There are six crunching barriers to organizational communication: Poor structure to the communication A weak delivery The use

use of the wrong medium to deliver the communication A mixed message The message is delivered to the wrong audience A distracting environment

Poor structure to the communication As mentioned in Essentials of Business Communication, the structure of a communication is an essential factor in how well a business communication is received by an audience. It doesn't matter whether that audience is an audience of one or one million, good structure is essential if a communication is to be 'heard' amongst the advertising and marketing 'noise' of today's business environment. So a poor structure to your message or delivery is therefore a major barrier to effective communication. If you are wondering if your message or communication has the optimal structure, it is probably a good idea to revisit the Essentials of Business Communication page.

Weak delivery It doesn't matter how important or impressive the subject of your communication is, if you deliver it without any 'punch' you will not get as many people to take your desired action as you would like. A weak delivery is like the very funny joke with the badly-told punchline --- it is not as funny or as memorable as you remember the original to be. My mother is a shocker when it comes to jokes. I remember one evening she was telling me a joke and, having successfully gotten all the way through the lead up, couldn't remember the punchline. She fumbled and stumbled her way, but couldn't get me to laugh. I couldn't see what the joke was. So she rang the friend who told her the joke and got HER to tell me the punchline. What was incomprehensible and unfunny suddenly became extremely funny. It's all in the delivery. It is important to not get confused between delivery and presenter. I know of one English businessman, Richard Branson, who is a shy and reticent public speaker. Yet I have seen audiences hang on his every word.

Branson may not be a powerful orator, but his message and its structure are very sound. Similarly, I know of several businessman who are extremely confident in the public's gaze, very happy to be in front of an audience. But because their presentations and communications lack a suitable structure, they 'lose' their audience within minutes, the audience becoming increasingly confused and eventually frustrated by not being able to understand clearly and easily what on earth these businessmen are on about.

The use of the wrong medium You have to announce a temporary hold on non-essential stationery spending in your department. How do you communicate this? Believe it or not, I know of one company who were seriously considering holding a major public meeting about this, with the department head having to get up in front of the entire department in the staff restaurant and explain why her staff couldn't order disposable fountain pens for a while. I know of one group that were thinking of rolling out a small internal initiative via an expensive multi-media cd-rom, one to be given to each member of staff. In the first case a simple memo would have sufficed; in the second a simple announcement on their intranet would equally have gotten the message across. Similarly, an advertising campaign on local radio would be a highly ineffective way of reaching the desired audience if the message was complex and really intended for a narrow niche audience. A public presentation, with 'obligatory' PowerPoint TM slideshow full of complex charts and data, would be the wrong medium if the message you were trying to communicate would be better served by a white paper, or some similar print-based format that allowed the audience to digest the complexities at their own pace. When considering which medium to use for which type of mesage you wish to communicate, it is wise to analyse the following: What is the fixed cost of production? Are there ad agency fees, broadcast or print fees that must be paid, irrespective of the number or volume of items produced?

What are the variable costs -- such as cds, dvds, audio cassettes, printing costs? How long will it take to write, edit and produce your communication in your chosen medium? What percentage of your target audience are likely to have access to your chosesn medium at the time you choose to publish/play/present it? What percentage of your target audience will be likely to pay attention to your chosen medium?

Is your message a complex one? Would your message be more easily and readily comprehended through auditory, tactile or visual (e.g reading or images) modalities? How quickly do you need your audience to comprehend and take action on your message?

