The 10 C's of Communication
On this page 12 headings
Start here Your message is like food. Clear, short, correct, complete and served politely — people enjoy it. Miss one thing, and they push the plate away. The 10 C’s are your recipe.
In the lecture, each student explained one C. Each C has: - what to avoid (bad) - what to do (good) - a bad example and a better example
1. Clarity (Clear)
Meaning: Be clear in your thoughts and your words. Know what you want to say.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Wordy sentences | Clear thoughts and words |
| Vague or confusing words | Simple, common words |
| No specific message | A clear and specific message |
| Hard to understand | Easy to understand |
Bad: “We considered the consequences of the existing policy on risk management strategies we employ with our Risk and Compliance department and updated them accordingly.” Better: “We updated Risk and Compliance policies.”
2. Conciseness (Concise)
Meaning: Keep it short, clear and brief. Give only useful, relevant information.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Long, wordy messages | Short, clear, brief |
| Repeated or extra words | No extra words, no repetition |
| Unnecessary, irrelevant information | Only essential, relevant information |
| Hard to understand, not appealing | Easy to understand and appealing |
Bad: “Given that it is COVID, follow necessary precautions for COVID — wear mask and sanitise hands and follow social distancing to ensure all government regulations are followed without fail.” Better: “Mandatory Government Regulations for COVID: wear mask; sanitise hands; follow social distancing.”
3. Concreteness (Concrete)
Meaning: Be specific. Use facts, figures, data and proof. Leave no room for wrong meaning.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Vague, abstract, general talk | Accurate, specific facts and figures |
| No supporting data | Specific data and proof |
| Easy to misunderstand | No room for misinterpretation |
Bad: “The sales numbers of ABC team are on the low side. The numbers need to be raised.” Better: “The sales conversion rate of ABC team is below 40%. We need to aim for 50% or higher next quarter. Let us plan a strategy meet.”
In one line (C1–C3): Say it clearly, say it short, and back it with facts.
4. Correctness (Correct)
Meaning: No spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes. Use suitable language. Give correct data.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Grammar, punctuation and spelling errors | Correct grammar, punctuation and spelling |
| Wrong language for the situation | Right language for the situation |
| Wrong or vague data, facts and figures | Correct data, facts and figures |
Bad: “Subsequent to our conservation on monday I wanted to let you know that about 200–300 people have registered for the conference.” Better: “Subsequent to our conversation on Monday, I wanted to let you know that 200 people have registered for the Data Science Conference.”
(Two mistakes fixed: the spelling “conservation” → “conversation”, and the vague “200–300” → the exact number.)
5. Completeness (Complete)
Meaning: Give all the information. Answer likely questions before people ask them.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Missing information | Complete and to the point |
| Leaves people asking for more details | Cover all data points |
| Add supporting information for likely questions |
Bad: “Monthly system shutdown for maintenance will happen tomorrow. Backup all your work.” (People will ask: What time? How long?) Better: “Monthly system shutdown for maintenance is at 2 p.m. on Sat, Feb 26th, 2022 for 30 minutes. Please backup all your work prior to that.”
6. Consistency (Consistent)
Meaning: Your messages and data should match each other over time. This builds credibility (trust).
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Data and facts that don’t match | Consistent, continuous messages and data |
| No communication schedule | A fixed communication schedule |
| Talking only when there is a question, problem or fight | Be proactive and responsive |
If there is no regular update, team members may get old (outdated) information. This causes confusion.
Example: Fix a communication schedule. For example, every Friday at a fixed time, send an update to all team members: what happened this week, key achievements, and targets.
In one line (C4–C6): Get every fact right, leave nothing out, and keep messages regular and matching.
7. Confidence (Confident)
Meaning: Express yourself freely. Be firm, assertive (sure and direct) and to the point. This is very important for leaders.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Trying too hard to impress or please | Be yourself |
| Nervous sounds like “err”, “umm”, “aah” | Express freely and creatively |
| Not prepared | Be firm, assertive and to the point |
| Use words of power and positivity | |
| Practise and prepare beforehand |
Bad: “I am… err… actually, I have… uhh… some important work… and need some leave.” (nervous body language) Better: “Ravi, I have some important personal work I need to attend to. I would like 2 days of leave on the 24th and 25th.”
8. Creativity (Creative)
Meaning: Make your message interesting. A monotonous (flat, boring) talk puts people to sleep.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Monotonous, boring talk | Use humour, wit, stories and quotes |
| Be creative and resourceful | |
| Use creative aids to make the message simple and attractive |
Bad: “Good morning everyone. My talk today is on how to make hay while the sun shines. The 5 steps to be followed are…” Better: “Good morning everyone! Once upon a time there were two friends, an ant and a cricket…”
In one line (C7–C8): Speak with confidence, and make it interesting.
9. Courtesy (Courteous)
Meaning: Be polite and respectful, even when giving negative feedback.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Rude, impolite words | Be humble, sincere, enthusiastic, respectful, honest |
| Low, negative, hurtful words | Use words of positive energy |
| Being too critical | Be appreciative and tactful |
| Passive aggressive talk | Give constructive feedback |
| Hidden insults |
(Passive aggressive — showing anger in an indirect, hidden way. Tactful — careful not to hurt others.)
Bad: “This is not what it is supposed to be. You are always doing things wrong. Work on it again.” Better: “There is some rework that needs to be done. Let’s go through the work to see what changes need to be made.”
10. Consideration (Considerate)
Meaning: Step into the other person’s shoes. Think about their feelings, mindset and point of view. The student called this the most important C — without it, communication becomes miscommunication.
| Avoid | Do |
|---|---|
| Ignoring the audience | Consider the listener’s feelings, mindset and perspective |
| Being self-centred | Seek to understand; show empathy |
| Being harsh | Ask for feedback |
(Empathy — understanding how another person feels.)
Bad: “I really don’t care how. Make all the changes. Get this done asap.” Better: “Before we go through the changes that need to be made, I would like to understand what challenges you are facing.”
In one line (C9–C10): Be polite, and always think from the listener’s side.
All 10 C’s at a glance
| C | One-line meaning |
|---|---|
| Clear | Clear thoughts, simple words |
| Concise | Short; no extra words |
| Concrete | Specific facts and data |
| Correct | No errors; right data |
| Complete | All information; answer likely questions |
| Consistent | Matching, regular messages |
| Confident | Firm, prepared, no “umm” |
| Creative | Stories, humour, not boring |
| Courteous | Polite, positive, constructive |
| Considerate | Think from the listener’s side |
Everyday example Asking your class group to pay for a farewell party: “Guys pay money for party pls” breaks many C’s. “Hi all! Farewell party is on Friday, 5 p.m. in the seminar hall. Please pay ₹200 to Priya by Wednesday. Thank you!” — this is clear, concise, concrete, complete and courteous.
Exam words: clarity, conciseness, concreteness, correctness, completeness, consistency, confidence, creativity, courtesy, consideration.