BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

1. SELECTIVE PERCEPTION

Communication is present in everything from having a conversation to being in the workplace. In

COMM 292, it is taught that in order for a company to be successful, there must be strong
communication within the company and between workers. A lack of communication or
miscommunication can drastically effect relationships within the workplace and the quality of the
work. Therefore, it is important for all companies to understand the barriers that hold them back
from effective communication.

Selective perception is a really important barrier to communication and it is one of the lesser known
barriers. This is an internal type of barrier that differs between people (Smith 2015). It is when
someone’s needs, motivations, interests, experiences and past influence what they choose to see or
hear (Langton, Robbins & Judge 2009). For example, if an HR manager in charge of hiring has
negative beliefs and stereotypes of a certain gender or race, they likely aren’t going to hire them.
Even if that candidate is the best fit for the job they still won’t hire them because all they see are the
stereotypes.

Filtering Of Information

Filtering refers to a sender manipulating information so it will be seen more favourably by the
receiver. The major determinant of filtering is the number of levels in an organization's structure.
The more vertical levels in the organization's hierarchy, the more opportunities for filtering.
Sometimes the information is filtered by the sender himself.

If the sender is hiding some meaning and disclosing in such a fashion as appealing to the receiver,
then he is "filtering" the message deliberately. A manager in the process of altering communication
in his favour is attempting to filter the information.

Emotions

How the receiver feels at the time of receipt of information influences effectively how he interprets
the information. For example, if the receiver feels that the communicator is in a jovial mood, he
interprets that the information being sent by the communicator to be good and interesting. Extreme
emotions and jubilation or depression are quite likely to hinder the effectiveness of communication.
A person's ability to encode a message can become impaired when the person is feeling strong
emotions. For example, when you are angry, it is harder to consider the other person's viewpoint
and to choose words carefully. The angrier you are, the harder this task becomes. Extreme emotions
– such as jubilation or depression - are most likely to hinder effective communication. In such
instances, we are most prone to disregard our rational and objective thinking processes and
substitute emotional judgments.

Language differences

Communicated message must be understandable to the receiver. Words mean different things to
different people. Language reflects not only the personality of the individual but also the culture of
society in which the individual is living. In organizations, people from different regions, different
backgrounds, and speak different languages. People will have different academic backgrounds,
different intellectual facilities, and hence the jargon they use varies. Often, communication gap
arises because the language the sender is using may be incomprehensible, vague and indigestible.
Language is a central element in communication. It may pose a barrier if its use obscures meaning
and distorts intent.

Words mean different things to different people. Age, education and cultural background are three
of the more obvious variables that influence the language a person uses and the definitions he or
she gives to words. Therefore, use simple, direct, declarative language.

Speak in brief sentences and use terms or words you have heard from you audience. As much as
possible, speak in the language of the listener. Do not use jargon or technical language except with
those who clearly understand it.

10. Information Overload:

Unchecked inflow of information very often becomes another barrier to communication. It may stifle
the senior executive or bore and frustrate him. When people are bogged down with too much
information they are likely to make errors.

They may also delay processing or responding to information/message at least for some time. And
delay may become a habit, causing serious communication problems. People may also become
selective in their response, and selectivity is not communication-friendly. On the other hand it is a
communication problem.

12. Poor Listening skills

Poor listening may lead to serious communication problems. Too many people are interested in
talking, and mostly talking about themselves. They are so much involved, with themselves that they
do not have patience to listen. The result is that they are not interested in the speaker whose words
go waste.

Everybody knows about the importance of listening, but very few actually practice patient, active
and empathic listening. That is why so many communication problems crop up. Poor listening
accounts for incomplete information and also poor retention. One may simply not get the desired
result if this keeps on happening.

DISTRACTION

Physical distractions are the physical things that get in the way of communication. Examples of such
things include the telephone, an uncomfortable meeting place, and noise. These physical
distractions are common in the hospital setting. If the telephone rings, the usual human tendency
will be to answer it even if the caller is interrupting a very important or even delicate conversation.
Distractions such as background noise, poor lighting, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room, or an
environment that is too hot or cold can affect people's morale and concentration, which in turn
interfere with effective communication.

