barriers to effective communication

Barriers to Effective Communication

Apply Measures to Overcome Barriers to Communication Skills

Objectives: Learn about 

1 Various barriers to effective communication: their types and factors 

2 Different measures that need to be adopted to overcome barriers in effective communication 

3 Gain practical experience of-- 

1. Role playing barriers to effective communication and identifying them 

2. Practicing ways to overcome barriers in communication in a)social situations and b)at the workplace 

3. Counselling someone whose communication skills are hampered due to barriers ( enacting some situations) 

Lesson 3.1 Types of Barriers to Effective Communication 

Communication means sharing meaning. 

With no sharing, there is no communication.

 Effective communication requires an understanding that - 

 A message is conveyed clearly between communicators in order that it is effective and serves the desired purpose.

  Whether in a team or with others, at work or in the community, the communication environment is conducive and there are no barriers which prevent messages being sent and received successfully.

  Communication barriers create misunderstandings and misinterpretations of messages. 

 To communicate successfully you must know what barriers to communication exist and ensure that they do not obstruct communication. 

 You must make efforts to navigate around these roadblocks. 

A communication barrier is thus anything that prevents us from receiving and understanding the messages others use to convey their information, ideas and thoughts.

 Communication between two individuals should be simple. Remember that there are differences between talking and communicating. When we communicate, we are successful in getting our point across to the person we’re talking to. When we talk, we tend to erect barriers that hinder our ability to communicate. STUDY MATERIAL Some barriers to effective communication you should be aware of are: Physical Barriers – Physical barriers separate people from each other and mark territories. These barriers can often be seen in the workplace where offices and closed doors stop communication. Physical barriers can stop you from being comfortable communicating with a person whom you do not come face to face with often. As long as people still have a personal space that they can call their own, nearness to others aids communication because it helps us get to know one another. Language Barriers – Not using words another can understand will certainly stop your message from being conveyed. This not only applies to actual languages but also expressions, format used, buzz words and other jargon. If one is not familiar with your language, misinterpretation will occur. The accents and dialect (use of words) of people belonging to different places differ even if their language is same and may become barriers to communication. For example, the abbreviation “LOL” used in chat language used to mean Lots of Love before, which changed to Laugh Out Loud. If a person says LOL, the second person can interpret the meaning in any way they want or from their understanding. People use both the abbreviations according to the context and need. Gender Barriers – Variation exists among masculine and feminine styles of communication. There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a man and those in a woman. A woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000 words a day whereas a man speaks between 7,000 and 10,000. While women often emphasize politeness, empathy, and rapport building, male communication is often more direct. This means that a man talks in a linear, logical and compartmentalised way, features of left-brain thinking; whereas a woman talks more freely mixing logic and emotion, features of both sides of the brain. Meshing these two styles without awareness could become a barrier. Attitudinal Barriers - as those behaviors or perceptions that are divisive in nature – the ones that can lead to nagging doubt, sullen disagreement or even overt conflict. They all interfere with and undermine communication. These are barriers that distance one from others. These are visible through withdrawal, meaningless rituals which keep one devoid of real contact, superficial activities and more. Perceptual Barriers – Different world views can create misunderstanding. People tend to interpret messages from their own point of view or ideologies. Without thinking, one might only view a message from his or her own mindset rather than looking at it from another viewpoint. The problem with communicating with others is that we all see the world differently. You might ask someone an innocent question based on a previous experience but it is quite likely for them to perceive it with suspicion.