Barriers to Effective Communication Topics Covered > introduction > Principles of Effective Communication > Overcoming Barriers to Effective Communication Mee >> Effective communication is one that takes place between two or more persons with the purpose of delivering, receiving, and understanding the message successfully. It is the process of information sharing in a way that keeps in mind what you want to say, what you actually say, and what your receiver interprets. It is more about the way the information is shared than it is about the information itself. In life, you might have come across certain situations when either you miscomunicated or misinterpreted. This happens due to the lack of effective communication. Conveying a message effectively is an art as well as a skill developed with continuous practise and experience. Let’s know about the principles of effective communication. > Barriers to Effective Communication PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION You have an idea in your mind and you're very clear about what that idea is. Now, for someone to see the idea as you see it, you will have to convey it with as much detail and clarity as Possible. This is where the principles of communication come into action. ‘To make sure that you communicate in the most effective and the clearest way possible, follow the 7C’s of communication: [rT ny Po)ssage should be clear and should be able to convey your ideas ¢, the four me: receiver effortlessly. mount of words possible with; 2. Conciseness: Try to communicate using the least a out eying the other C’s of communication. Keep your message tortie point meee] , 3. Conereteness: Use facts and figures if necessary to supp rey 8d Stengtey . ibility. Concreteness also increases your confidence. Combes Avoid grammatical errors while communicating. Use a language that yoy, Sontortable with and make sure the receiver also understands the same, re Completeness: Your message should be complete. No important information should be ig, out as it helps in better decision-making by the receiver(s). i Courtesy: Being courteous while communicating sends out a positive message and imp, that the sender cares about the receiver(s) as much they care about the message, Consideration: Being considerate means being empathetic towards the receiver(s). Take , ‘you’ approach rather than an ‘’ approach. Modify your words as per your audience's neeg, and requirements. ; The absence of even one of the 7C’s can lead to miscommunication, creating barriers in the Process. Let us study about these barriers in detail. 7. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Barriers, noise or distractions during communication are inevitable. They distort your message and the chances of correct interpretation (or decoding) of the message by the receiver(s) decreases. These could be anything from poor signal to bad handwriting to psychological reasons. The job of the sender is to ensure that these barriers cause minimal to zero noise in the communication process. Barriers can be of the following types: Barriers to Effective Communicat n OSes OUD DS Internal Barriers Barriers in comm communicators sucl are known as interr unication eee Aue to underlying, inherent factors related to th? h as a specific, , situati : al, nal barriers, tional frame of mind or long-term mentality, in gene" woo aney are further divided into: 1, Interpersonal Barriers: These occur when the sender's message is misinterpreted by the receiver. It is also extremely difficult to converse with someone who isn’t willing to express themselves. Personal differences can also act as interpersonal barriers 2, Psychological Issues: Barriers caused by someone's state of mind are known a5 psychological barriers. For example, certain disabilities do not allow the brain to comprehend any sort of communication or the receiver is not in the right frame of mind to follow through with the communication at the given time, etc 3, Cultural Ignorance: When people from different cultures come together, they might not be acquainted with each other's traditions, customs, etc. which could lead to difficulties and inconvenience in communication. Sometimes, people also have preconceived notions about others based on their social backgrounds which also become barriers during communication. 4, Prejudice: Miscommunication might be caused because of the bias held by communicators against each other due to many social factors related to class status, the difference in cultures, literacy, ethnicity, etc. 5, _ Different Viewpoints: Major distinction in the belief system and ideologies can cause 2 severe communication gap. External Barriers Barriers that can not be controlled and directed by the communicators are external barriers. ‘There is no scope for intrapersonal alteration as far as external barriers are concerned. ‘They are further divided into: 1. Physical Barriers: Factors related to the environment that become the cause of miscommunication are known as physical barriers. The three types of physical barriers are: (a) Physical & technological issues: They refer to miscommunication caused due to technical errors and distance. For example, the unmanageable hearing distance between two communicators standing on two sides of the same building, the Internet not working which would disable the communicators from sending texts and messages, and the missing phone signal which makes them unable to converse. (b) Physical disabilities: They refer to issues related to physical health and well being which come in the way of effective communication, such as hearing problems, speech difficulties and disorders like stuttering, slurring, lisping and stammering. (c)_ Physical Barriers in non-verbal communication: Non-verbal communication heavily depends on physical proximity, or physical visibility. For example, non-verbal communication becomes difficult when two communicators are talking through text or ‘on the phone and cannot see one another. 2. Organisational Issues: Every organisation has a hierarchical structure that follows rules, procedures, protocols etc. which restricts the free flow of communication in the organisation, This structure can act as a barrier and is known as an organisational barrier since it hinders the formal relationship amongst peers. Distractions: Noise, interruptions and being placed into situations where one has to focus on more than one conversation simultaneously, can lead to several instances of miscommunication due to a part of the conversation being missed, connotations not being discerned, or mixing up of two different conversations, etc. @ 3.ation Barriers position of the ted to the composi mes to issues rela Sage jers exist due Message Form Message formation barr itself. rn Issues: + marist and receiver to find further divided into: riers oe language Is nat understood by the People partici, When ones a rown as a linguistic barrier. It is important for the senge ee ground and build the communication on it. 7 Gestures: The message being encoded might have an incorrect 2. Inconsistent Tone in verbal communication and inappropriate gestures, in the cay mismatches communication, which confuses the receiver about what is being conveyed. ir e might be too difficult due 3. Complicated Messages: The encoding of the open ohana & complicated vocabulary, intricate intonations an sre 7 the reason the communicators are unable to understand each other. OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barfiers so as to ensure smooth and effective communication. of message formation bar! Here are some of the ways to eliminate different types of issues that cause miscommunication: Overcoming Internal Barriers 1. Be Unassuming: Avoid forming prior baseless misconceptions and preconceived notions about the person you are communicating with to avoid misunderstandings. Being open- minded smoothen the process of communication. 