A mixed message It is very hard for an audience -- whether an audience of 1 or 1 million -- to understand your communication if you unnecessarily obfuscate. What? If you deliberately, or otherwise, confuse them. A HUGE barrier to business communication is the ability of 'business-speak' to confuse and alienate its audience. It does this in two ways: 1. By using terms and phrases that are 'jargon', the meaning of which are possibly recognised but probably not fully understood 2. By trying to 'save time/paper' by rolling several different communication messages into one. A 'do-it-yourself' example of the former can be found here... An example of the latter is where a business communication mentions, in the one communication, two or more completely separate events. Such as, for example, a memo that talks about what management expect you to do to conform to the latest departmental stationery budget cuts alongside an events list of the up-coming staff picnic. Another barrier arising from mixed messages is when a previously-held stance is lightly overturned to meet some political or business expediency, then upheld again. An example of this would be where the acceptance of corporate gifts is not allowed, but then allowed if it a brand new client who has contracted a large amount of money to your business, then not allowed again after the giftgiving and receiving season is over. Or a company-wide budget cut that stops all business-class travel, but the very senior management are found to be travelling first class. Be very careful of mixing your messages, as mixed messages are a very real barrier to effective business communciation.

The wrong audience I once attended a conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, of the British Psychological Society.

Fortunate to have been presenting a paper there, I was nevertheless distracted by the very large number of other presenters, many of whom were presenting papers that, on reading their paper's titles in the Proceedings, looked really interesting. With a couple of hours to spare before I was due to present, I picked what appeared to be an interesting presentation, and sauntered casually into the lecture room. So you can imagine my dismay when I found, about five minutes into the presentation, that the title was a 'trick' title, a play-on-words by the author that no doubt struck him as funny and clever, but struck me as dastardly. As Robert Cialdini would say, the presenter was a 'smuggler' of influence. That is, he used a 'hot' topic of the day to entice an audience in, only to then present to them something that had VERY little relevance to that 'hot' topic. I was not alone (and not the first) in walking out of the lecture theatre and heading for a 'second choice' presentation (which, incidentally, I did thoroughly enjoy!) I also remember a very large and cumbersome booklet being left on my desk overnight by a then employer. The booklet went to great lengths to inform me of the latest company initiatives in a particular HR area. Whilst the time and expense the company went to to create and publish the booklet was considerable, the actual initiative itself affected perhaps less than a fifth of the total employees in the company. Even then, from talking to colleagues in that 'fifth' group, I doubted that more than a few of the fifth would have been interested in it, too. The company had its own intranet (it was one of the pioneers in the computing industry) before business really understood the power and potential of internet publishing, so it could have just as easily and far more cheaply just emailed everyone with a link to specially-written pages on their intranet. But these were the days when it was the IT department that controlled access to and publishing on the intranet, not individual business groups. At least these days the HR Department could have published their own webpages on the intranet and sent an email out to individually affected employees. Presenting your message to the wrong audience for your business communication is a complete waste of your time and money. Don't do it -pick your audience then pick the medium that will best find them.

A distracting environment There's nothing worse than trying to communicate your message to a group of people who cannot 'hear' you. Whether their inability to 'hear' you is because of: your voice not being strong enough

too many others talking in the room at the same time police and ambulance sirens outside the venue too many phone calls coming in to their office while they're trying to read your memo interruptions while they try to read your report incoming emails keep popping up while they are reading your webbased communication their minds are full of other pressing matters they are supposed to be somewhere else at that moment their mobile phone keeps ringing, or vibrating if they've set it to 'silent' instead of switching it off their internet connection is slow their internet connection keeps dropping out there are too many interesting people to look at while they are on the bus trying, in vain, to concentrate on your report (which is what is happening to me as I sit here on a bus trying to write this -- there is a 'domestic' happening between a married couple and it makes for fascinating, if voyueristic, watching!) the room's airconditioning is not working and the room is hot and stuffy the room's heating is not working and the room is cold and clammy Well, there are of course a thousand possible distracting reasons why they cannot or will not attend to your business communication. The point is to do whatever you can, whilst acknowledging that this might be next to nothing, to reduce the number of distractions your chosen audience might be subjected to.

