What is barriers to communication?
Barrier to communication is something that
keeps meanings from meeting. Meaning barriers exist between all people, making
communication much more difficult than most people seem to realize. It is false
to assume that if one can talk he can communicate.
Because so much of our education misleads
people into thinking that communication is easier than it is, they become
discouraged and give up when they run into difficulty. Because they do not
understand the nature of the problem, they do not know what to do.
There are many reasons why interpersonal communications may fail. In many communications, the message may not be received exactly the way the sender intended and hence it is important that the communicator seeks feedback to check that their message is clearly understood. The skills of Active Listening, Clarification and Reflection, which we will discuss shortly, may help but the skilled communicator also needs to be aware of the barriers to effective communication. There exist many barriers to communication and these may occur at any stage in the communication process. Barriers may lead to your message becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and/or money by causing confusion and misunderstanding. Effective communication involves overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and concise message.
Barriers to communication effective Communication are the answer to the success of any organization and if there are barriers to its effectiveness, there will be frustration to the concerned parties. Barriers to Communication can arise at every stage of the communication process that is from the sender, the message, the channel, the receiver, the feedback and the context.
Barriers to successful communication include
message overload, when a person receives too many messages at the same time,
and message complexity.
Some barriers to communication are discussed
here under:-
Physical
barriers: Physical barriers are often due to the nature of the
environment. Example poor or outdated equipment, distractions, noise, and poor
lighting etc
System
design: System design faults refer to problems with the
structures or systems in place in an organization.
Semantic
barriers: Semantic refers to meaning of language used. Often the
same word is interpreted by different people in different ways according to
their mental attitude and understanding.
Poorly explained or misunderstood messages
can result in confusion.
1. Physiological
barriers: certain attitude
can also make communication, poor eye sight, hearing difficulties etc.
2.
Socio-psychological barrier: Certain attitudes can also make communication
difficult. For instance, great anger or sadness may cause someone to lose focus
on the present moment. Disorders such as Autism may also severely hamper effective
communication.
Social psychological barriers to communication
a.
Attitude an opinion: If information agrees with our opinion and
attitude, we tend to receive it favorably but if it ends to run contrary to our
accepted beliefs, we do not react favorably.
b.
Emotion: Emotional state of mind affects communication. If the
sender is exited or nervous his thinking will be blurred and he will not be
able to organize his message properly.
c.
Closed mind: It is a person with deeply ingrained prejudice
and it is not prepared to reconsider his opinions.
d.
Status conscious: are common in organization and subordinates
are afraid of communicating upward any unpleasant information. Superiors also
think that consulting their juniors would be compromising their dignity.
e.
The source of communication: If the receiver is
suspicious about a prejudice against the source of communication there is
likely to be a barrier to communication.
f.
Inattentiveness: People often become inattentive while
receiving a message in particular, if the message contains a new idea.
g.
Faulty transmission: Translator can never be perfect.
h.
Poor retention: Studies shows that employees retain only
about 50% of the information communicated to them. If the information is
communicated through 3-4 stages, very little reaches the destination. Poor
retention may lead to imperfect responses which may further hamper the
communication process.
3.
Presentation of information: It is important to aid
understanding. The communicator should consider the audience before making the
presentation by simplifying their vocabulary so that the majority may
understand.
4. Environmental barrier: Noise
that physically disrupts communication, such as standing next to loud speakers
at a party, pulling and moving of seats in a lecture room, working in a factory
etc
5.
Physiological-Impairment barrier: Physical maladies that
prevent effective communication, such as deafness or blindness.
6.
Syntactical barrier: Mistakes in grammar can disrupt
communication, such subject verb agreement, abrupt change in tense etc
7.
Organizational barriers: Poorly structured communication can
prevent the receiver from accurate interpretation.
8.
Cultural barrier: Stereotypical assumptions can cause
misunderstandings, such as unintentionally offending a Kikuyu person by calling
him a thief.
9.
Noise: Is any
occurrence that inhibits effective communication; it can occur at any point in
the process. Noise is the causative factor for the message being mis-communicated
or misunderstood due to the problem either in the medium chosen or encoding or
decoding or in some stages of the process.
Possible Remedies to the Barriers to Communication
Effective communication is a tool that can
provide innumerable benefits within the workplace, at school and among
interpersonal relationships. Despite the strongest communication skills,
certain barriers such as defensiveness, underlying negativity or cultural
roadblocks may limit the effectiveness of the message. Most of the above
mentioned barriers can be overcome by the skilled communicator.