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Be a good listener

Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process.

Listening is key to all effective communication. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are
easily misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can
easily become frustrated or irritated.

If there is one communication skill you should aim to master, then listening is it.

Listening is so important that many top employers provide listening skills training for their
employees. This is not surprising when you consider that good listening skills can lead to better
customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, and increased sharing of
information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work.

Benefits - A greater number of friends and social networks, improved self-esteem and confidence,

higher grades at school and in academic work, and even better health and general well-being.

Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-skills.html

Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-skills.html

Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-skills.html

Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-skills.html

Understand and master non verbal communication

Nonverbal communication is the transfer of information through the use of body language including
eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and more. For example, smiling when you meet someone
conveys friendliness, acceptance and openness. Everyone uses nonverbal communication all the
time whether they know it or not.
Nonverbal communication is dependent on seeing and analyzing physical movements as opposed
to verbal communication, or the use of language to transfer information through written text,
speaking or sign language.

Why is nonverbal communication important?

Nonverbal communication is important because it gives us valuable information about a situation

including how a person might be feeling, how someone receives information and how to approach a
person or group of people. Paying attention to and developing the ability to read nonverbal
communications is an invaluable skill you can leverage at every stage of your career.

Be aware of individual differences

Individual differences are the ways in which people differ from each other. Every member of an
organization has its own way of behavior. It is important for managers to understand individual
differences because they influence the feelings, thoughts, and behavior of employees. Individual
differences can be divided into two categories:

 personality differences

 capacity differences

What is personality and how is it influenced?

Personality refers to the relatively stable patterns in the thinking, feeling, and behavior of a person.
It is an important factor in explaining the behavior of people within an organization and in the
favorable or unfavorable attitude towards the job and the organization.

Emotional awareness in communication is often misunderstood and seldom if ever discussed or

taught.

Feelings play a big role in communication. Emotional awareness, or the ability to understand
feelings, will help you succeed when communicating with other people. If you are emotionally
aware, you will communicate better. You will notice the emotions of other people, and how the way
they are feeling influences the way they communicate. You will also better understand what others
are communicating to you and why. Sometimes, understanding how a person is communicating with
you is more important than what is actually being said.

You can improve your emotional awareness by focusing on these five skills:

1. Consider other people’s feelings.

For example, a coworker might tell you something personal that doesn’t seem important for
you to know. 
2. Consider your own feelings
For example, if you’re really happy about something, you might agree to do things that you
shouldn’t or wouldn’t normally agree to do. 
3. Have empathy. 
For example, if you notice that a coworker seems stressed, you should try to find out why. If
she tells you she is stressed out because she doesn’t have a lot of time to finish a big project,
you can empathize with her by putting yourself in her shoes. 
4. Operate on trust. 
For example, shaking your head no while you’re saying yes will send a confusing message.
5. Recognize misunderstandings. 
For example, if your coworker is upset about something, they might talk to you as if they are
angry with you, even if they are not. 

ISSUES IN COMMUNICATION

Personal issues
Some employees tend to mix their personal lives into workplace communications. 

Personal communications detract from the professionalism in the office, which sometimes leads to
gossip in the workplace, leading to decreased morale or even accusations of harassment. 

There is a time and place for personal communication in the office and it’s necessary for employee
engagement and comradery, but if this personal communication is disturbing or negatively impacting
the work chat, then it’s inefficient and problematic. Personal communication in the workplace
should be monitored and organized so it doesn’t become a distraction to other employees. 

LACK OF FEEDBACK - If communication moves in one direction only, discourse will quickly become
ineffective. Feedback is important on many levels. Not only does it help determine how well your
employees have met their goals, but it also shows how well they collaborate with their teams, their
co-workers, and their managers.

Feedback also shows how well employees handle stress and adversity. A lack of feedback can lead to
demotivation and slack work attitudes. Conversely, positive feedback can make work more fun,
engaging people and pushing positive development. But no matter whether feedback is good or bad,
it is a necessity.

For management, it's important to not only to receive feedback but to act on it. Surveys are useless
if their results are ignored. The aim of collecting feedback should be to use it as a difference-maker.