There are many barriers in communication. Language can be a barrier. If the receiver does not understand the language of the sender, it is a barrier. In electronic communications, such as radio or television, static or a weak signal can be a barrier. A bad receiver antenna can be a barrier as well. Emotions can cause people to not be receptive to the words of another person, even if the words are understood. That is a barrier. In short, anything that interferes with a signal sent to a receiver is a barrier to communication. The essential elements of communication are as follows:

1. A sender 2. with a message 3. through a medium 4. to a receiver 5. with understanding Anything that interferes with any of these elements is a barrier to communication. Cultural differences/languages and sex of people Miscommunication Semantic communications - oral and given Psycological communications - mental behaviour Physical - involves body Noise is the term used to refers the barriers to the effective communication. The barriers will reduce productivity within a firm. There are many factors that might cause the failure of successful communication. For example, it depends on the ability of the sender, how much the sender understands of the message they are trying to send. If the sender makes the receiver misunderstanding what he or she is trying to send, then this can be a barrier. Technological breakdowns also raise the barrier such as computer failure, viruses and crashes. Another barrier can be the use of jargon. Jargon is the technical language that is used to speed up communication. However, when non-specialists used jargon, this can cause the communication problems when the managers fail to identify the situations when it is important. If that happens, it will not speed up communication but actually slow down.

Communication Barrier #1 Lack of Enthusiasm

Do you really believe your product is better than the competitions? Do you look as confident as you say you are? The benefits of your product will not be believable if you dont communicate your passion, enthusiasm, and commitment through your facial expressions.

How to Avoid This Barrier: Show Some Enthusiasm

Begin paying attention to the type of facial expressions you use and when you use them. You may not be aware of when you frown, roll your eyes, or scowl. Make sure your facial expressions are appropriate based on your topic, listeners and objective. When youre smiling while communicating a serious or negative message, you create a discrepancy between your facial expression and your message. The same discrepancy applies when youre communicating a positive message without facial expressions. Once you have increased your awareness of facial expressions, practice the skill of incorporating them into your message, matching the appropriate expression to each situation. You wouldnt want to have a stone-cold look on your face when you are expressing your passion for your companys products.

Communication Barrier #2 Distracting Gestures

The majority of individuals I work with fidget with their fingers, rings, pen the list goes on. If they dont fidget, then they unconsciously talk with their hands. Their elbows get locked at their sides and every gesture looks the same. Or theyve been told they talk with their hands so they hold their hands and do nothing. Throughout the day, notice how you and others use gestures.

Do you talk with your hands or gesture too often? If youre constantly using gestures, youre not able to think on your feet and youre creating static. Do your gestures have purpose? Ask for constructive feedback from friends, family and co-workers: When I gesture do I look like Im talking with my hands? Do I use gestures too often or not enough?

How to Avoid This Barrier: Use Gestures for Emphasis

Confident speakers use gestures to add emphasis to their words. To gesture with purpose, avoid locking your elbows at your sides or creating the same repetitious gestures. Instead, expand your gestures from your sides and let your hands emphasize and describe your message. Add variety to your gestures by relaxing your arms back to your sides after you complete a gesture.

Static is created when what you say is inconsistent with how you say it.
Benefits include:

When your gestures create a visual for your listeners, theyll remember more information and will remember your message longer. Gestures will grab your listeners attention. Gestures add energy and inflection to your voice and channel your adrenaline and nervous energy.

Communication Barrier #3 Lack of Focus

The more you add information that isnt necessary, the greater the risk your listeners will misinterpret your point.

How to Avoid This Barrier: Stay Focused

1. When you begin to say too much and feel like a train about to derail, put the brakes on and get yourself back on track PAUSE!

2. Keep your objective in mind. Think in terms of what your listener needs to know about what you want them to do, not what you want to tell them. 3. Put thought into your words. 4. Focus your message on three significant points. 5. Pay attention to your listener. Are they hanging on your every word or are they dazed? Are they attentive or fidgeting?

Communication Barrier #4 Using PowerPoint as a Crutch

The more you add information that isnt necessary, the greater the risk your listeners will misinterpret your point.
PowerPoint isnt designed to serve as your notes. The purpose of visual aids is to enhance and support your message through pictures and illustrations.

How to Avoid This Barrier: Design Visual Aids, not Wordy Slides
How you design your visual aids will determine your ability to stay connected with your listener.

