A Civil Tongue: Standards for Effective Communication
Good writing and speaking meets five basic standards: it's clear, complete, correct, efficient and effective. Like this:

1. Clear.
   The reader gets the meaning the writer intended. There's no ambiguity or guesswork; everyone's on the same page.
2. Complete.
   Good writing is the bun and the beef; the reader gets the complete package. With effective communication, readers have everything they need to evaluate the message and to act on it.
3. Correct.
   The writing is free from errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. There are no bloopers in areas such as spelling, capitalization, word order, and sentence structure.
4. Efficient.
   The words are arranged on the page to save the reader time. The layout is clear and crisp, so the message is easy to track. The Big Two of page arrangement are Organization and Visual Impact.
5. Effective.
   Since all the ducks are in a row, effective writing conveys a positive image of the writer and her or his company, organization, or group. Since it treats the reader with consideration, it creates good feelings, too.

Effective communication is vital to your success.

And affective communication puts even more money in your pocket.