Obviously, bridging gaps in geography and communicating
through disabilities are a topic for a different discussion. Below, we will
look at some tools that can be used to bridge barriers in everyday communication.
1. Active Listening: Active
listening is a skill that can be acquired and developed with practice. However,
this skill can be difficult to master and will, therefore, take time and
patience. Active listening means, as its name suggests, actively listening.
That is fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just ‘hearing’
the message of the speaker. Active listening involves listening with all
senses. As well as giving full attention to the speaker, it is important that
the active listener is also seen to be listening otherwise the speaker may
conclude that what they are talking about is uninteresting to the listener.
By providing this feedback the person
speaking will usually feel more at ease and therefore communicate more easily,
openly and honestly. There are both verbal and non-verbal cues that convey
active listening.
Non-verbal signs include smiling (if
appropriate), making eye contact, nodding at appropriate times, and avoiding
distractions. These non-verbal cues convey the message that you are interested
in what the speaker has to say, and that your attention is fully invested.
Offering verbal signs of active listening can also be useful. Reflecting on
something the speaker has said by asking a clarifying question is a terrific
way to do this. Paraphrasing involves finding slightly different words to
repeat the main idea of the speaker, and is also great way to show active
listening.
2. Use Simple Language: It’s important to remember the audience
that you’re speaking to, and use language that can be easily understood. Avoid
using medical terminology or jargon when speaking to clients and their
families. People are often intimidated by such language, and can be afraid to
admit that they don’t understand the message being delivered. An important tool
to use when speaking is to pause occasionally and ask questions to ensure that
your message is being understood as intended. You may also allow the listener
to ask questions to clarify any points.
3. Give Constructive Feedback: Remember that feedback was part
of the communication chain we looked at on the first page. While the feedback
that you give the speaker/sender may occasionally be negative, it is important
that it be constructive in nature. The intent of the feedback should be to
further the abilities of the speaker. This will strengthen the interpersonal
relationship, and enhance future communications.
4. The psychological barriers caused by
prejudice, preconceived notion, distrust of the communicator, misinterpretation
of his intention etc can be solved by counteracting those prejudice.
5. As the source of the message, you need to
be clear about why you're communicating, and what you want to communicate. You
also need to be confident that the information you're communicating is useful
and accurate.
6. Avoid cultural confusion: Be clear with the message and avoid
using slang or unnecessary metaphors that may challenge or confuse a recipient
from a different culture. Create a culture of communication that uses simple
language where people of all backgrounds can participate. Celebrate the diversity
of a global society by researching how the source culture best receives
communication.
7.
Difficult
people can disrupt the line of communication in many ways. Unreasonable
receivers have unrealistic expectations, extremely disagreeable recipients can
have a negative effect and back-stabbers can attack the message while appearing
to be supportive in person. Identify the type of difficult receiver and do not
ignore their tactics. Create a plan to take control of their behavior with the
underlying goal of always keeping ownership of the message. For example, corner
negativity by restating a difficult person's opposition while inviting all
receivers to offer feedback on a proposal. Unrealistic negativity will be
brought down naturally as a group supports moving toward a goal.
8. The policy of the organization must be
clear and explicit. It should be designed in such a way that it encourages
communication flow. It should be easily understandable by all the levels. The
policies for communication should be clear and should favor the promotion of
communication in the organization. The policy should be able to specify the
subject to be communicated to others. It means that the subject matter should
be expressive enough to determine the needs of the organization rather than
creating any confusion.
9. Communication through proper channel
works out effectively. But the flow of communication in the orderly form should
not be insisted upon every time. At times it can be ignored and not strictly
followed in order to keep the functioning of the organization smooth and
effective.
10. There should be an adequate facility of
promoting communication in an organization. Proper attention should be given
for the effective use of words and language. Superiors should take care of using
supportive attitude methods and proper behavioral needs to overcome any
embarrassing situation.
Communication Skills
1.
Active listening
2.
Friendliness
3.
Communication method
4.
Confidence
5.
Giving out feedback
6.
Quantity and clearness
7.
Respect
8.
Understanding
9.
Receptiveness
10.
