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Five CS of Effective Communication

The document discusses the 5 Cs of effective communication - clarity, cohesiveness, completeness, conciseness, and concreteness. It provides examples and explanations of each C. Clarity means ensuring your thoughts are clear to avoid confusion. Cohesiveness means logically linking your ideas together. Completeness means including enough supporting information. Conciseness means removing redundant words. Concreteness means using precise rather than vague language. Following these 5 Cs can improve written and verbal communication.

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554 views3 pages

Five CS of Effective Communication

The document discusses the 5 Cs of effective communication - clarity, cohesiveness, completeness, conciseness, and concreteness. It provides examples and explanations of each C. Clarity means ensuring your thoughts are clear to avoid confusion. Cohesiveness means logically linking your ideas together. Completeness means including enough supporting information. Conciseness means removing redundant words. Concreteness means using precise rather than vague language. Following these 5 Cs can improve written and verbal communication.

Uploaded by

talhataufik
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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5 Cs of Effective Communication

By writing effectively, you can get


your message across to your readers
and help reduce the effort required
to read your material. Follow these 5
Cs of communication to get the most
out of your writing and effectively
share the correct message:

• clarity
• cohesiveness
• completeness
• conciseness
• concreteness
Treating these five Cs as a checklist for your writing can help to improve
communication with colleagues.

Clarity
Clarity is the first item on the list because it is the most part important of good
communication. If your thoughts are not clear, your writing will not be clear, and
your readers will not understand your message. Your readers might give up
altogether or form an understanding that is contrary to your objective.

Keep the number of ideas in your sentences to a minimum, and don’t add
anything that obscures your message. Try to use facts and figures in your writing
to have a greater impact. Be clear about your message and the information you
wish to communicate. Clarity will help build trust with your readers.

Cohesiveness
Help your readers understand your message by leading them through your
information so that they can see how it logically fits together. Don’t lose your
readers in a jumble of meandering sentences or competing ideas. Keep your
ideas focused on your message.

A topic sentence is a useful way to state an idea; it acts as a headline for what to
expect in a paragraph. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of the
paragraph. The remaining paragraph sentences provide information that
supports the topic sentence. Here is an example of a topic sentence with a
controlling idea:

Building the pumphouse on the selected site will require innovative construction
techniques.

Completeness
When presenting an idea, include enough information to prove your thesis (i.e.,
your topic sentence). Three supporting sentences and a concluding sentence are
usually sufficient to complete the paragraph. The concluding sentence of the
paragraph should summarize your main idea by reinforcing your topic sentence.

Depending on the use case, you might consider adding a call to action to your
text. A call to action, or C2A, lets people know what additional actions you would
like them to take. Example: See Appendix A for the full report or Email me with your
questions.

Conciseness
Make every word count. Delete redundant words and simplify wordy
expressions. Remove any filler words.

Here are some examples of redundant words:

Instead of: Use

a distance of five kilometres five kilometres

mixed together mixed

until such time as until

Here are a few examples of wordy expressions:


Instead of: Use

due to the fact that because

in close proximity to near

is equipped with has

Concreteness
Be specific in your meaning by using precise words. Avoid terms that are vague
or abstract. For example:

Abstract Less Abstract Concrete

vehicle car a Ford Mustang

soon within the month by April 30

Use terminology consistently. If you initially refer to the warehouse as a


warehouse, don’t refer to it later as a storage facility or logistics centre. Changing
terminology only distracts and confuses readers.

Effective Communication Skills


Time is often the biggest barrier to effective communication. People in a
business setting tend to focus on completing tasks quickly and their written
communication can suffer. We recommend treating the 5 Cs of communication
as a checklist.

Remembering to be clear, cohesive, complete, concise, and concrete when


communicating will help improve your writing. Of course, these principles also
apply to verbal communication, where things like body language and eye contact
can sometimes muddle a message.

Regularly practicing the 5 Cs will sharpen your skills and have you
communicating effectively.

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