HSI 101 Soft Skills

August 17, 2023

Barriers to Communication
5 minute activity
• 1. Remember a time you had a “misunderstanding” that should not
have happened.
• 2. Why did the misunderstanding happen?
• 3. What can you do different next time?
Barriers to Communication
Barriers

• an object that keeps people or things separate or prevents them moving from one place to another

• something that causes problems or makes it impossible for something to happen

Communication Breakdown/Barrier 5

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Communication Barriers
What are Communication Barriers? 6

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Communication Barriers
Any step in the communication process
which blocks, restricts or interferes with
the smooth flow of messages can be
termed as communication barrier.
Why do barriers arise? 7

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Communication Barriers
Perceptual and language differences
Restrictive environments
Distractions
Deceptive techniques
Information overload
Different Categories of Barriers 8

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Communication Barriers
Breakdown at source 9

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Communication Barriers
 Perception is people’s individual interpretation of the sensory world.
 Perception of reality
- selective perception
 Language –an arbitrary code
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is
the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
- Mark Twain
Contd. 10

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Communication Barriers
 Faltering with words
 Indecisive about content
 Unfamiliarity with audience/environment
Restrictive Environments 11

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Communication Barriers
 Communication climate
 Information at times gets distorted, blocked/fragmented
 Lack of management interest /effective means
Distractions 12

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Communication Barriers
Physical
Emotional
Non- verbal
Deceptive Tactics 13

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Communication Barriers
 Organization of message
 Avoid the following:
- exaggerating
- hiding negative information
- presenting opinions as facts
- presenting big pictures
Information Overload 14

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Communication Barriers
 Excessive dependence on technology

 Constantly tied to task

 Lack of time to think

Communication Barriers: Types 15

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Communication Barriers
Intrapersonal Communication Barriers
• Differences in background and language
• Differences in perception
• Fact-inference confusion
• Rigid categories
(frozen evaluation, polarization)
• Categorical thinking
• (know it all, or the “allness syndrome”)
Interpersonal Barriers 16

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Communication Barriers
• Emotional reactions
• Negative emotional behaviour
• Negative attitudes about a message or source (lack of
credibility/interest)
• Ineffective information gathering (PL)
• Inappropriate timing of messages
Organizational Barriers 17

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Communication Barriers
• Organizational Characteristics
• Fear of Superior’s Perception
• Negative attitudes in organization
• Misunderstood application of Media
• Information Overload
 Gender Based Barriers 18
 Different socialization experiences of men and women

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Communication Barriers
 Men are encouraged to be independent and strong

 Women are encouraged to value relationships and emotions

 Cultural differences determine to what extent one becomes assertive

in dealings with the opposite gender.

 They also decide and condition the levels of assertiveness acceptable

in the behavior of people of different gender

 Gender biases often present themselves as normal, status quo, and

equitable.

 Such barriers differ from country to country.

Ethical Considerations 19

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Communication Barriers
 Difference between what you have a right to do and what is the right thing to do
 Plagiarism
 Misquoting
 Predictions
 Cultural Barriers 20

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Communication Barriers
 Multi-cultural setting

 Non-verbal aspects

 Team work ethics

 Global issues - environment, pollution, peace

 Gender sensitivity
High- and Low-Context Cultures 21

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Communication Barriers
 "High-" and "low-"context cultures typically refer to
language groups, nationalities, or regional communities.

 Also apply to corporations, professions and other

cultural groups, as well as to settings such as online and
offline communication.
Contd. 22
 High context culture

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Communication Barriers
 Japan, China, Spain, Mexico, Greece and Arab
 believe in non verbal cues
 more flexible, sociable and derive meaning even from the people’s gestures
 Value interpersonal relationships
 involves less-direct verbal and nonverbal communication, utilizing
communication gestures, reading more meaning into less-direct messages
 Prefer oral communications
 Focus on longer forms of communication that do not always focus on basic
questions.
Contd. 23
 Low context culture

Communication Barriers
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 German, Scandinavian, American, English, French and Italian
 Individualistic
 value tasks over relationships
 members form several short-term relationships
 direct verbal communication is needed to properly understand
a message being communicated
 Relies heavily on explicit verbal skills. Rarely is anything
implicit or hidden.
 Low-context cultures favor written communications
 Superstition 24
 In Mexico

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Saloon where people gather to drink pulque, a
distillate of cactus, is considered good fortune to
get worms in your cup
 In Japan

Maneki neko (beckoning cat)

 In China

Phonetic sound of 8 is most fortuitous of numbers

auguring prosperity
Some instances of cultural differences 25

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Communication Barriers
 Leaning on a wall
 Using an index finger
 Moving things with one’s feet
Areas of Concern in Intercultural 26

Communication

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Communication Barriers
 Self-awareness
 Self-respect
 Interaction
 Empathy
 Adaptability
 Certainty
 Initiative
 Acceptance
Measures to overcome barriers 27

