Communication Barriers
Communication
Barriers are the various obstacles and hurdles which arise in between of
an effective communication leading to misunderstandings and misinterpretations
by the receiver.
Role of communication barriers in ineffective communication
Let us now
understand in details what the barriers to an effective communication are and
how they lead to an ineffective communication.
- Noise - Noise
plays an important barrier to effective communication. Imagine you want to
pass on some information to a person standing next to a blaring mike. Do
you think, the sender will ever be able to interpret it correctly? Do you
think the receiver in this case is to blame? In this case, because of the
blaring mike, the information will never reach the person in its desired
form. Any presentation or speech delivered in a noisy classroom or
auditorium is pointless as the information would never fall on the ears of
the listeners. Try sharing some information with your friend in an
overcrowded bus or a noisy market, correct information will never reach
the recipient and he would never be able to interpret it correctly or
respond accordingly. Here noise is an external communication barrier and
it results in the distortion of the message.
- Unorganized Thought - Unorganized
and haphazard thoughts also are instrumental in poor communication and a
very important barrier to effective communication.
Mike to
Monalisa -“Please come at 2 pm, okay not 2 come at 2.30 pm instead, fine let us
freeze it for 3 pm”
Monalisa
is bound to get confused as Mike himself is not clear about the timings. The
sender must pass on crystal clear information to the receiver. The sender must
first be himself very clear what he wants to communicate and then only begin
the conversation. Abstract ideas, haphazard thoughts lead to ineffective
communication. First know what you have to communicate and then only speak.
- Wrong interpretations - Wrong
interpretations again play a very important role in miscommunication.
Information can be wrongly interpreted by the receiver leading to a
complete mess. “Tom went for a bash yesterday night”. The word bash can be
decoded as beating as well as a party. The sender might convey his message
to the recipient in order to provide some necessary information but the
receiver might misinterpret it. It is the responsibility of the receiver
to give proper feedback to the speaker and clear all the doubts before
ending the conversation. Don’t keep things within yourself; ask if you are
not clear with anything.
- Not Understanding the
receiver - The boss once wanted to address his young team. He
quoted examples from the year 1950 - the year when his team members were
not even born. Don’t you think, all the young chaps will lose interest
after sometime? That’s the importance of understanding the recipient.
Don’t just prepare a speech; learn more about the culture, habits, thought
process of your listeners. The sender must understand the receiver first
and then pass on the information. If a sender is sad and you want to give
him some exciting news, he will neither respond nor understand and hence
the effect will for sure get nullified. Not understanding the receiver
again is a barrier to effective communication.
- Ignoring the content - One should
lay emphasis on the content of his speech. The content has to be clear,
crisp and above all interesting. Don’t just speak; take some time to
find out what you are speaking. Find out whether the content is relevant
or not? During presentations, the speaker must use interesting words,
funny one liner to capture the attention of the listeners. Don’t make your
speech monotonous otherwise the listeners after sometime will definitely
fall asleep. One should be smart enough to understand when to crack a
slight joke in mid of a conversation. It really works. Don’t just speak
for the heck of it, understand what you are speaking and try to make it
more interesting, crisp and above all relevant.
- Avoiding the Listener - Imagine
yourself attending a seminar where the speaker is simply reading from his
notes and for once has not made any eye contact with you. You will never
be able to relate with the speaker and hence never bother to find out what
he wants to convey. Don’t just go on. Create a friendly atmosphere and
then start communicating. Don’t just come to the point, one can ask
questions from the listeners like what’s new?, Lovely weather or even use
compliments like wonderful crowd, enthusiastic group. Don’t avoid your
listeners, make an eye contact with them to effectively communicate.
- Not confirming with the
recipient - Always cross check with the listeners, whether they
have received the correct information or not. For instance, if you are
sharing some important contact no, do make it a habit to verify the number
with the receiver whether the receiver has noted it correctly or not. Use
words like “Did you get it? “Am I Audible?” in between the
conversation. Try to find out whether the listener is getting your message
or not. Take pauses in between, simply don’t rush. Make a habit to spell
out words. If you want to pass on your email id to your team, it is
better to spell out each word of the email account. Another effective way
is to break each word into alphabets, like ant can be communicated as a as
in alpha, n as in Netherlands, t as in tango. The error rate will
definitely go down and the communication will be more effective.
- Not understanding the mood of
the recipient - Try to understand the interest or the mood of the
second party and read the mind of the other person. Don’t just start
speaking, understand the mood of the other person first and then share the
information. If you think, the receiver is in the pink of his moods, don’t
give him sad news, he will never bother to listen. Wait for the correct
time and then communicate if you want your communication to create an
impact.
