Barriers in Effective Communication G ood co mmun icat ion is no t syn on ym ous with t alking other people into accepting

your point of view. Regardless of how well you express yourself,other people will not always agree with you. While you send a message, youi ntend to com mun icate meaning , but the m essage i tself doesn t conta in meaning. The meaning exists in your mind and in the mind of your receivert o u n d e r s t a n d o n e a n o t h e r , y o u a n d y o u r r e c e i v e r m u s t s h a r e s i m i l a r meanings for words, gestures, tonic of voice and other symbols. Differences in perception The world constantly bombards us with information: sights, sounds, scents,and so on. Our minds organize this stream of sensation inlay a mental mapthat represents our perception or reality. In no case is the perception of acertain person the same as the world itself, and no two maps are identical.As you view the world, your mind absorbs your experiences in a unique andpersonal way. Because your perceptions are unique, the ideas you want toexpress differ from other people. Even when two people have experiencedthe same event, their mental images of that event will not be identical. Assenders, we choose the details that seem important and focus our attentionon the most relevant and general, a process known as selective perception.As recei ve rs, we tr y to fi t ne w deta ils in to our exi s ting pat tern. I f a deta il d o e s n t q u i t e f i t , w e a r e i n c l i n e d t o d i s t o r t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n r a t h e r t h a n rearrange the pattern.

Incorrect Filtering Filtering is screening out before a message is passed on to someone else. Ino ffices, the f il ters bet ween yo u and your recei ver ar e man y; sec retaries , assistants, receptionists etc. Those same gatekeepers may also translateyour recei vers ideas an d respon ses before passing the m on t o you. To overcome filtering barriers, try to establish more than one communicationc h a n n e l , e l i m i n a t e a s m a n y i n t e r m e d i a r i e s a s p o s s i b l e , a n d d e c r e a s e distortion by condensing message information to the bare essentials Language problems W hen you choose the words for your message, you signa l that you are a member of a particular culture or subculture and that you know the code. The nature of your code imposes its own barriers on your message. Barriersa l s o e x i s t b e c a u s e w o r d s c a n b e i n t e r p r e t e d i n m o r e t h a n o n e w a y . Language is arbitrary code that depends on shared definitions, but theres alimit to how completely any of us share the same meaning for a given word. To overcome language barriers, use the most specific and accurate wordspossible. Always try to use words your audience will understand. Increase theaccurac y o f yo ur messages b y using language that describes rathe r than evaluates and by presenting observable facts, events, and circumstances.

Poor Listening Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is simply a lack of attentionon the receivers part. We all let our minds wander now and then, regardlessof how hard we try to concentrate. People are essentially likely to drift off when they are forced to listen to information that is difficult to understand orthat has little direct bearing on their own lives. Too few of us simply do notlisten well! To overcome barriers, paraphrase what you have understood, tryto view the situation through the eyes of other speakers and resist jumpingto conclusions. Clarify meaning by asking non threatening questions, andlisten without bias.

Differing Backgrounds Differences in background can be one of the hardest communication barriersto o verco me. Age, educat ion, gender , soc ial st atus , e conom ic pos ition,cu ltural background, te mper a ment, hea lth, popula rit y, religion , e ven a p a s s i n g mood can all separate one person from an o t h e r a n d m a k e understanding difficult. To overcome the barriers associated with differingbackgrounds, avoid projecting your own background or culture onto others.C l a r i f y y o u r o w n a n d u n d e r s t a n d t h e b a c k g r o u n d o f o t h e r s , s p h e r e s o f k no wledge, personal iti es and perceptions and dont assu me that certa in beh aviors mean the same thing to everyone.

Cultural Background and Bias Differences in background can be one of the hardest communication barriersto overcome. When your receivers life experiences differ substantially fromyours, communication becomes more difficult. We allow our past experiencesto change the meaning of the message. Our culture, background, and biascan be good as the y al lo w us to use our past exp erie nces to understa nd something new, it is when they change the meaning of the message thenthey interfere with the communication process. To overcome the barriersassociated with differing backgrounds, avoid projecting your own backgroundor culture onto others. Clarify your own and understand others backgrounds,spheres of knowledge, personalities and perceptions. Noise Equipment or environmental noise impedes clear c o m m u n i c a t i o n . T h e sender and the receiver must both be able to concentrate on the messagesbeing sent to each other. Noise is any interference in the communicationp r o c e s s t h a t d i s t o r t s o r o b s c u r e s t h e s e n d e r s m e a n i n g a n d s u c h communicat ion barriers can exist between people and within organizations. Ourselves Focusing on ourselves, rather than the other person can lead to confusiona n d c o n f l i c t . T h e M e G e n e r a t i o n i s o u t w h e n i t c o m e s t o e f f e c t i v e communication. Some of the factors that cause this are defensiveness (wefeel someone is attacking us), superiority (we feel we

know more than theother), and ego (we feel we are the centre of the activity). Message Distractions happen when we focus on the facts rather than the idea. Oureducational institutions reinforce this with tests and questions. Semanticd i s t r a c t i o n s o c c u r when a word is used differently than you prefer. F o r example, the word chairman instead of chairperson may cause you to focuson the word and not the message. Environmental Brigh t ligh t s, an a ttracti ve person, unusual sigh ts, or an y other st imulus provides a potential distraction. Smothering We take it for granted that the impulse to send u s e f u l i n f o r m a t i o n i s automatic. Not true! Too often we believe that certain information has novalue to others or they are already aware of the facts. Stress People do not see things the same way when under stress. What we see andbelie ve a t a g i ven mo ment is inf luenced b y our ps ycholog ical fra mes of references which include our be liefs, values, knowledge, experiences and

goals. Conclusion These barriers can be thought of as filters, that is, the message leaves thesender, goes through the above filters, and is then heard by the receiver. These filters muffle the message and the way to overcome filters is througha c t i v e l i s t e n i n g a n d f e e d b a c k . Y o u r a b i l i t y t o o v e r c o m e t h e s e b a r r i e r s determines your communication success and effectiveness.

DO'S FOR BREAKING THE BARRIER: - Allow employees access to resources, self expression and idea generation. - Express your expectations to others. - Use less of absolute words such as "never", "always", "forever", etc. - Be a good, attentive and active listener. - Filter the information correctly before passing on to someone else. - Try to establish one communication channel and eliminate the intermediaries. - Use specific and accurate words which audiences can easily understand. - Try and view the situations through the eyes of the speaker. - The "you" attitude must be used on all occasions. - Maintain eye contact with the speaker and make him comfortable. - Write the instructions if the information is very detailed or complicated. - Oral communication must be clear and not heavily accented. - Avoid miscommunication of words and semantic noise. - Ask for clarifications, repetition where necessary. - Make the organisational structure more flexible, dynamic and transparent. - Foster congenial relationship which strengths coordination between superior and subordinate. - Focus on purposeful and well focused communication. - The message of communication should be clear and practical. - Get Proper Feedback.

DONT'S FOR BREAKING THE BARRIER: - Be a Selective Listener, this is when a person hears another but selects not to hear what is being said by choice or desire to hear some other message. - Be a "Fixer", a fixer is a person that tries to find other person's fault. - Be a daydreamer. - Use long chain of command for communication. - Use too many technical jargons. - Jump to conclusions immediately. - Interrupt the speakers and distract him by asking too many irrelevant questions.