What are the 6 Cs of communication
• clear—choosing audience-appropriate words that are precise and descriptive
• correct—selecting accurate words and using correct grammar; avoid using the wrong words
• complete—articulating comprehensive messages that are transparent and include all the details
• concise—using short, specific sentences and phrases; avoid rambling
• coherent—maintaining consistency, selecting simple sentence structures, and presenting in an easy-to-follow order
• courteous—forming respectful and authentic messages with words that are friendly, positive, gender neutral, and sensitive; avoid accusing or blaming.
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A compelling message incorporates four elements
• Include a benefit to listeners and why they should invest their time.
• Be unique, inspiring, or exciting and answer the question, “What’s different about this message?”
• Be complete with data, examples, or a story that relates the message to what the listener wants to hear or answers the question, “How do I know?”
• Include a call to action or what the listener should do. This could include anything on a continuum from responding to the message to completing a task; it answers the question, “So what?”
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Barriers to Effective Communication
- physical barriers—environment, location, medium selected, technology, distance between communicators, disruptive or uncomfortable settings
- perceptual barriers—preconceived ideas, disinterest, behavior patterns, misinformed, uncomfortable previous experience, conflicting nonverbal and verbal communication, distractions caused by other’s dress or grooming
- emotional barriers—self-confidence, lack of transparency, lack of trust, lack of flexibility, information overload, feelings of defensiveness, feelings of superiority or inferiority [See 1.2.]
- interpersonal—inability to connect with others, misunderstood body language, lack of social skills, avoidance of others, lack of flexibility, reluctance, misunderstanding of importance
- inability to listen—distracting eye contact, thinking of what to say next, impaired hearing, distracted by a more pressing concern, poor timing, preoccupied with internal dialogue
- language—different languages, meanings of words differ to individuals, generational differences, industry specific jargon, accent, distracted by negative or positive trigger words
- cultural, gender, or other differences—lack of knowledge and understanding, lack of respect.
TD professionals should use a process like this one to overcome communication barriers
- Identify the barrier and ensure everyone understands and agrees.
- Enlist those involved to determine the reason it is (or has become) a barrier.
- Identify resources required to clarify the cause of the barrier (other people, data, perhaps a survey).
- Schedule dedicated time and open a discussion or dialogue. Practice the 6 Cs of communication to create a plan to overcome the barriers [See 1.1.1.3 and 1.1.7]
Levels of Listening
• passive listening—demonstrating nonverbal behaviors, such as affirmative head nodding, making eye contact, note taking, smiling, or presenting a thinking pose at appropriate moments
• listening for knowledge—listening first for facts and logic and then mentally listing things in a sequence or pattern to form conclusions
• active listening—demonstrating a high level of interaction with the speaker; for example asking questions to increase understanding of the message, observing speakers’ body language for underlying messages, or showing concern
• listening for clarification—paraphrasing in different words to help increase understanding of previous comments and dialogue
• empathetic listening—identifying feelings by confirming with speakers if an intuition about their feelings is correct.
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Reflecting skills are the essential range of skills used when TD professionals are actively listening
- Paraphrasing is restating the message in the listeners own words.
- Reflecting feelings is stating in the listeners’ words the emotional content that is being communicated.
- Reflecting meaning is stating in one’s own words a response that joins the feelings and the facts the listener believes are being communicated.
- Summative reflections are brief statements about the main themes and feelings that were expressed during the conversation. They are useful to move the conversation along or bring it to a close.
There are three different types of nonverbal messages:
- Patterns of movement include gestures, physical posture, and head movement. The appropriate use of gestures can motivate and excite others. Inappropriate gestures can be distracting. Physical posture affects interaction whether it is relaxed or intense, open or closed.
- Facial expression can be welcoming or distracted, express feelings, or demonstrate a TD professional’s desire to communicate. It can encourage someone to share more or not, to increase trust or not, and to be helpful or not.
- Eye contact can send a welcoming or unwelcoming message. Direct eye contact can be intimidating or encouraging. Done well, it demonstrates interest and focus.
how a TD professional would respond in an active listening scenario, the suggestions here work for any communication situation:
- Concise words. Avoid language that is complex or cluttered; use common words and phrases.
- Objective words. To keep the language objective, avoid overuse of superlatives and flowery words. Use precise words whenever possible.
- Positive words. Whenever possible, express the message in positive rather than negative terms.
- Inclusive neutral language. Use gender neutral and other inclusive words that do not set some people apart.
- Clear ideas. To be understood, avoid language that is inappropriate or outdated. If unsure, ask.
- Pronouns. Personal pronouns have a special impact on people. Especially when communicating positive information or good news, use pronouns that focus on the listeners: you, your, yours.
- Word choice and pronunciation. Using words incorrectly or pronouncing them incorrectly can significantly limit the effectiveness of a messaging. When in doubt, leave them out.
