We all know that relationships can be very complicated. In fact, one of the main reasons that relationships fail is because of poor communication skills. If you can’t communicate how you’re feeling, it’s going to be hard to get to the other side of your problems. Thankfully, the 7 C’s of communication are great tools that you can use to make your relationships with your spouse, children and other loved ones more meaningful.
The 7 C’s of communication are as follows:
Communicate Coherently
When your communication is coherent, it’s logical. It makes sense to the person who is listening to what you have to say. All points are connected and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent. Even when the details of some things can be complicated, the more effort that you place into speaking coherently, the better your communication experiences will be.
Be Concise
When you’re coherent, you’re logical; when you’re concise you’re brief. Your loved one doesn’t want to hear an explanation that takes six sentences when you could communicate your message in three. Be considerate and understand that even though they want to support you and understand where you’re coming from, their time is valuable as well. You will appreciate when someone speaks concisely to you so set the standard by initiating conciseness.
Don’t forget to complete your thoughts.
In a complete message, your loved one has everything they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action. It’s not enough to just say “I don’t like it when you do that.” Give the complete thought that says something like ” I don’t like it when you forget to call when you’re going to be late. It makes me worry about you.” That way, you clearly defined what it is that you are dissatisfied with and why.
Be clear about your message BEFORE you deliver it.
Have you ever found yourself in the middle of an argument and you don’t even know how you got there? It’s a good chance that you were not very clear about what you were trying to convey at the beginning. When speaking to a loved one, be clear about your goal or message in advance because that’s the only way that you can connect meaningfully. Ask yourself “what is your purpose in communicating with this person?” If you’re not sure, then your loved one won’t be sure either.
Don’t forget to be courteous
Sometimes, we find ourselves being more interested in being right, then being nice. This often results in hurt feelings which leads to resentment. At the end of the day, “people won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Courteous communication conveys this because it is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults or passive-aggressive undertones that “muddies the water” of communication, leading to stronger and more fulfilling connections.
Try to be concrete
When your message is concrete, then your loved one has a clear picture of what you’re telling them. By sending a concrete and solid message, there’s no space for ambiguity in your message. Your loved one will understand exactly what you are saying when you say it because you are communicating your message by getting straight to the point.
Come correct when speaking to your loved ones
When your communication is correct, your loved ones understand it. I remember the first time I threw a pillow at my one and a half year old son. At first, he was afraid because he didn’t know that I was only teasing him. I did not communicate with him and the language that he understood was that I was being aggressive even though the device that I was using was harmless for him. Make sure that when you’re communicating, whether it’s verbally or non-verbally, you are communicating in a way that the recipient can fully understand where you are coming from so that they can understan your intentions.
We hope that you have found the 7 C’s for communication helpful.