2. Exercise Empathy: Conscious efforts towards being more empathetic and understanding of others and their situation from your own side can be effective in closing the internal communication gap. %_ Enhance Listening Skills: you when they speak, lis left unsaid. 4. Fair & Unbiased Approach: ‘communicator, and act fairly effectively with them. Be more attentive to what others are trying to communicate to ten carefully to the words that are being said and what is being Eliminate any type of biased judgment against the other towards them to make them feel at ease and communicate 5. Respect Oth ; religion and ‘cto of othe Be vespectful and act with sensitivity towards the into account their opinions when se eoout them if you have the opportunity and take iss Pinions when you communicate with them to put them at ease. i four Emotions: 5 your emotions, detain x oem and what you feel and the way you react © communicating with i Mt remuation You are in and the person you 2° 7 s very significant regardless c Of your role as a sender or the receiver: Mutual Trust Buildi jing: two communicators eliminates issues related to reception and conveyin, Trust between 1 Of a message,overcoming External Barriers appropriate Channels of Communication appropriately to Convey your message in the ink would be appropriate, just like every receiver in a stadium, Using Visual Aids: In many cases, written communication lacks | signals which can assist the receiver in grasping the tone and meaning ot the message “in these caves emojs, pictures, etc. can help in setting the appropriate tone ssag se cases, 3, Seeking Feedback: Actively seeking the feedback for the message encoded and transmitted by the communicator can be significant in deciding if their message, with its apt meaning, has been understood by the receiver or not : 4 Alternative Communication Tools: In certain cases, commonly used methods of communicating might not be useful. Communicators should have enough sensitivity to alter and change the tool of communication being utilised. Common sign language, writing your messages down, etc. can be used in cases of physical disabilities. Translating applications can be used in case the communicators do not speak the same language 1. Use the correct tools for communication re in he right manner. For writing, a pen with good Peaker would be required to convey the message to Overcoming Message Formation Barriers 1. Use Simple Language: Keep your messages precise. Avoid complicated terms and expressions, reconstruct your message according to the level of understanding of the receiver if needed. 2. Use Correct Language: Pay attention to the structure of the sentence, vocabulary and connotations so that your message can be decoded easily. 3. Use Correct Body-language: Expressing self appropriately through body language, depending on the relationship the sender has with the receiver, is highly significant for the communication to go smoothly. For example, smile when you are being humorous, to not have your words taken in the wrong context. 4. Communicate In-person: In-person communication is the easiest way to avoid kinds of barriers and have the most effective communication possible. It minimises the chances of any misunderstanding. 5. Take Someone's Help: If you're having trouble communicating with someone who speaks a different language or something similar, you can always ask for a middleman’s help to get your message across. * Communication between two or more persons with the intent of delivering, receiving, and Understanding a message successfully is known as effective communication. * The 7C’s of communication are clarity, conciseness, concreteness, correctness, completeness, courtesy, and consideration. They help in making communication effective, * There are three types of barriers to effective communication. Barriers related to message formation, ‘ternal barriers and external barriers ‘Internal barriers to effective communication Include interpersonal barriers, psychological issues, Cultural ignorance, prejudice, and different viewpoints. External barriers to effective communication ‘include physical barriers, organisational issues, and distractions. Working on your interpersonal skills is the first way towards improving your communication abilities. Ce 2 eres oeTwain haa ‘A. Multiple Choice Questions 4. Conveying a message effectively is a skill that can be developed through: (b) Experience “ee” (a) Practise (c) Both (a) and (b) (d) Reading books 2. Which of the following is not a principle of effective communication? (a) Clarity (b) Creativity (©) Courtsey (d) Correctness 3. Free flow of information in an organisation is hampered due to: (a) Dominance of superiors (b) Organisational power imbalance (€) Hierarchical structure (d) Complicated communication tools 4, The easiest, most effective way of communication which helps in avoiding misunderstandings is. {a) Written communication (b) Communicating in person {c) Visual communication (d) Live audio communication Fill in the Blanks 1. Conveying a message effectively is an after continuous practice and experience. as well as a .. . developed Barriers caused by someone's ...... are known as psychological barriers. 3. You should modify your words as per your audience's 4, Avoid forming nggcedinasand with to avoid misunderstandings. and .. . about the person you’re communicating 5.. Message formation barriers exist due to issues related to the ... itself. C. Short Answer Questions 1. Name the 7C’s of communication. .. of the message 2. What are the steps to overcome interpersonal barriers? 3. What are physical barriers? 4. What is the benefit of exercising empathy? D. Long Answer Questions What are your preferred ways of dealing with barriers to communication? E. Differentiate Between the Following 1. Completeness and Correctness 2. €) 1. Discuss the 7C’s of communication in detail. { : 5 5} 2. What are communication barriers? Explain in detail the type of commut $ that we face. yl a i a 3. Describe the ways in which one can overcome internal barriers to effective communication. a 4. How can you overcome message formation barriers? s 5. z] 1 2) | | 13 Internal and External Barriers to Communication 3. Using Simple Language and Using Correct Language