Being able to communicate effectively is an essential if you want to be successful, not just in work but in life. In a work context, if you’re in a management or leadership position, the stakes are even higher if you don’t communicate well. There are so many contexts to get it right or wrong – one-to-one meetings with staff, team meetings, virtual meetings, presenting to a large audience, giving negative feedback, or sending an email to a client.
In this article we’ll explore:
- The benefits of good communication
- The 7 Cs of communication
- Six tips to help you become an excellent communicator
THE BENEFITS OF GOOD COMMUNICATION
Good communication helps create a positive workplace culture
In a study of 1,512 working people, the researchers found that positive communication by a leader was more likely to mean that workplace was seen as respectful and one where recognition was given to people. In turn, this was found to increase engagement and wellbeing.
Being a good communicator helps you to be a central team member
Communicate more in the early stages of a team project and you’re more likely to be seen as central to that team. In one study, teams who got to choose their central team member for a project – based on how much and how well they communicated – outperformed those who had no choice over who the central person was.
Good communication helps hybrid and remote working
The happiest, most engaged and connected remote workers are those who say their leader is excellent at communication. Good communication includes sharing and seeking feedback, involving team members in decision making and being supportive.
THE 7 Cs OF COMMUNICATION
The 7 Cs of communication is a well-known framework among marketing, communication and public relations professionals.
This evidence-based framework was originally shared in the book, Effective Public Relations, by Scott M Cutlip, Allen H Center and Glen M Broom. It has stood the test of time and is still well used by communication experts today.
Check out the table below for some tips to help you with each of the 7 Cs.
| CLARITY | Ensure your message is easy to understand. | Top tip: For all important communication, test the messaging first before going wider. |
| COMPLETENESS | Ensure all necessary information is included. | Top tip: Use a checklist of key information that needs to be included to ensure nothing is missed. |
| CONCISENESS | Keep your message short and to the point. | Top tip: Communicating in writing? Set yourself a word limit. |
| COURTESY | Be polite, genuine, professional and respectful. | Top tip: Avoid interrupting when others are speaking. Interrupting suggests you think what you have to say is more important. |
| CONSIDERATION | Think about your audience’s needs and feelings. | Top tip: Note down your key audience(s). Once you’ve communicated with them, what do you need them to do? How do you need them to feel? Your messaging and approach should help facilitate this. |
| CORRECTNESS | Ensure your message is accurate, truthful, and grammatically correct. | Top tip: If you struggle with spelling and grammar, use a checking tool such as Microsoft spell check, or Grammarly. |
| CONCRETNESS | Use specific facts and figures. Provide detail but not too much. | Top tip: Present data, stats and other information in the form of a one-page infographic. |
HERE ARE SIX TIPS TO HELP YOU BE A BETTER COMMUNICATOR:
- LISTEN
Many people fall into the trap of thinking that communicating means talking. But listening is as important as the talking part.
In a study involving almost 3,500 managers, Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman found that the most effective listeners consistently did four things:
- They acted in ways that made the other person feel safe and supported.
- They took a helpful and cooperative approach.
- They asked some questions and constructively challenged assumptions.
- They occasionally made suggestions to open up new ideas.
According to top coach, Julie Starr, there are four levels of listening:
Level 1 Cosmetic Listening: A passive form of listening. We may look like we’re listening but we’re thinking of something else. This can make things awkward when you miss your cue – perhaps they’ve asked you a question that you didn’t hear because you weren’t paying attention.
Level 2 Conversational Listening: An all-too-common type of listening. This is also passive where both parties are listening and talking, but not really hearing. Think of it like conversational tennis. You want to get your point in so badly you interrupt the other person, or vice versa.
Level 3 Active Listening: The level most managers are taught to aim for in courses. An active form of listening where we focus on what the other person is saying, giving them our full attention.
Level 4 Deep Listening: This is the most active form of listening. Not only are we paying attention to the words the other person is saying, but we also pay attention to the meaning and patterns, how their demeanour and tone may or may not match the words. This requires us to be fully present, in the moment.
ACTION TO TAKE: Think about someone you sometimes have a hard time communicating with. Tell them you’re working on being a better listener, that you want to hear what they have to say – you’ll listen attentively for a few minutes before responding.
2. ASK QUESTIONS
The best communicators listen and ask questions, showing a genuine interest in what the other person or people are saying.
Depending on the situation, you can use one or more levels of the three-level questioning technique:
| LEVEL 1 | Focuses on information and data. Your aim is to find out how things seem. | Questions starting with ‘What’, ‘When’, ‘Where’, ‘How’, and ‘Who’ are typical here. |
| LEVEL 2 | Focuses on meaning and implications. We want to find out how someone feels about something. | Examples of questions include, What do you think/feel about that? What does this mean for/to you?What are the implications of this? What interests you about this? |
| LEVEL 3 | Focuses on learning about values, beliefs and attitudes – why people think a certain way. | Examples of questions include, What led you to believe that? Why is this important to you? What concerns you about this? Why do you think you reacted that way? |
TOP TIP: If you tend to dominate the talking, at your next team meeting, set yourself a target of a minimum number of questions to ask.
3. ADAPT YOUR STYLE
A long time ago I was head of communication and engagement in a large UK public sector organisation. I had many different audiences including staff with varying needs, residents, partner organisations, leaders, managers, politicians, and the media. I learned that to communicate effectively with different individuals and groups, it was important I adapted my messaging and approach. And the same is true for you.
