Communication Skills: Abc Principle
Communication Skills: ABC Principle
Your communication should always be ABC:
A = Accurate
B = Brief
C = Clear
A: How to make your communication more Accurate.
Accuracy means two things:
- Accurate in the sense of being factually accurate
- Accurate in the sense of using accurate grammar
Accurate facts: Always check your facts. Check your sources. The world is full of fake-news and the responsibility is on you to ensure that what you say is factually accurate.
Accurate grammar: Your facts may be accurate, but your grammar may be ambiguous. For example:
- When I nod my head, that's the signal for you to hit it.
- I took my dog and my wife into town so I could have her deloused.
You need to be sure your writing is accurate in both content and grammatical structure.
B: Be Brief
The message must be sufficiently brief to allow the listener or reader to "take it in".
If you present too much information, then most people will be put off.
Cut all non-essential items.
C: Make Sure You are Clear
Clear means clearly defined. All concepts must be clearly defined.
There are three ways to clearly define your meaning:
1. By using numbers:
Rather than saying, "taxes are too high". Say "VAT is currently 20% and it should be reduced to 17.5%"
2. By using definitions:
Give definitions of ambiguous words. For example; "Power" is a measure of the amount of work done in a unit of time.
3. By using images:
Often a picture is worth a thousand words.
For example, have a look at the diagram below and I think you will immediately see what it means. But to explain without an image, would be quite tricky.
Summary
Your communication should always be:
A = Accurate: Facts and grammar
B = Brief: Edit all non-essentials
C = Clear: By giving numbers, definitions or images.
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Further Reading in Communication - Clear Communication
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Why is Communication Skills Training Important?
Good communication is a key skill needed by people in every organisation to build good staff rapport and avoid misunderstandings. By attending communication skills training you become aware of what areas you could develop.
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Communication Skills: Clear Thinking
One of the best ways to improve the clarity of your thinking is to get into the habit of differentiating between pairs of similar but opposing concepts.
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How to Prevent Misunderstandings
Not everyone is on the same wavelength as you, and therefore misunderstandings can occur when you speak to people. Whether your message is complex or your audience reluctant to listen, read our great tips to prevent misunderstandings happening.
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Communication Skills in Business
Being able to give proper feedback relies on the ability to communicate effectively. Any criticism must be delivered in a constructive way, in order to give the receiver confidence and inspire them to improve.
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What are good communication skills?
In most areas of your life, the ability to communicate effectively is key to your success. Here are three tips to consider and put into practice today. Try our communication skills quiz to see where your strengths lie.
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Looking for Communication Skills Training?
If you're looking to develop your Clear Communication Skills, you may find this Communication Skills Training Course beneficial:
Open Training Course Pricing and Availability
Next Open Course Running tomorrow in Birmingham - Central, places available