Effective Workplace communication (I)
Use the 1A+4Cs
By Leonard Kok

The Second C – Keep it Courteous

With a lot of your patience in vetting the content, ensure that the language is polite and non-discriminatory: in gender, view or opinion. Sometimes, we may even have to reply to unreasonable requests or simply replying to a rude person’s email. In these situations, we can still maintain courtesy by stating facts and objective viewpoints or explaining and re-explaining the rationale. Courtesy is the fire extinguisher that douses fiery situations.

The Third C – Keep it Concise

We are not writing a narrative (although there is a place for it) so just include only essential information. For this reason, all sentence structures should be short and clear.  Conciseness usually comes with Clarity.

Compare the following:

1) The hurricane had the effect of a destructive force on the manufacturing plant.

2) The hurricane destroyed the manufacturing plant.

I’m sure you will agree with me that (ii) is more accurate and to the point, which is what conciseness is all about.

The Fourth C – Keep it correct!

If you find it challenging to keep to the first 3 Cs, then this one must be adhered to strictly! Nothing is ever so damning on your future prospects than getting your facts wrong all the time. For this reason, all organisations, no matter how lean and mean they are, keep minutes of meeting (MoM) in hard and soft copies. So, one way to verify and clarify is via the Minutes of Meeting before you click ‘send’ on your computer, which will seal your ‘fate.’ We have all heard of horror stories where some misunderstood content was circulated amongst the office staff: Good for an afternoon of gossip; but at the expense of the misunderstood person or persons.

The following should be practised, and often:

- Ensure the content is factual.

- Proofread the document for any spelling and grammatical mistakes. (better still, ask someone whom you trust to vet)

- Ensure the layout is correct.

On point 2, even punctuations can make a lot of difference in the meaning. Look at the example below as a case in point:

1) The employee, said the boss, is crazy

2) The employee said the boss is crazy

With the omission of two tiny and seemingly insignificant symbols, the one who is ‘crazy’ has changed.

Effective written communication is not only a necessary function which is attached to every job role, it is an essential one which will help realise your Current Estimate Potential (CEP) at your respective workplace. Think about it for a while - employers will only trust employees who can manage information accurately and effectively; one that brings in the clients and profits.

Follow the 1A+4Cs formula and you will see yourself increasing your professional credibility at your workplace!