- Low pitch and tone - Sometimes
even the pitch and tone can play a communication barrier. Your content
might be accurate, crisp and even related, but if your pitch is low your information
will never reach the listeners bang on. The tone has to be crystal clear
and loud for passing on correct information. Remember to give the correct
pause after each sentence and don’t forget the punctuation marks. Remember
you are communicating not only for the first benchers but the people on
the last bench are also a part of the communication. Be loud and clear but
don’t shout.
- Impatient Listener - The
listener also has to be patient enough to absorb the complete information
and then respond accordingly. Always jot down your points and start off
with your queries once the sender is through with the communication. Don’t
just jump in between the conversation as it leads to unnecessary
confusions, misunderstandings and conflict and the communication never
reaches any conclusion.
- Different cultural level - In any
organization, an individual can never think on the same line as his boss
does. There is always a difference in their thought process. The work
pressure, lack of transparency between the team members are also the
barriers which lead to an ineffective communication. These barriers are
called internal barriers.
Thus to
conclude, any obstacle which comes in between an effective communication are
called communication barriers. They result in distortion of the message and the
goal is never accomplished. External barriers arise from the external
environment and external factors where as internal barriers are present within
the individual like tensions, work pressure, high expectations, peer rivalry etc.
It is of prime importance to get rid of the above barriers for an effective
communication and the proper flow of information between the sender and the
receiver.
Barriers
to communication
The word
barrier means an obstacle, a hindrance or simply a problem that comes in a way
of transmission of a message and blocks the process, either completely or
partially.
Different
types of barriers are as follows:
1.
Physical barriers:
a. Noise - The
noise created by external factors like traffic, playing of loud music, trains
and airplanes, or by crowds of people, affects our communication.
b. Time
& distance - Time becomes a physical barrier when people have to
communicate across different time zones in different countries. The physical
distance between people who need to communicate can also cause problems because
it does not allow oral or face-to-face communication.
c. Defects
in communication system – Mechanical problems and defects in instruments
of communication also create physical barriers, as in a faulty fax machine or
typewriter. Similarly, a computer that hangs, or a dead telephone line can lead
to non-transmission of messages. eg. No range in mobile, technical problem in
mike or speakers.
d. Wrong
selection of medium – The sender selects the medium which is not
familiar to the receiver.
e.
Physiological defects like stammering, hearing defects, mumbling while
speaking etc.
f.
Information overflow - When information becomes more than that can be
received at a particular time by the receiver, then communication fails. The receiver does not have the capacity to get
all the information and can miss some important points or misinterpret the
meaning of the whole message altogether. The message will not get the desired
outcome causing the communication to not be effective and act as a barrier.
2.
Language or Semantic barriers:
a. Jargon
or unfamiliar terminology - There are some special terms or technical words
used by people belonging to a certain group or field of work such as doctors,
lawyers, computer software engineers or college students. They use words which
are their own, specialised jargon which cannot be understood by anyone outside
their group.
b.
Difference in language – Unfamiliar language becomes a barrier when people
do not know each other‘s language. This barrier can be overcome by using a
common medium of communication, as in a classroom. Translation is also an
important way of overcoming this barrier.
c. Words
are of two kinds: extensional and intentional words. Extensional words are
clear in their meaning and therefore do not create barriers – such as words
like boy, chair, garden etc. Intentional words are words that describe and they
can be understood differently by different people, according to the meaning
that a person gives to the word. Thus good, bad, beautiful are intentional
words, and a simple sentence like she is a good girl, can create confusion
because the meaning of the word ‘good’ is unclear.
d.
Sometimes, the same word is used in different contexts, giving rise
totally different meanings. A word like =hard‘, for example can be used in
different ways: hard chair, hard-hearted, hard drink, having a hard time – all
these use the same word but the meanings are different.
e.
Barriers can be created when we come across words, which have the same sound
when pronounced, but which mean very different things. Examples: words like
fair and fare; bear and bare; council and counsel.
f. Idioms
and Phrases: The nature of an idiom is that the there is no
literal meaning communicated directly through the words or phrase. Only another
person completely familiar with this phrase can understand the intention of the
meaning – but not from the direct phrase, only through the familiarity of the
phrase
e.g.:
1.Once in a blue moon.
2.
Raining cats and dogs.
3.
Psychological barriers:
Psyche
means mind. Psychological barriers are created in the mind. Communication is a
mental activity and its aim is to create understanding. But the human mind is
complex and not all communication can result in understanding. There are
several kinds of psychological barriers which can come in the way of
understanding.
(a) Emotions:
Emotions are among the most common psychological barriers to communication. The
emotion may be connected to the communication received or it may be present in
the sender‘s or receiver‘s mind, even before the communication takes place. In
both cases, it acts as a barrier. Emotions can be positive, like happiness and
joy, or negative, like fear, anger, mistrust etc. Both positive and negative
emotions act as barriers, if they are not kept in check.
