Communication COMM
Exchanging information, ideas and insights clearly to enable mutual understanding and cooperation.
Guidance notes
Communication in SFIA represents a progression from basic team interaction to complex, organisation-wide influence and external engagement. It involves:
- communicating within immediate teams
- exchanging information and ideas clearly
- verbal and written skills, active listening, and the ability to use communication tools and platforms appropriately
- adapting communication style to diverse audiences, both technical and non-technical
- articulating complex concepts in a way that enables informed decision-making
- influencing strategy through effective dialogue with senior stakeholders.
As professionals advance, their communication skills evolve from simple information sharing within teams to influencing decisions at the highest levels of an organisation. This progression involves adapting communication to different audiences, including senior stakeholders and external partners, and shaping strategic outcomes through effective dialogue. At higher levels, professionals take on the responsibility of using communication to drive organisational direction and engage with industry leaders to achieve business objectives.
Level 1 - Follow
- Communicates with immediate team to understand and deliver on their assigned tasks. Observes, listens, and with encouragement, asks questions to seek information or clarify instructions.
Level 2 - Assist
- Communicates familiar information with immediate team and stakeholders directly related to their role.
- Listens to gain understanding and asks relevant questions to clarify or seek further information.
Level 3 - Apply
- Communicates with team and stakeholders inside and outside the organisation clearly explaining and presenting information.
- Contributes to a range of work-related conversations and listens to others to gain an understanding and asks probing questions relevant to their role.
Level 4 - Enable
- Communicates with both technical and non-technical audiences including team and stakeholders inside and outside the organisation.
- As required, takes the lead in explaining complex concepts to support decision making.
- Listens and asks insightful questions to identify different perspectives to clarify and confirm understanding.
Level 5 - Ensure, advise
- Communicates clearly with impact, articulating complex information and ideas to broad audiences with different viewpoints.
- Leads and encourages conversations to share ideas and build consensus on actions to be taken.
Level 6 - Initiate, influence
- Communicates with credibility at all levels across the organisation to broad audiences with divergent objectives.
- Explains complex information and ideas clearly, influencing the strategic direction.
- Promotes information sharing across the organisation.
Level 7 - Set strategy, inspire, mobilise
- Communicates to audiences at all levels within own organisation and engages with industry.
- Presents compelling arguments and ideas authoritatively and convincingly to achieve business objectives.