Rules of Effective Communication

Rules of Effective Communication

There are five rules of effective communication:

1. What? - What do you really wish to communicate? Make sure that you are very clear about the message that you wish to convey and try to keep it simple.

2. Whom? - With whom do you wish to communicate? Identify the appropriate recipient for your message. If it is an important message, do not trust to a verbal communication to a three-year-old child.

3 Why? - Why do you need to communicate? What is the purpose of the communication? What are the consequences of not communicating?

4 How? - How can you best communicate? In many cases, there are choices with respect to communication - you may be able to choose between verbal or written forms or indeed, nonverbal messages (a raised eyebrow, for example). A choice will depend on with whom you are communicating and the actual situation.

5 When? - When is the best time to communicate? We have noted the need to respond promptly but beyond that, the timing of communication can be very important - choose the time to raise a question or to pass on a message that will be appreciated by the person with whom you are communicating