Non-verbal cues
1. Active listening: Active
listening means paying close attention to who you’re communicating with by
engaging with them, asking questions and rephrasing. Practicing active
listening can build respect with your coworkers and increase understanding in
the workplace. As you actively listen, focus on the speaker, avoiding
distractions like cell phones, laptops or other projects, and by preparing
questions, comments or ideas to thoughtfully respond. Improve your active listening
abilities by paying attention to other people’s facial expressions, body
language and tone. Instead of preparing what you will say, focus on what the
other person is saying and how they are saying it. If you need to clarify
something, ask follow-up questions or rephrase what they’ve said to confirm
that you understood them correctly.
2. Friendliness:
Friendly traits like honesty and kindness can help foster trust and
understanding when communicating at work. Try to communicate with a positive
attitude, keep an open mind and ask questions to help you understand where
they’re coming from. Small gestures such as asking someone how they’re doing,
smiling as they speak or offering praise for work well done can help you foster
productive relationships with colleagues and managers. You can practice
friendliness by remembering small, thoughtful details about your coworkers or
past conversations. For example, if a coworker tells you their child’s birthday
is soon and you connect with them again later, you might ask them how the
birthday party went.
3. Communication method:
Using the right way to communicate is an important skill. There are benefits
and disadvantages to talking through emails, letters, phone calls, in-person
meetings or instant messages. Communicating is better when you consider your
audience, what information you want to share and the best way to share it. For
example, if you are communicating with a potential employer, it may be better
to call them on the phone. In the workplace, you may find it’s easier to
communicate complex information in person or via a video conference than by
email. Building remote workplace friendships is easier when you can speak
through instant messages.
4. Confidence: In
the workplace, people are more likely to respond to ideas that are presented
with confidence. There are many ways to appear confident, including by making
eye contact when you’re addressing someone, sitting up straight with your
shoulders open and preparing ahead of time so your thoughts are polished and you’re
able to answer any questions. Confident communication is very useful on
workplace.
5. Giving out feedback:
Strong communicators can accept critical feedback and provide constructive
input to others. Feedback should answer questions, provide solutions or help
strengthen the project or topic at hand. Providing and accepting feedback is an
essential workplace skill, as it can help both you and the people around you
make meaningful improvements to their work and their professional development.
A great way to learn how to give feedback is to take notes from others on the
feedback they offer you. When you come across a well-explained piece of
feedback, take some time to observe and analyze why it was good, why it
resonated with you and how you might apply those skills in the future.
6. Quantity and clearness: When
you are speaking, it’s important to be clear and audible. Adjusting your
speaking voice so you can be heard in a variety of settings is a skill, and
it’s critical to communicating effectively. Speaking too loudly may be
disrespectful or awkward in certain settings. If you’re unsure, read the room
to see how others are communicating. Another aspect of verbal communication is
vocalic and tonality. This involves how your tone moves up and down, your
pitch, your accent pattern and the spaces you place between phrases. Such
details can be effective in communicating emotions and offer your audience
insights into how your message should be interpreted.
7. Respect: A key aspect of respect is known when to initiate communication and respond. In a team or group setting, allowing others to speak without interruption is seen as a necessary communication skill tied to respectfulness. Respectfully communicating also means using your time with someone else wisely—staying on topic, asking clear questions and responding fully to any questions you’ve been asked.
8. Understanding:
Having understanding means that you can not only know, but also share in the
emotions of others. This communication skill is important in both team and
one-on-one settings. In both cases, you will need to understand other people’s
emotions and select an appropriate response. Understanding can help you
acknowledge and diffuse their emotion. At the same time, being able to
understand when someone is feeling positive and enthusiastic can help you get
support for your ideas and projects.
Whether
you’re returning a phone call or sending a reply to an email, fast
communicators are viewed as more effective than those who are slow to respond.
9. Receptiveness:
One method is to consider how long your reply will take. It may be a good idea
to address it as soon as you see it. If it’s a more complex request or
question, you can still acknowledge that you’ve received the message and let
the other person know you will respond in full later.
10. Non-verbal cues: A
great deal of communication happens through nonverbal cues such as body
language, facial expressions and eye contact. When you’re listening to someone,
you should be paying attention to what they’re saying as well as their
nonverbal language. By the same measure, you should be conscious of your own
body language when you’re communicating to ensure you’re sending appropriate
cues to others.
What is communication?
