clearly understandable.
On the other hand, the visual part is only one of the parts of any presentation, while communication is the heart and soul of it, which is why we invited Valentina Kalaj, our Talent Development Manager, to share her insight into this topic and her understanding of communication not only while presenting but also in general. In this Newsretten takeover, Valentina will focus on the principles of effective communication and how to align simplicity and conciseness (one of the Cs she’ll explain in greater detail) to hone our skills for different purposes.
The 7 Cs of effective communication
Regardless of your role and responsibilities, one task is certain for all of us — communication. We write emails and direct messages, prepare presentations, create documents and reports, discuss with our team and clients, participate in meetings, negotiate, and we often assume that just because we communicate every day, it means we are good at it. The truth is, communication is a skill you can work on and develop, and it will help you increase your productivity.
What helps is thinking about how you communicate. Are you successful in getting the message across? Are you sometimes misunderstood? How does your approach affect the other person? Are there any assumptions or mixed messages that are making the communication difficult?
In order to communicate effectively, use the seven Cs as a checklist that will help you prepare and communicate your message in the best possible way.
1. Clear
- Be clear about your goal — What do you want to achieve in this communication?
- Try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make sure that it’s easy for your reader to understand what you are trying to say.
- People shouldn’t have to “read between the lines” and make assumptions about what you’re trying to say.
2. Concise
- Stick to the point and keep it brief.
- Delete “filler words” such as “for instance,” “definitely,” “kind of,” “literally,” and “basically”.
- Exclude unnecessary sentences and pay attention not to repeat yourself.
3. Concrete
- When the message is focused, your audience has a clear picture of what you’re telling them.
- Add details, facts, and examples (but not too many) to make it more specific.
4. Correct
- The message is error-free and adjusted to fit the audience.
- Check your writing for grammatical and spelling mistakes.
- Pay attention that your vocabulary fits your audience’s level of understanding.
5. Coherent
- Communication is logical and all points are connected and relevant to the main topic.
- The tone and flow of the message are consistent.
6. Complete
- The audience has everything they need to be informed and, if needed, take action.
- If your message includes a “call to action,” point out all relevant information — who will do what, by when, and how will you follow up?
7. Courteous
- Communication is friendly, open, and honest.
- There are no hidden insults or passive-aggressive tones.
- You are respectful, empathetic, and open to differences in opinions.
Also, remember that communication is a two-way street, so avoid making assumptions and do your best to understand the other person. Show interest and ask them to explain the situation or their opinion. Listen actively, and repeat what the other person said in your own words (paraphrase) to check for understanding.
These seven Cs represent a checklist that is easy to remember and fall back on in different contexts, which is why we can use it at the beginning of this sub-series and start from a broader and all-inclusive perspective. In the next newsletter, we will be narrowing down the focus and discussing presentation skills — the ones connected to speaking; but until then, remember — it is when we work on understanding each other and being mindful of our communication that we can truly be constructive and invite collaboration.
Till next week,
Take care!