This means seeking to understand more about your different audiences – whether it’s a one-to-one with a difficult team member, a negotiation with your boss, or a key meeting with a team from a different organisation.
TOP TIP: Next time you have an important meeting where you need to communicate well, think about who you’re meeting with and the best approach to take with them. For example, do you need to send information in advance? Are they someone who needs time to think and so you might need to hold the silence a bit more?
4. CREATE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
The behavioural scientist, Vanessa Van Edwards, talks a lot about the importance of being both competent AND warm. According to Vanessa, we tend not to connect with or easily trust people who are competent but who lack warmth. In other words, it’s okay to bring a bit of yourself and some emotion into your communication.
This might be in the form of empathy, where you identify a similarity between yourself and the people you’re communicating with. For example, whenever I deliver workshops with managers in local government, and I sense their discomfort or cynicism at the start, I’ll share a ‘me too’ story of my time in local government management to build connection.
If you’re uncomfortable with empathy, perhaps because you see it as ‘touch-feely’, psychologist Daniel Goleman offers some advice. He suggests there are three ways we can be empathetic, known as The Empathy Triad:
- COGNITIVE EMPATHY: You’re able to take other people’s perspectives. You’re able to comprehend other people’s emotional and mental state. You’re able to manage your own emotions while taking stock of other’s emotions.
- EMOTIONAL EMPATHY: You join the other person, feeling with them. Your body may resonate in whatever key of joy or sorrow the other person may be feeling.
- EMPATHIC CONCERN: You show you care for the other person. You help the person if needed. You are compassionate.
Humour can be another way to form emotional connection, whether in person or via email. For example, Stanford University professors, Jennifer Akar and Naomi Bagondas, teach a course called, Humour: Serious Business. They suggest three ways we can incorporate humour into our emails, and form connection:
- Callbacks – referring back to a moment you and the recipient shared.
- P.S. – adding a P.S. at the end of your email to add a little lightness
- Saying goodbye or in an out-of-office message – this helps you leave on a high note and ensures people remember you.
TOP TIP: Think ahead to what you’re communicating, with whom, and in what way. How do you want them to feel? For example, want someone to feel positive because of your communication? Then think about how you bring that through what you say and how you say it. Use words that invoke positive feelings. If in person, hold yourself in a way that says positivity – head up, shoulders back and SMILE!
5. STORYTELLING
Do we think Martin Luther King would have had such a lasting legacy if he’d not started with “I have a dream…” but instead, had said, “Here’s my strategic plan, we’ll go through point by point…” Of course we don’t!
Telling stories that help people understand is a powerful skill that top communicators use.
Storytelling can be great when getting people on board with change, or a strategic plan, or convincing investors to invest money. As with any good story, there should be a beginning, a middle, and an end. This might be a happy ending, or it might be a cautionary tale (think Aesop’s Fables).
Personally, I’m a big fan of anecdotes, memes and gifs. I pepper them through my keynote talks, webinars, or workshops. And every single time I share an anecdote, I see the light go in people’s eyes as they get the psychological concept or idea I’m teaching them. It’s a powerful way to create an “I get it!” moment with whoever you’re communicating with.
TOP TIP: Create a bank of stories to draw upon. These can be your own or stories or stories from biographies of famous people. It can be helpful to keep a notebook or Google Doc of stories. For example, stories of when you’ve turned failure around. I categorise my stories. So if I’m giving a talk about psychological safety, I’ll have a look back through my library stories relating to that.
6. BALANCE QUALITY AND QUANTITY
We end with the biggest trap I see many well-meaning managers fall into – focusing on quantity of communication over quality. It’s no surprise when we see social media posts and articles saying that managers and leaders don’t communicate enough.
In a study involving almost 10,000 teams from different industries around the world, the researchers found that quality of communication had a bigger impact on performance than the frequency of communication. Interestingly, this relationship was strongest in teams where people knew each other well.
At the other end of the equation, another study found that employees believe their leaders mis-calculate how often to communicate, with many being seen to under- rather than over-communicate. Too little communication meant the leader was seen as not caring. The researchers advise the best course of action is for leaders to ask their team members about their communication preferences – frequency, mode of communication etc.
Here are some questions to help you conduct an audit of your team communication:
| TEAM COMMUNICATION AUDIT © 2019 HALO Psychology ® | |
| FAMILIARITY | – How well do team members know each other? – How well do you know each team member? – How well do team members know you? – What team building and team development activity have you scheduled in for the year ahead? |
| FREQUENCY | – Have you checked whether you’re communicating too much, too little, or just the right amount? – Have you developed clear ground rules for communication in your team? You with them? Them with you? Them with each other? |
| QUALITY | – Do you test tone and content on important messages before sharing? – Do you check for ease of understanding in what you write or say? – Do you test whether team members can recall important messages? |
| INSIDE | – How do team members talk to each other? What’s the typical tone? – How respectful are people to each other – How open are people with each other? – Do people proactively share knowledge and information? |
| OUTSIDE | – How well does your team communicate with other teams? – Are there some teams your team engages with better than others? – What can you learn from this? – What do you role model when it comes to communicate with other team leaders in your organisation? |
I suggest that managers conduct this audit a few times a year, particularly if there have been changes in the team. For example, new team members, new processes etc. It’s great to involve your team in this, too – such as using the audit as a discussion point in a team meeting. If you use it, let us know how you get on.
Post author: Dr Hayley Lewis. First published on the HALO Psychology website 7 July 2025
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If you liked this post, you might also like these:
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REFERENCES
Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2016). What great listeners actually do. Harvard Business Review, July.
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