Internal and external communication; the 7 Cs

Internal communication happens between the employer and employees. It binds the organisation together, lifts morale, and brings transparency. Most internal problems come from poor communication.

It flows vertically (up and down), horizontally (between equals) and diagonally, formally or informally. It helps planning, direction, coordination and motivation. Its media: instructions, orders, letters, memos, house journals, notice boards, handbooks, manuals and reports.

External communication is with government, customers, dealers, other firms and the public. It builds the image, protects the brand, maintains PR, promotes goodwill and helps marketing. Its media: letters, magazines, posters, bulletins and annual reports.

Communication means composing a message and sending it. Good messages follow the 7 Cs:

• Conciseness: short.
• Concreteness: specific.
• Clarity: clear.
• Completeness: nothing left out.
• Courtesy: polite.
• Correctness: no grammatical errors.
• Consideration: stress 'you' rather than 'I' and 'we'.

For example, 'You will receive your refund by Friday' is more considerate than 'We have processed the refund'. Concise, concrete, clear, complete, courteous, correct, considerate.