Communication is a complex activity that we humans engage in, in our everyday lives. Everyone can communicate but not everyone is an effective communicator. To be an effective communicator one must follow and imbibe the 7C’s of effective communication. But first understand the meaning of the word.
The word communication is derived from the Latin word communis which means “common”. It refers to a common and natural activity that we engage in to exchange our ideas, views, information, etc.
Effective communication, in words of Keith Davis, is ‘the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another person. It is a way of reaching others with facts, ideas and thoughts. It is a bridge of meaning among people so that they can share what they feel and know.’ SSB is a process and a place where being an effective communicator is extremely important. Whatever we say, how we say it and how well it is being understood by others plays a vital role as all these things are observed. It is important to be an effective communicator to stand out in the Group Discussions (GD).
SSB is a process and a place where being an effective communicator is extremely important. Whatever we say, how we say it and how well it is being understood by others plays a vital role as all these things are observed. It is important to be an effective communicator to stand out in the Group Discussions (GD), Lecturette, Interview and other testing processes.
The 7C’s of effective communication were given by Francis J. Bergin. These are applicable for both, verbal and written communication. They are as follows:
- Candidness: Whenever you speak in front of others, it should be honest and sincere. Candidness implies being fair to oneself and others involved in the situation. Honesty shows self-confidence and in oral communication confidence is a key element to make an impact.
- Clarity: Imagine a speaker who is talking about something that is very vague and ambiguous. Would such a speaker grab your attention? Clarity is a must in public speaking. If you audience isn’t clear about what you are trying to say, you message won’t be conveyed in the way you intended it to. You need organizes your thoughts, clarity of thoughts help an individual to become an effective speaker.
- Completeness: It is important that your message and thoughts should be organised and structured. You should know in and out of the topic on which you are speaking, if someone raises a question then you must be able to provide a sensible answer and actually answer the question instead of sidestepping the issue. You should cover the topic in totality. Talk about everything you know and summarize it.
- Conciseness: Time is a valuable resource and nobody likes to waste their time. So you need to keep this in mind and try not to repeat whatever you are saying again and again. Many of us believe that whatever is important must be stressed upon by repeating it again and again but that is not true. Being repetitive does not imply importance.
- Concreteness: When you are speaking publically, you can’t draw figures and tables to establish your points. So in such situations, you must be specific and definite in describing things. Avoid speaking in words that may confuse others. Use proper words; modulate your voice to stress upon important words.
- Correctness: While speaking, it so happens that sometimes we make grammatical errors. Though not uncommon, grammatical errors disable an individual to an impact on his/her individual audience. Practice your vocabulary as much as you can. Not only does it help impress your audience but also it boosts your confidence.
- Courtesy: It is essential to maintain the proper decorum while speaking with others. After all an officer is a gentleman and being courteous is an important attribute. You need to show that you respect the other person. You need to be assertive but not rude. Your tone needs to reflect respect towards your listeners.
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