7C's for effective communication
1. What 7C's Are (checklist for effective message)
7C's = seven principles that make communication complete, clear, and persuasive — essential for technical reports, emails, proposals.
| C | Meaning | How to Achieve (one-line) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Completeness | Message contains all needed information (who, what, when, where, why, how) — no gaps | Include 5W1H, answer receiver's questions |
| 2. Conciseness | Brief, no wordiness — omit redundancy/cliché, use short sentences | "Due to the fact that" → "Because" |
| 3. Consideration | Receiver-oriented (you-attitude, empathy), respect, not sender-centric | "You will receive the report by Monday" vs "I will send..." |
| 4. Concreteness | Specific, definite, with data, figures, examples — not vague | "Sales increased 15%" vs "Sales increased a lot" |
| 5. Clarity | Clear, precise language, one idea per sentence, define technical terms | Avoid jargon without definition |
| 6. Courtesy | Polite, respectful, unbiased (no discriminatory language), timely | "Please", "Thank you", gender-neutral |
| 7. Correctness | Accurate facts, grammar, spelling, punctuation, right medium | Proofread, verify data |
Some lists add Coherence (logical flow) as 8th, but 7C's are standard.
2. Worked Checks
Incomplete: "Send the report." → Complete: "Please send the weekly sales report (Excel) by Monday 5pm to my email."
Wordy: "At this point in time" → Concise: "Now"
Vague: "The system is fast." → Concrete: "The system processes 1000 transactions per second."
Not considerate: "You failed to submit." → Considerate: "The report due Monday is pending; please let me know if you need help."
Discourteous: "You are wrong." → Courteous: "I see a different result; let's verify."
3. Exam Points
- List 7C's with one-line meaning — 7-10 marks, very frequent (the most common 7C's question, often ask to explain all with example).
- Give example of completeness vs conciseness — 3-5 marks, frequent.
- Show concreteness with data — 3 marks.
- Mention correctness includes grammar and facts — 3 marks.