In a tough job market, it is not enough to just have a degree. Employers are interested in well-rounded graduates with effective communication skills in addition to job specific technical skills. The standards for communication skills and proficiency in the workplace continue to rise. People who study and update their communication skills significantly improve their ability to overcome barriers and reach business and personal goals.
A good example is an attorney in the field of law. It is not enough to just know statutes, case precedents, and technical knowledge. Obviously an attorney must have that knowledge to practice law. However to be a successful attorney, the individual must also possess effective communication skills. Attorneys must communicate on a daily basis with clients, judges, court clerks, officers, and many others.
Communication begins when an individual wakes up in the morning and ends when the individual falls asleep. Individuals communicate in various arrangements and contexts with others throughout the day. Much communication happens in the workplace, and those interactions should be conscious communication. Conscious communication simply means to “think before you speak.” To become a conscious communicator, you must become familiar with the CCCD Communication Process.
The CCCD Conscious Communication Process
The CCCD Conscious Communication Process is a four step process and strategy that helps people communicate clearly with others. CCCD stands for Choose, Create, Coordinate, and Deliver. This process helps improve communication skills in the workplace. To consciously communicate individuals must choose, create, coordinate, and deliver, or CCCD, the message they wish to communicate.
Choose Effective Communication Goal
The first step of the CCCD Conscious Communication Process is to choose an effective communication goal. When an individual decides to use the CCCD Process to improve communication skills in the workplace, the first step the individual must take during the communication interaction is choose the goal. A communication goal is what the individual wants the receiver or audience to take away from the interaction and the message they wish to clearly convey or objective they hope to achieve.
Create Message Based on Communication Goal
The second step of the CCCD Conscious Communication Process is to organize the message. The individual creates the message and develops a plan designed to reach the receiver or audience and meet the communication goal. How the individual organizes the message is influenced by the receiver or audience. The same message to a boss and a company vendor will be created and organized differently because each is a different audience with its own communication skills.
Coordinate Input and Collaborate with Others
The third step in the CCCD Conscious Communication Process involves listening to information from a variety of sources, brainstorming with others, and collaboration. No one can work alone all the time for every project. Coordination with others is a must and a crucial step toward becoming a conscious communicator. Conscious communication requires input from others and feedback from a variety of sources regarding scheduling, projects, budgets, problems, plans, goals, etc.
Deliver the Message
The final step in the CCCD Conscious Communication Process is to deliver the message to the receiver or audience. Message delivery is vital to effective communication. If an individual does not organize message for receiver or is unclear and cannot paint a vivid picture of their idea or message to the audience, the audience will become confused or bored and is likely to stop listening, start fidgeting, play on phone, or leave to do something else.
References:
Eisenberg, E. M., & Goodall, H. L. Organizational Communication: Balancing Creativity and Constraint. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001.
Goodall, H.L. & Goodall, S. Communication in Professional Context: Skills Ethics, and Technologies. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2002.
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Amanda-Makenzie Braedyn - Amanda-Makenzie Braedyn has been working in the communications field for 10 years. Amanda-Makenzie holds a Bachelor of Science in ...
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