What are the six pillars of communication?
The six pillars of communication are purpose, audience, resources, ethics, collaboration and security. The model comes from 24 Hour Translation, which uses it to describe what business communication needs in order to work: a clear reason for the message, an understanding of who receives it, a channel that actually reaches them, honest and lawful content, teamwork on shared documents, and safe handling of sensitive information [1].
Each pillar also points to a way communication fails. A vague purpose, a misread audience, an unreliable channel, a misleading claim, a badly run team or a data leak can each undo a message that was otherwise well written. That is why the infographic above pairs the pillars with the verbal and nonverbal barriers that most often get in the way.
Purpose, knowing why you are communicating
Every message needs a clearly defined objective. The creator’s article compares purpose to the foundation of a building: if it is poorly developed, nothing built on it will stand [1]. In practice that means being able to say who the message is for, what you want them to know or do, and by when. The graphic adds that the purpose should cover who, what, where, when and why, and that an ambiguous purpose is itself a barrier.
A clear purpose also tells you how much evidence you need. A request for budget sign-off needs figures and sources the reader trusts. A quick update to your team does not.
Audience, writing for the people who receive it
Everyone belongs to groups shaped by shared customs, values, knowledge, language and beliefs. 24 Hour Translation suggests treating readers as individuals to avoid stereotyping them, while recognising that some content works better when it is localised for a particular group or market [1]. The graphic notes that business is becoming more global and more diverse each year, which creates opportunities but makes the communicator’s job harder.
The practical test is simple: what does this reader already know, what do they need from you, and what words will they understand? A technical note for engineers and a summary for customers can carry the same facts and look completely different.
Resources, choosing a channel that reaches people
Messages travel through face-to-face meetings, letters, email, social media, webinars and calls. The right one depends on where your audience is and what they can access [1]. The graphic warns that technology can also stop communication: unreliable power, poor telecommunications and the cost of new tools all limit who receives a message, which matters most when you work across countries.
Ethics, staying honest and lawful
Communication has to be legal and ethical. Defamation, misrepresentation, withholding or obstructing information, fraud, coercion and careless document handling can all destroy a business’s reputation and credibility, as the graphic warns. The creator’s article makes the same point more simply: people cannot lie, make false claims, stretch the truth or rely on half-truths [1].
Collaboration, communicating as a team
Many business documents are written by groups rather than one person. Sales proposals, staff handbooks, websites, marketing material and financial reports often need input from several departments [1]. The graphic points out that team communication has to be managed, and that when members do not contribute equally the result can be a toxic working environment. Agreeing who owns each part, and who has the final say, removes most of the friction.
Security, protecting sensitive information
Customer records, staff files and trade secrets have to be handled and shared safely. The graphic quotes Hewlett Packard’s figure that cyber-attacks cost the average American firm $15.4 million a year. That number comes from the 2015 Cost of Cyber Crime study by the Ponemon Institute, sponsored by Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Ponemon reports the mean annual cost across 58 US organisations as about $15 million, up from $12.7 million a year earlier [2]. It is a decade-old figure for large organisations, so treat it as an illustration of the stakes rather than a current average. The wider risks the graphic names still apply: lost customers, a damaged reputation and legal action for negligence.
Verbal barriers to communication
Verbal barriers are problems with the words themselves. The infographic names six:
- Inadequate knowledge or vocabulary. You cannot inform or persuade people about a subject you do not understand well.
- Differences in interpretation. Most misunderstandings happen when people attach different connotations to the same word.
- Language differences. In international business a translator or interpreter may be needed so the meaning is not lost.
- Inaccurate use of expressions. Jargon, slang and euphemisms confuse people who do not share them.
- Abstraction and ambiguity. Acronyms and abstract terms cause confusion; concrete, commonly known words work better.
- Fairness and balance. Leaving out facts on one side, or loading support on the other, undermines trust.
Note that the advice to use a translation company comes from a translation business, so it is partly promotional. The underlying point, that meaning gets lost between languages, is sound.
Nonverbal barriers to communication
Nonverbal barriers sit around the words. The graphic names four: distractions, inappropriate emotions, differences in perception, and inappropriate or conflicting signals. A message delivered in a noisy room, by someone visibly angry, to people who see the situation differently, or with body language that contradicts what is being said, can fail even when every word is right. Conflicting signals also appear as an example under the purpose pillar, which shows how closely the two sets overlap.
Other pillar models of communication
Six is not the only number in use. Some trainers teach five pillars of effective communication: clarity, active listening, mutual understanding, relevance and assertiveness [3]. Others teach seven, starting with trust, reason and emotion, which come from Aristotle’s ethos, logos and pathos [4]. The 24 Hour Translation model is aimed at business and organisational communication, so it puts more weight on channels, ethics, teamwork and data security than models built around personal speaking skills.
Questions about the pillars of communication
What are the 6 pillars of communication?
Purpose, audience, resources, ethics, collaboration and security, in 24 Hour Translation’s model of business communication [1].
What are the 5 pillars of effective communication?
One common set is clarity, active listening, mutual understanding, relevance and assertiveness [3]. It focuses on conversation between people rather than on organisations.
What are the main barriers to communication?
Verbal barriers include poor knowledge of the subject, different interpretations of words, language differences, jargon, vague language and one-sided presentation. Nonverbal barriers include distractions, inappropriate emotions, differences in perception and conflicting signals.
How can you overcome communication barriers?
Define the purpose before you write, use plain concrete words your audience knows, choose a channel they can actually access, check that your tone and body language match the message, and ask for feedback to confirm it was understood.
Sources
- 24 Hour Translation, The Six Pillars of Communication, March 2016. The creator’s original post with this infographic.
- Ponemon Institute, 2015 Cost of Cyber Crime Study: United States.
- OSAM, What are the five pillars of effective communication?.
- Sanjeev Datta, 7 Pillars of Communication.
Last reviewed 2 November 2026
