Principles of Effective Communication

Principles of Effective Communication — FOCUS Model

Quality + Quantity

Communication requires a combination of the appropriate quality and quantity of information sharing.

Three Parts Recap

Three-Part Communication

Communication can be broken into three parts:

The sender
The message
The audience

Successful Communication

Audience Must Interpret Correctly

For communication to be successful, the audience must:

Receive the message
Interpret the message the way the sender intended

FOCUS — Five Core Principles

FOCUS Acronym

This section addresses five core principles of communication: FOCUS:

Focused
Organized
Clear
Understanding
Supported

Focused

Focused Principle

Being focused means understanding what the issue is, considering all aspects of the issue, and not straying from the issue.

Address the Issue

Address the issue, the whole issue, and nothing but the issue.

Organized

Organized Principle

Good organization means presenting information in a logical, systematic manner.

Disorganized Risk

When information is not well organized, audiences may become confused, impatient, or inattentive. Even if you are providing useful, relevant information, the importance of your message may be lost to the audience if it is disorganized.

Clear

Clear Principle

Communicate with clarity and make each word count.

Clear Definition

Clear communication occurs when the sender is able to properly articulate and formulate the message to the audience.

How to Be Clear

To communicate clearly, be sure to:

Understand the proper pronunciation of words
Know how to assemble and punctuate sentences
Often get to the point

Understanding

Understanding Principle

Understand your audience and its expectations.

Understand Audience

Understanding the audience's current knowledge, views, and level of interest regarding a topic helps when sharing ideas with others.

Understand Expectations

Understanding expectations of:

Format and length of response
Due date
Level of formality
Any staffing requirements

…helps when responding to a request for information.

Supported

Supported Principle

Be sure to support your communication with information that substantiates your position but does not bring the audience to question your message.

Implied Data Risk

Nothing cripples a clearly written, properly punctuated paper quicker than implied data or a distorted argument.

Build Credibility

Support and logic should be used to build credibility and trust with your audience.