Create PowerPoint slides with more pictures and fewer words. Ask yourself, Why am I using this PowerPoint slide? Identify how your PowerPoint slide best supports your message based on the following criteria:

Listener expectations and needs. Listener experience and knowledge level. Objectives. Time frame. Number of participants. Save details for handouts. Your listeners will appreciate a conversational approach with interaction accompanied by take-aways they may use as a resource. Stay away from software overkill. If youre clicking the mouse every few seconds, your visual aids are the message and you are the backup.

If youve been using the same PowerPoint design for more than six months, its time to make a change! Stop disconnecting with your listener by talking to your visual aids. Only speak when you see eyes! Pause when you refer to your visual aids and stay connected with your listener.

Communication Barrier #5 Verbal Static

Um what perception like do you create you know when you hearum a speaker using uh words that clutter you know their language? Knowledgeable, credible and confident are labels which probably dont come to mind. As I travel the country, the number one challenge individuals need to overcome to increase their influence is the ability to replace non-words with a pause. We use non-words to buy ourselves time to think about what we want to say. These words are distracting and your listener misses your message.

How to Avoid This Barrier: Eliminate Filler Words

PowerPoint isnt designed to serve as your notes. The purpose of visual aids is to enhance and support your message through pictures and illustrations.
Benefits for you:

Think on your feet. Get to the point and avoid rambling. Take a relaxing breath. Hold your listeners attention. Gain control over your message. Benefits for listener:

Hear, understand and respond. Act on what you say.

Communication Barrier #6 Lack of Eye Connection

The only way to build a relationship is through trust. When you forget what to say, you will look at the ceiling, floor, PowerPoint slides or anywhere away from your listener. When you disconnect youll say: uh um so and, etc.

How to Avoid This Barrier: Keep Your Eyes On Your Audience

When speaking to more than two individuals, connect with one individual for a complete sentence or thought. Take a moment to pause as you transition your eyes from one individual to another. When rehearsing, ask your listener to immediately give you feedback when you look away from them while youre speaking.

Following are the main communication barriers:

1. Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example : A person is on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional support. The linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown. Same word may mean different to different individuals. For example: consider a word value. a. What is the value of this Laptop? b. I value our relation? c. What is the value of learning technical skills? Value means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if there is wrong perception by the receiver. 2. Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective. 3. Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may pay attention to one NO PARKING sign, but if such sign is put all over the city, he no longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective communication. Similarly if a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate explains him his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to disappointment of subordinate. 4. Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are

5.

6.

7.

8.

partially given, i.e., not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication. Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas. Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown.

METHODS OF OVERCOMING BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION OR FACILITATING COMMUNICATION

Overcoming the communication barriers requires a vigilant observation and thoughts of potential barriers in a particular instance of communication. State all the anticipated barriers that may have impact on your day-to-day communication. Strategies to overcome barriers will be different in different

situations depending upon the type of barriers present. Following are some of the important general strategies that will be commonly useful in all the situations to overcome the barriers of communication.

Taking the receiver more seriously Crystal clear message Delivering messages skillfully Focusing on the receiver Using multiple channels to communicate instead of relying on one channel Ensuring appropriate feedback Be aware of your own state of mind/emotions/attitude

8.1. Facilitators of Communication

In addition to removal of specific barriers to communication, the following general guidelines may be helpful to facilitate communication:

Have a positive attitude about communication. Defensiveness interferes with communication. Work at improving communication skills. The communication model and discussion of barriers to communication provide the necessary knowledge to improve communication. This increased awareness of the potential for improving communication is the first step to better communication. Include communication as a skill to be evaluated along with all the other nursing skills for undergraduates. Make communication goal oriented. Relational goals come first and pave the way for other goals. When the sender and receiver have a good relationship, they are much more likely to accomplish their communication goals. Experiment with communication alternatives. What works with one person may not work well with another. Use diverse communication channels, listening and feedback techniques. Accept the reality of miscommunication. The best communicators fail to have perfect communication. They accept miscommunication and work to minimize its negative impacts. Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided. Noise is the main communication barrier in most of the health care settings, which must be handled on priority basis. It is essential to identify and eliminate the source of noise. Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between listening and hearing. Active listening means hearing with a proper understanding of the message. By asking questions, the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the same manner as intended by him. The organizational structure should be simple to facilitate communication between various hierarchy levels. The number of hierarchical levels should be

optimum, and there should be an ideal span of control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the communication. The managers should know how to prioritize their work. They should not overload themselves with the work, should spend quality time with their subordinates, and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively.