Communication skills are abilities you use when giving and receiving different kinds of information. Though these skills may be a regular part of your day to day work life, communicating in a clear, effective and efficient way is an extremely special and useful skill. Leaning from great communicators around you and actively practicing ways to improve your communications over time will certainly support your efforts to achieve various personal and professional goals. Communication skills involve listening, speaking, observing and empathizing. It is helps to understand the differences in how to communicate through face-to-face interactions, phone conversations and digital communications, like email and social media. Communication skills allow you to give and receive information. Practicing active listening can build respect with your coworkers and increase understanding in the workplace. As you actively listen, focus on the speaker, avoiding distractions like cell phones, laptops or other projects, and by preparing questions, comments or ideas to thoughtfully respond.
Types of Communication
Communication comes in four basic types. Below, we will look at the different types in depth.
1. Verbal Communication: This mode of communication relies on words to convey a message. This is the standard method of communicating that most of us use on a day-to-day basis, though we rarely use it without augmenting it with one of the other communication types. Other cues people use while communicating verbally include, tone, gestures, and body language. Verbal communication helps in expressing thoughts, emotions and sentiments. A phone conversation, chat with a friend, an announcement made, or a speech delivered are all verbal forms of communication. For most of us, it comes with ease. As children, we learned verbal communication through the sounds around us. We soon develop and start understanding the language which helps us to communicate verbally as we grow older.
Verbal communication is further divided into four subcategories:
a. Interpersonal Communication: This form of communication is extremely private and restricted to ourselves. It includes the silent conversations we have with ourselves, wherein we juggle roles between the sender and receiver who are processing our thoughts and actions. This process of communication when analyzed can either be conveyed verbally to someone or stay confined as thoughts.
b. Interpersonal Communication: This form of communication takes place between two individuals and is thus a one-on-one conversation. Here, the two individuals involved will swap their roles of sender and receiver in order to communicate in a clearer manner.
c. Small Group Communication: This type of communication can take place only when there are more than two people involved. Here the number of people will be small enough to allow each participant to interact and converse with the rest. Press conferences, board meetings, and team meetings are examples of group communication. Unless a specific issue is being discussed, small group discussions can become chaotic and difficult to interpret by everybody. This lag in understanding information completely can result in miscommunication.
d. Public Communication This type of communication takes place when one individual addresses a large gathering of people. Election campaigns and public speeches are example of this type of communication.
In such cases, there is usually a single sender of information and several receivers who are being addressed.
2. Non Verbal Communication Non-verbal communication is a process of communication without using words or sounds. Non-verbal communication uses gestures, body language, facial expressions, eye contact, clothing, tone of voice, and other cues to convey a message. Like verbal communication, this method of communicating is rarely used alone. Non-verbal communication could be considered like a spice we use when communicating to add a little flavor. You might raise your eyebrows emphatically when speaking to help make a point, or shake your finger at your child when you’re angry. These are all non-verbal cues that help convey a message.
3. Written Communication Written communication is the medium through which the message of the sender is conveyed with the help of written words. Letters, personal journals, e-mails, reports, articles, and memos are some forms of written communication. Unlike some other forms of communication, written messages can be edited and rectified before they are sent to the receiver, thereby making written communication an indispensable part of informal and formal communication. This form of communication encapsulates features of visual communication as well, especially when the messages are conveyed through electronic devices such as laptops, phones, and visual presentations that involve the use of text or words.
4. Visual Communication This form of communication involves the visual display of information, wherein the message is understood or expressed with the help of visual aids. For example, topography, photography, signs, symbols, maps, colors, posters, banners and designs help the viewer understand the message visually. Movies and plays, television shows and video clips are all electronic form of visual communication. Visual communication also involves the transfer of information in the form of text, which is received through an electronic medium such as a computer, phone, etc. Icons and emoticons are a form of visual communication. When these icons are used in a public place, phone or computer, they instruct the user about their meaning and usage. One of the greatest examples of visual communication is the internet, which communicates with the masses using a combination of text, design, links, images, and color. All of these visual features require us to view the screen in order to understand the message being conveyed. Media communication is developing at a meteoric rate in order to ensure clarity and to eliminate any ambiguity. The aforementioned four types of communication have played a vital role and continue to do so, in bridging the gap between people, commerce, education, health care, and entertainment. There are many reasons why interpersonal communications may fail. In many communications, the message may not be received exactly the way the sender intended and hence it is important that the
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