Tailor your communication

This standard is about tailoring your communication to the purpose of the message and to the diverse needs of colleagues and stakeholders. You adapt your communication to different people, contexts and environments, including digital, in-person, verbal and non-verbal settings. You consider communication 
preferences, accessibility requirements and neurodivergent differences to support clarity, inclusion and understanding. You check understanding, interpret cues, respond to feedback and reduce barriers that may affect how others receive or interpret your communication. You use organisational values, standards of practice and procedures to guide how you communicate and support positive working 
relationships. 

This standard applies to managers and leaders at all levels across all sectors.

1. Assess the communication needs and preferences of colleagues and stakeholders in relation to the purpose of the communication to support clarity and inclusion.
2. Adapt your communication to meet the needs of colleagues with diverse communication requirements, including neurodivergent colleagues, to support understanding.
3. Select communication methods that support accessibility and understanding in digital, in-person, verbal and non-verbal environments.
4. Use clear, concise and people-appropriate language to support accurate understanding.
5. Explain jargon, technical terms and abbreviations to reduce barriers to understanding.
6. Structure your communication to support clarity, relevance and accessibility.
7. Adjust the pace, tone and format of your communication to meet diverse needs and support effective engagement.
8. Reduce barriers that may affect how others receive or interpret your communication to support inclusion.
9. Use available digital tools appropriately to support accessible and inclusive communication in line with organisational procedures.
10. Check that colleagues and stakeholders have received and understood your communication to support shared understanding.
11. Interpret verbal and non-verbal cues to assess how your communication is being received and understood.
12. Respond to verbal and non-verbal feedback to adjust your communication and strengthen clarity and inclusion.
13. Communicate in ways that support psychological safety and respect for individual differences.
14. Share information transparently to maintain trust and support inclusive working relationships.
15. Seek and use objective, specific feedback to strengthen clarity, inclusion and accessibility in your communication.

1. The importance of tailoring communication to the purpose of the message, the context and the diverse needs of colleagues and stakeholders.
2. Factors that influence communication preferences and accessibility requirements.
3. How neurodivergence can influence communication needs and processing.
4. How to adapt communication for digital, in-person, verbal and non-verbal environments.
5. Principles of clear communication, including structure, sequencing and relevance.
6. Factors that create barriers to communication and how to reduce them.
7. How to check understanding in ways that support inclusion and psychological safety.
8. How to use digital tools appropriately to support accessible and inclusive communication.
9. Principles of accuracy, currency and completeness in communication.
10. How to explain jargon, technical terms and abbreviations.
11. How to interpret verbal and non-verbal cues, responses and feedback to assess how communication is received.
12. How to gather, interpret and use feedback to improve clarity and inclusion in communication.
13. The organisational standards of practice, policies and procedures relevant to communication.
14. How communication influences trust, relationships and organisational culture.
15. Relevant theories and models that inform communication, accessibility and inclusive practice.

The following values underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Inclusion - valuing diverse communication needs and ensuring accessibility for all.
• Respect - recognising individual differences and adapting communication accordingly.
• Integrity - communicating honestly and transparently.
• Openness - being receptive to feedback and willing to adjust your communication.
• Curiosity - seeking to understand how others interpret and process information.
• Responsibility - taking ownership of the clarity and impact of your communication.

The following behaviours underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Act with inclusion, adapting communication to meet diverse needs.
• Communicate openly, sharing information transparently.
• Show respect, valuing individual differences and communication preferences.
• Respond with curiosity, seeking to understand how others interpret your communication.
• Reflect regularly, using insight to improve how you tailor communication.
• Take accountability for owning the clarity and impact of your communication.
• Practise self-care, maintaining habits that support balanced and effective communication.