There are 6 C's of effective communication, which are applicable to both written and oral communication. They are as follows:
1. CompleteThe message must be complete in all respect and should convey all facts required by the receiver. Incompleteness of the message may lead to misunderstanding or incomplete understanding and confusion between the sender and the receiver. It is the responsibility of the sender to make sure (before mailing the message) that the information provided in the message is complete as per the purpose of the communication. 2. ClearClarity in communication makes understanding easier and enhances the meaning of a message. A clear message uses exact, appropriate, and concrete words and avoids ambiguous words. 3. CorrectnessCorrectness in communication implies that there are no grammatical and spelling errors in communication. 4. ConciseConciseness means eliminating wordiness and communicating what you want to convey in least possible words without forgoing the other C's of communication. Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. 5. ConsiderationConsideration implies stepping into the shoes of others. Effective communication must take the receiver/s into consideration (i.e., the audience's viewpoints, background, mindset, education level, etc.). The sender should make an attempt to understand the audience, their requirements, emotions, as well as problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not hurt. 6. CourtesyCourtesy in message implies that the message should show the sender's expression as well as respect to the receiver. The sender of the message should be sincerely polite, judicious, reflective, and enthusiastic (Figure 1.10).

Encourage Open Communication

Sometimes, all a manager has to do is lead by example and his employees will follow. Promote direct and honest communication by having an opendoor policy so employees can come to you when they have issues. Engage in active listening with your employees so they know that communication is a two-way street. To reduce miscommunication among your staff, encourage

them to share their needs with management and their colleagues. Articulate the companys vision and explain that the key to realizing that vision is to work together as a unit.

Promote Knowledge Sharing

Some managers know their employees job titles but not the intricacies of their work. For example, you give a sales representative her quotas and you are only concerned with whether she meets them. You do not know how she generates her leads or how she secures her sales. So the employee does not feel isolated and to encourage her feedback, ask her to explain her specific job activities and the amount of time spent on each. She may even have suggestions that can improve the companys bottom line.

Motivate Your Employees

When employees are unmotivated, productivity suffers. Also, communication may come to a standstill. Keep your employees motivated by supporting them in times of uncertainty. Set aside a certain time of the day when they can individually come to you to discuss issues. Or, have group meetings or roundtable discussions that encourage their input on specific assignments. Maintain a positive attitude while overcoming obstacles.

Establish Clear Expectations

Miscommunication is less likely to occur when employees know what is expected of them. This includes their objectives and how to meet them. They should also know how you expect them to interact with, and treat, each other -- for example, whether you will tolerate disrespect between your employees or whether you will penalize them for it should not be a mystery. Treat your workers fairly to avoid discriminating and to convey that you do not tolerate it in others.

Build Team Atmosphere

Effective teamwork allows your employees to look beyond their self-interests and focus on what is best for the team. Team-building helps to break communication barriers and enables employees to find new ways of working together. When placing employees in teams, look at their skills and abilities and assign responsibilities accordingly. Improve communications by planning team activities outside of work, such as group lunches or after-work events. Invite all of your employees instead of only a select few.

Resolve Conflict Effectively

Conflicts are inevitable in the workplace. If a breakdown in communication is the reason for the conflict, strive to diffuse it quickly and effectively. Listen to all sides before arriving at your conclusion. Apply resolutions that are in line with company policy. If necessary, seek intervention from your human resources department or equivalent. If your strategies fail to improve communication between your workers, ask HR to assist or consider hiring a workplace consultant to provide communication training to your employees.

1. Allowing your emotions to speak for you.

Emotions can hijack a conversation. Unless you manage them, strong emotions bypass the logical part of the brain and cause you to react and speak before thinking. Strong emotions do not want patience, precision, or perspective . . . all of which is necessary for effective teaming and productive relationships of any kind.

