Communication, Commitment, and Collaboration! These three words seem simple and we may use them every day. However, they have a world of their own and create an impact on the lives of those pursuing them. In today’s age when continuous personality development is a necessity and acquiring professional experience is vital, one needs to grasp the importance associated with these three Cs of success.
Communication, the first C, connects us. We communicate with ourselves when we are reflecting on a matter. We communicate with our family members, friends, relatives, office colleagues, strangers. This communication takes the form of verbal and non-verbal; written and oral communication. Conversing over the telephone with a friend, writing an e-mail to the office manager, developing a presentation for our client, preparing a lecture for the students, among others are the many forms and manifestations with which we communicate with our desired audience.
This very article that you are reading is an example of how a writer communicates ideas with the readers. Communication must be clear, correct coherent, and concise. It must be based on factuality embedded with thoughts of logic and rationality. Miscommunication, therefore, occurs when communication is either false, based on rumor, presented out-of-context, has incomplete information, or is directed to an inappropriate audience.
Commitment, the second C, brings us closer to our goals. It is the commitment to ourselves that compels and motivates us to manage our time, make a plan, take action, and pursue our desired objectives. The commitment of a mother to wake up before sunrise is to prepare breakfast for her children and her husband. The commitment of an employee is to complete all assigned tasks with diligence and within the deadline. The commitment of a student is to keep updated with the classroom lectures and deliver assignments on time.
This commitment – to the self and to the people you come in contact with – builds your character. A commitment is an assurance, a pledge, and a promise that you will complete your end of the tasks, follow the rules, and will remain dedicated to the cause you are working on. Commitment leads to loyalty, honesty, modesty, and humility. It shows the person is ready to take up a challenge and complete it. Learning is a part of being committed. An employee who has never given a speech may learn how to do so if he/she is committed to learning the art of speaking. A case in point is the example of the dedicated teachers of Pakistan. Because of the COVID-19, they were compelled to take online classes. Their commitment to delivering lectures enabled and motivated them to use online communication tools to deliver lectures and upload content and syllabus.
Collaboration, the third C, connects us with like-minded individuals and with those who share the same goal as ours. Collaboration is teamwork, partnership, and association. It is created in many scenarios. Students collaborate with like-minded classmates to work on class projects, presentations, and assignments. Employees from various departments collaborate to complete organizational goals.
Corporations collaborate to complete tasks of national and corporate importance. We need to collaborate with others to assign tasks, share information, discuss challenges, resolve issues, and grow together. Where there is collaboration, there is progress. It is indeed true that we as humans cannot live in isolation. Even when living in isolation because of the lockdown imposed due to COVID-19, we were communicating and collaborating via online media. Tools such as WhatsApp, Zoom, Streamyard, Skype among others were used by individuals and groups to share information and content.
To achieve personal and professional success, we need to pursue the three Cs of success. We would need to communicate our thoughts, we should remain committed to completing our goals, and we must collaborate to succeed.