The game of telephone can teach us a critical lesson about effective communication.

Many of us are familiar with the game of telephone because it has been around for years. Some of the most important life lessons we can learn from this game are those we learned early in life.

The game of telephone is still popular. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages, at school, at parties, or at family fun nights.

It highlights the many nuances of communication; even minor misconceptions can have significant consequences.

The game is enjoyable for us because it helps us generate laughter and teaches an important lesson we often forget.

Communication is hard.

Information obtained through word of mouth, written communication, or videos may be inaccurate. Many messages are incorrect, especially with the advent of social media.

“Learning to doubt is learning to think.” — Octavio Paz, a Mexican poet and diplomat

We spend almost our entire day communicating. How can we improve our communication skills?

Enhancing these skills can boost our productivity. It can also deepen both our professional and personal relationships.

The seven Cs of communication can provide a solid foundation for effective communication.

Effective communication is critical for professional and personal success. 

Top performers understand the importance of excellent communication in meetings.

They understand the importance of communicating via email and conference calls. This skill is also essential when writing blog posts and giving presentations.

When used correctly, powerful communication can significantly enhance your success.

Let’s discuss the seven key elements of effective communication.

1. Concise

Concise communication is clear and straightforward. Your audience doesn’t want to read 10 sentences when they read two sentences.

Remove filler words like definitely, always, basically, literally, and honestly.

• Have you repeated your opinion or point of view several times in different ways?
• Do you have unnecessary sentences that don’t add value to your story?
• Are you communicating irrelevant or redundant information?

Being concise is about the depth and breadth of your message rather than its length.

Concise information helps your audience focus on what’s essential, speeds up information processing, and increases understanding.

2. Clear

When you communicate, it’s essential to be clear about your goals and messages. What’s your purpose for this communication? If you don’t know, your audience won’t know.

To be clear, reduce the number of ideas you are trying to communicate. Use an analogy to simplify a complex concept.

Please be clear and explicit in your communication. Do not leave your audience to interpret the meaning between the lines. Avoid making them guess what you are trying to say.

Most communication pitfalls occur when people are vague and unspecific. 

Clear communication is built on agreed-upon terminology and concrete words that reduce confusion. Clarity and simplicity are interwoven.

The problem with communication is that we often think we are saying something we are not. We have the message in our heads, yet it’s not written on the page or spoken.

Remember to communicate like you are seeing it for the first time. Your stories and ideas should be crystal clear so your audience can accurately share the story with someone else.

If you gave your audience a test after they talked to you, would they pass?

3. Complete

A finished message is one in which your audience has everything they need to be informed about a topic. You told them an anecdote or background to provide more context.

If your audience needs to take action, ensure your call to action is clear and effectively conveys urgency.

Incomplete messages need back-and-forth communication, wasting everyone’s time and effort. Completed communication includes relevant information such as names, dates, times, locations, and other details that support your story.

Your messages shouldn’t be sloppy or negligent, which can negatively impact your communication. Be thorough.

4. Confident

To communicate effectively, you need to be confident in your messages. Not cocky where you are conceited or arrogant, but sure of yourself where you are bold, hopeful, and optimistic. 

You need to get your audience to believe in your messages.

Knowing what you are talking about and clear writing are ways to communicate confidently.

Do your homework, conduct research, and anticipate the questions others will ask. Know your material so you are confident in answering tough questions about a topic.

A confident message is correct without grammatical errors. It is concrete, specific, tangible, and vivid.

Facts and figures support it, so you feel confident about what you say and write about.

5. Considerate

Functional communication is characterized by openness, honesty, and friendliness. There are no hidden agendas or passive-aggressive tones. You keep your audience’s viewpoint in mind and show them empathy.

Courtesy means respecting the audience’s point of view and their background, values, and beliefs. Don’t judge their opinion. Craft a message that is genuinely polite and as unbiased as possible.

You don’t want to convey an overly emotional message, as it may be perceived negatively by the audience. 

You tailor your message to their experience and background, making it easier for them to process your communication. Be thoughtful, patient, and helpful in your communication.

6. Charismatic

Charismatic communication is about being charming, fascinating, and magnetic. It’s about your personality. Charisma is about being skilled at communicating on a deep and emotional level.

When you are charismatic, you can articulate a compelling and captivating message. Everyone has charisma; you need to bring it to the forefront.

Knowing what you are trying to communicate is the best way to be charismatic. Your story should be compelling.

Charisma is about developing effective body language skills. We communicate through nonverbal signals as much as through verbal communication.

Writing does not allow you to show your body language. Thus, your charisma must be evident in your personality.

7. Check

Feedback is central to check, and the feedback loop should remain open. Checking with your audience helps ensure that your messages are communicated as intended.

Feedback is crucial to communication. It helps you evaluate how your audience perceives your message. It also enables you to respond effectively.

Feedback is central to effective communication. It helps you test your messages. It also enables you to analyze their effectiveness.

Giving and receiving feedback is critical to good communication. It’s essential to assess your understanding of your audience and evaluate how effectively your messages are resonating.

Bringing it all together

It’s always the simple things that are complex. Communication is one of those things: it’s sharing and conveying information. It sounds so easy, but it isn’t easy to implement.

The game of telephone illustrates how quickly a message can be distorted into something completely different. It demonstrates how quickly communication can become ineffective.

By adhering to these seven elements of effective communication, you can prevent the telephone game. In this game, your messages get changed, diluted, and misunderstood.

At both professional and personal levels, we must be mindful of our communication. We should watch and correct any misinformation about us before it spreads.

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