2. Caring more about yourself than the other person or the team.
Communicating and connecting is all about finding what is important to the other person. On a team or in a relationship, it is never successful when a person care more about himself/herself than other people. Never.

3. Assuming that you understand and failing to really listen.

It is easy to jump to conclusions without getting all the information. Sometimes we think we understand, when in fact we don't. People are complex and situations are complex. There is always more to the story. Even if

you think you know, focus on listening and understanding.

4. Rushing a conversation that needs more time.

Effective communication is not an event. It is a process. It takes time to connect with others and exchange ideas and information. Give conversations the time they need to be done well.

5. Trying to avoid conflict or discomfort.

Conflict is a natural and necessary part of every relationship and team. In a relationship, you're made stronger by acknowledging and dealing productively with challenges, not by avoiding them. Put the issues on the table and talk about them. You shouldn't enjoy difficult conversations, but you should be good at them.

6. Withholding or distorting information to make yourself look better.

Teamwork is about sharing, not hiding or manipulating. Building great relationships thrives on open communication of thoughts, ideas, and information. When people see you

spin information to make yourself look better, it creates disconnection and distrust. No hidden agendas.

7. Bringing a cynical or negative mindset from the beginning.

The attitude you bring to a conversation will determine the quality of the conversation. If your mindset is full of cynicism & negativity, it is not likely you will care, listen, or communicate well. And you certainly won't connect. If you want to connect, get your mind right.

8. Using a style that doesn't connect with the other person.

People have different styles of communicating and interacting with others. You must be willing and able to flex you way you communicate. Don't get stuck in your style. Rigidity will get you into trouble. Flexibility will help you connect. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break.

9. Hearing what you want to hear.

We listen selectively. There is a strong tendency to listen for confirming information and ignore any information that doesn't fit with

what we believe. We hear what want to hear rather than what is actually said. The bottom line is that if you don't listen, you won't connect.

10. Not putting in the effort necessary for real communication.

In today's accelerated, rapidly moving world it is easy to get lazy about communication. Connecting with others is a skill that requires focus & discipline. You have to work at it. If you do not put in the effort, you will not get the results. You don't get the relationships you want. You get the relationships you build. Most Common Barriers to Effective Communication
1. Physical Barriers: this has to do with poor or outdated equipment used during communications, background noise, poor lighting, temperatures that are too hot or too cold. 2. Attitudes: emotions like anger or sadness can taint objectivity. Also being extremely nervous, having a personal agenda or needing to be right no matter what can make communications less than effective. This is also known as Emotional Noise.

3. Language: this can seem like an easy one, but even people speaking the same language can have difficulty understanding each other if they are from different generations or from different regions of the same country. Slang, professional jargon and

regional colloquialisms can even hurt communicators with the best intentions. 4. Physiological Barriers: ill health, poor eyesight or hearing difficulties, pain. 5. Problems with Structure Design: companies or institutions can have organization structures that are not clear, which can make communications difficult. Also to blame for faulty communications are bad information systems, and lack of supervision or training of the people involved. 6. Cultural Noise: people sometimes make stereotypical assumptions about others based
on their cultural background.

7. Lack of Common Experience: its a great idea to use examples or stories to explain a point that is being discussed. However, if the speaker and the audience cannot relate to these examples because they do not have the same knowledge or have not shared the same experiences then this tool will be ineffective.

8. Ambiguity and Abstractions Overuse: leaving things half-said, using too many generalizations, proverbs or sayings, can all lead to communications that are not clear and that can lend themselves to misinterpretations.

9. Information Overload: it takes time to process a lot of information and too many details can overwhelm and distract the audience from the important topics. Keep it Simple, Sweetie.

10. Assumptions and Jumping to Conclusions: This can make someone reach a decision about something before listening to all the facts. All of these barriers to effective communication can either distract those involved or otherwise hinder your communications. Make sure theyre not in the way of making your point crystal-clear!