(b) Prejudice:
A prejudice is an opinion held by a person for which there is no rational basis
or valid reason. It can be against something or someone, or in favour of it,
but it becomes a barrier to a meaningful communication. Prejudices are based on
ignorance and lack of information, e.g., prejudices about certain communities
or groups of people.
(c)
Halo effect: Sometimes our reactions to people are not balanced or
objective; they are of an extreme nature. Either we like a person so much that
we can find no shortcomings in her/him, or we dislike someone so much that we
can see nothing good in her/him. In both cases, we commit errors of judgment
and fail to understand the person.
(d) Self-image
or different perceptions: Every person has in her/his mind a certain image
of herself/himself. S/he thinks of herself/himself in a certain way. This is
their perception of themselves, their self-image. One‘s self-image is the
product of one‘s heredity, one‘s environment and one‘s experiences, and thus
every person‘s self-image is unique and different from the others. Self-image
can create a barrier because we accept communication which is compatible with
our self-image. We avoid or reject communication, which goes against our perception
of ourselves.
(e) Closed
Mind: A closed mind is one which refuses to accept an idea or opinion on a
subject, because it is different from his idea. Such persons form their opinion
on a subject, and then refuse to listen to anyone who has something different
to say about it. A closed mind may be the result of some past experience or
just habit. It is very difficult to remove this psychological barrier.
(f) Status:
Status refers to rank or position. It could be economic, social or professional
status. In any organisation, hierarchy creates differences in rank, and this is
a normal situation. Thus, status by itself does not cause barriers; but when a
person becomes too conscious of his status, whether high or low, then status
becomes a barrier. For instance, in a business organisation, a senior executive
who is unduly conscious of his seniority will not communicate properly with his
juniors, and will refrain from giving them the required information. Similarly,
if a junior is acutely conscious of his junior status, he will avoid
communicating with his seniors, even when it is necessary
(g) Inattentiveness
and Impatience: Sometimes the receiver may not pay attention to the
sender‘s message, or he may be too impatient to hear the message fully and
properly. Such barriers are common in oral communication.
4. Cross-cultural
barriers:
Mary Allen
Guffey defines communication as, “the complex system of values, traits, morals
and customs shared by a society.”
Cultural
diversity within a country, and cultural differences between people from
different countries, are a major cause of barriers. This is because people are
conditioned by their cultures, and they develop certain habits of working,
communicating, eating, dressing etc. according to their cultural conditioning.
They find it difficult to get through to people who come from an alien culture,
and who have different habits. A simple thing like a greeting to welcome a
person is vastly different in India from a greeting in, for example, an Arab
country, or in Japan. Food and dress habits of a different culture can make a
person uncomfortable. Concepts of space and time are also different across
cultures; for example, Indians do not mind sitting close to each other and
sharing space in offices or in public places. However, a European would not be
able to tolerate such intrusive behaviour. Similarly, people who come from a
culture where time is very valuable will be impatient with those who come from
a culture with an easygoing attitude towards time, where everything is done in
a slow, unhurried way.
Important Socio-Psychological
Barriers to Communication
Important socio-psychological barriers to communication are
as follows:
Communication to be effective should be free of barriers
which obstruct the free flow of communication. Social and psychological factors
are the most difficult barriers to communication. These consist of the
following:
1. Attitude and opinions:
The personal attitude and opinions of the receiver
often interfere with communication. If the message is consistent with the
receiver’s attitude and opinion they receive it favourably. When the message is
inconsistent with the receiver’s attitude and opinions, they are not likely to
be received favourably.
2. Distrust:
Distrust after fails to deliver the right message. When the
receiver is biased or hostile towards the sender the message is – either
ignored or misinterpreted.
3. Poor retention:
Successive transmissions of the message are decreasingly
accurate. In the process of transmission a part of the message is lost at every
stage. This is because of poor retention on the part of the receiver. Thus
incomplete message is conveyed.
4. Premature evaluation:
Premature evaluation prevents effective communication. Some
people form a judgment even before receiving the complete message. And once
judgment is already formed the mind is closed to the rest of the message.
5. In attention:
In attention arises due to mental preoccupations or
distractions. This causes barriers to communication.
6. Self centered attitude:
People are self-serving and mainly focused by their needs. If
they feel that change will not benefit them they will resist it. Individuals
also worry that the change will make them fail or show their incompetence due
to the perception that they lack skills and fear losing their job.
7. Interest:
If a
message reaches a reader who is not interested in the message, the reader may
read the message hurriedly or listen to the message carelessly.
Miscommunication may result in both cases.
8. Resistance
to change:
People
have varying limitation to accepting and adapting to change due to their
individual attitudes and behaviour. Some adapt to change quickly whilst others
can take a long time. Sometimes people with low level of confidence will take
more time to accept change as they fear that they do not have skills required
to take on the new responsibilities.