Al-Quds University - College of Dual Studies

Communication Skills Course

Lesson 3
Barriers to Communication
 Lesson Objectives
• Understand what communication barriers are and
why they matter.

• Identify different types of communication barriers.

 What are Communication
Barriers?
 Definition: Communication barriers are obstacles
that prevent clear, effective communication.
 Importance: Understanding these barriers can help
improve communication skills and build stronger
relationships.
 Real-life Example: In a company, if employees
don't feel comfortable expression their opinions
due to a fear of payback, this fear acts as a barrier
to effective communication.
Common Types of Barriers
 Physical Barriers
Noise: Trying to have a conversation in a noisy
factory can make it nearly impossible to hear and
understand each other.
Distance: Working in different offices, buildings, or
even countries can make it difficult to communicate
effectively.
Technology: Poor internet connection, outdated
software, or malfunctioning equipment can all lead
to communication problems.
Physical disabilities: Employees with vision or
hearing impairments may need special
accommodations to communicate effectively.
Tangible Items: that may interfere with
communication such as temperature.
Attitudes Barriers
 Emotional Barriers
Stress: Employees who are stressed about a deadline
or other work-related issue may have difficulty
communicating effectively with their colleagues.

Anger: Employees who are angry may be more likely to

say things they regret or to communicate in a way that
is aggressive or hostile.

Fear: Employees who are afraid of making a mistake or

of being judged may be hesitant to speak up in
meetings or to share their ideas.
 Cultural Barriers
Different communication styles: For example, in some
cultures, it is considered rude to make direct eye
contact, while in other cultures, it is a sign of respect.

Different expectations: For example, in some cultures,

it is considered acceptable to interrupt someone while
they are speaking, while in other cultures, it is
considered rude.

Different values: For example, in some cultures, it is

considered important to be humble and reserved,
while in other cultures, it is considered important to be
confident and self-promoting.
 Language Barriers
Different languages: Employees who speak
different languages may have difficulty
communicating with each other, even if they are
both fluent in English.
• Different Regions, Generations

Different accents: Employees with thick accents

may have difficulty being understood by their
colleagues.
• Slang, professional jargon

Lack of fluency: Employees who are not fluent in

the language of the workplace may have difficulty
communicating with their colleagues and
customers.
 Organizational Barriers

Hierarchy: In some Bureaucracy: In Lack of trust: If Problems in

organizations, there some employees do not organizational
is a rigid hierarchy organizations, there trust each other, structure: bad
that can make it is a lot of they may be less information system,
difficult for bureaucracy that likely to be open Lack of supervision
employees to can slow down and honest with
communicate with communication and each other.
people from make it difficult to
different levels of get things done.
the organization.
 Cultural Noise Barrier
People sometimes make
assumptions about others based
on their cultural background and
associated stereotypes.
 Lack of common experience
Barrier
Its great idea to use examples to
explain or to enhance a point how
ever if others can not relate to these
examples because they do not have
the same knowledge or shared
experiences then this tool will be
ineffective.
 Information
Overload
Barrier

It takes time to process

over information and
too many details can
overwhelm and
distract the audience
from the important
topics.
 Jumping to
Conclusions
Barrier

Making assumptions
before listening to all the
fact can be problematic in
the least and catastrophic
at worst.
Examples of workplace
Communication Barriers
 Examples (1/2)

Manager emails their A new employee from a

team about an important different culture is hesitant
deadline, but the email is to speak up in meetings
not translated into the because they are afraid of
team's native language. being judged.
 Examples (2/2)
Two employees from
An employee is stressed
different departments
about a project and
have difficulty
snaps at their colleague
communicating because
when they ask a
their departments have
question.
different cultures.

A company has a rigid

hierarchy that makes it
difficult for employees to
communicate with people
from different levels of
the organization.
 Play Games
• Tips for using games to teach about
communication barriers
• Make sure that students understand the
purpose of the game.
• Explain the rules of the game clearly and
concisely.
• Encourage students to communicate
effectively with each other.
• Debrief the game with students after they
have played it. Ask them what they
learned about communication barriers
and how they can overcome them.
 Play Telephone
This is a classic game that is perfect
for demonstrating how messages can
be distorted as they are passed from
person to person. To play, have
students sit in a circle. One student
whispers a message to the person
next to them, and so on. The last
person in the circle says the message
out loud, and the class compares the
original message to the final message.
 Play Whisper
Challenge
This game is similar to Telephone, but
it adds a layer of difficulty by having
students speak in a whisper. To play,
have students sit in pairs. One student
wears headphones and the other
student whispers a message to them.
The student with the headphones then
tries to guess the message.
 Play Back-to-Back
Drawing
This game is a good way to
demonstrate the importance of clear
and concise communication. To play,
have students sit in pairs back-to-back.
One student is given a picture, and the
other student is given a piece of paper
and a pencil. The student with the
picture must describe the picture to the
other student, who must try to draw it
without seeing the picture.
 Play Blindfold
Obstacle Course
This game is a good way to
demonstrate the importance of trust
and communication. To play, blindfold
one student and have another student
guide them through an obstacle
course. The student guiding the
blindfolded student can only
communicate using verbal
instructions.
 Play Taboo
This game is a good way to
demonstrate the importance of using
precise language. To play, have
students sit in a circle. One student
draws a card from a stack of cards that
has a word or phrase on it. The student
must then describe the word or phrase
to their teammates without using any
of the words on the card.
 Homework
Ask students to write a reflective journal entry about a time
they experienced a communication barrier and how they
handled it. The journal should include what they learned from
the experience and how they would handle a similar situation
differently using what they learned in class. This assignment
will encourage students to apply the concepts learned in class
to their own experiences and deepen their understanding of the
topic.
A Bright Future Awaits