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Communication Barriers
 Adopt an audience- centred approach
 Encourage open communication climate
 Reduce the number of levels
 Facilitate feedback
 Commit to ethical communication
 Create lean, efficient messages
Other Measures 28
 The greater the differences between cultures,

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Communication Barriers
the greater the chances for misunderstanding.
 Respect other cultures as you respect yours.
 Be generous and patient .
 Avoid making false assumptions.
 Factors for Effective 2
9
Communication

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Communication Barriers
 Ensuring Cordiality & Co-operation
 Listening Skills
 Comprehending Messages
 Communicating to build a positive culture
Barriers to Communication

• The communication process might seem simple, but so much can go wrong with it at any point
Commonly Encountered Barriers
• Absence of a common frame of reference (Communication happens with common
purpose, common language and common background)

• Badly encoded messages (cause problems due to mismatch of what is indented and
what is meant)

• Disturbance in the transmission channel (Technical glitches)

• Poor retention (Limitations of memory and attention)

• Inattention by the receiver

• Premature evaluation of the message

• Unclarified assumptions (Assuming that we have more in common when it is not

so)

• Mistrust between the sender and the receiver

Contd.
• Different perceptions of reality (One man’s saint is another man’s sinner)

• Semantic difficulties (Inappropriate use of language)

• Vagueness about the objectives

• Misinterpretation of the message (Misunderstandings)

• Clash of attitudinal nuances of the sender and the receiver (Different attitudes
leading to gaps and clashes in communication)

• Selection of a wrong variety of language (Use of same language but a different

regional variety. For ex. Hindi of Varanasi and Hindi of Mumbai)
Psychological Barriers
• Rigidity of thought (overlooking the difference of backgrounds)

• Know-it-all attitude (Self-imposed sense of superiority)

• Complaining Behaviour

• Use of words like all, always, everybody, none, never, nobody

REMEDIES

• Empathy (Putting oneself in the shoes of the other)

• Understanding of human psychology (Being able to see the positive side of the
communication)

• Awareness of differences in backgrounds, perceptions and points of view (Respecting and

accommodating differences)
Barriers in Interpersonal Transactions

• Emotional reactions (Thoughtless action/reaction)

• Negative attitudes(Being negatively critical)

• Wrong timing of message (Mostly has an adverse effect

on communication)

Remedies

• Maintaining a calm composure (Being a sympathetic

and patient listener)

• Using persuasive force (To be able to convince and

change the thinking of the other with positivity of
thought and action)
 Organizational Network as a Barrier
• Too many transfer stations (It may lead to delay in transmission)

• Processing of information by several hands (Might result in tampering with the original
message)

REMEDIES

• Direct access from top to bottom (Might ensure intactness of the message)

• The dissemination of information through several hands (Might help in curbing corruption)

• Establishment of a feedback system involving more than one source (Helps in separating
add ons from the crux of a message)
 Cultural Barriers
Communication is culture-specific

• The system of symbolic beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations and patterns of behaviour differ
from culture to culture

• These are manifested in the notions of status, attitudes towards time, decision-making habits, use of
space and distancing, body language, social behavior, rituals, religious belief, manners and
mannerisms and food habits

REMEDIES

• Be more open minded, tolerant, courteous and keenly perceptive of the non-verbal symbols

• Increase awareness about other people and cultures

• Guard against stereotyping and ethnocentrism (Believing that one’s own culture and race are superior
to that of others)
 Ethical Barriers
Related to the practices and dealings in an organization such barriers arise due to

• Malafied intentions of some employees

• Misrepresentation of facts due to vested interests (Facts are misrepresented for personal
gains)

REMEDIES

• Setting high ethical standards— promoting integrity, honesty, and transparency in dealings

• Ensuring loyalty towards the organization (Putting employee welfare schemes in place)

• Optimising work-life balance

• Creating an atmosphere of fair competition

• Giving personal touch and feel to the employees

 Physical Barriers

Structural obstacles in natural or manmade environments that prevent or block mobility (moving
around in the environment) or access

• Disruption of road, air or rail transport

• Strikes, bands, natural disasters etc.

• Barriers arising out of physical debility

• Harsh climatic conditions

REMEDIES

• Having access to and knowledge of alternative ways to reach out to the intended destination or
person

• Anticipating such factors at the time of preparation and keeping all options open
 Linguistic Barriers
• Usually occur when two people who speak different languages cannot understand one another

• When people of different backgrounds communicate using typical domain-specific, region-

specific language

• Physical language disabilities like stuttering, articulation disorder and hearing loss may also lead
to such barrier

Remedies

• Using a common language and a common variety of the language

• Being articulate to the extent possible, ensuring clarity of voice

• Following a proper grammar, intonation and cultural context while interacting

• Increasing your proficiency with a language