Barriers to Communication

- Anything that can impede the flow of communication in any form and at any
point is a barrier to communication. Manifestation of problems or temporary
breakdowns may include some difficulties on what to say, how to say it, when to
say it, whom to say it, and where to say it.
Communication may fail due to certain reasons.
1. Physical Barriers. This includes impediments in relation to distance, timing,
efficiency of modes used like telephone, telegraph, or post office amenities.
Companies that have branches all over the country need to set up regional
offices whose vice-presidents oversee the operations. While time is related to
distance, timeliness, is another factor to consider particularly in decision making.
2. Social Barriers. Differences between sender and receiver in certain factors
like age, financial status, educational and family backgrounds, intellectual ability,
religion, health status may deter the flow or the understanding of messages that
are sent.
3. Psychological Barriers. The affective mode is the most difficult area to tackle
in communication. envy, jealousy, unpleasant feelings, and emotions caused by
insecurity and conflict should be given outlets for expression and those in charge
should know how to manage these outbursts.
Transactional Analysis
- An analysis of the verbal transaction between two persons is a very interesting
process called transactional analysis. It can help improve interpersonal
communication based on a study of ego states of the persons communicating
with each other. These ego states are parent, child, and adult as discussed by
Berne.
CONTENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF EGO STATES
PARENT Judgmental, critical of self and others, moralistic, directive, and how to
oriented, rigid, prejudiced, controlling of others, particularly by invoking guilt feelings,
authoritarian-permissive, tradition-bound, supportive, paternalistic.
ADULT Logical, non-emotional, rational, objective, fact-oriented, calculating, fun less,
ageless, computer-like with constant data updating, probabilistic, here-and-now
oriented.
CHILD Spontaneous, fun-loving, curious, creative, impulsive, stubborn, rebellious,
manipulative, sulking, poor me dependency, reactionary, non-confronting, self-centered,
and self-pitying.

McAfee and Champagne also discuss three response patterns when a person sends a
message: Complementary, Crossed or Ulterior. A transaction is complementary when a
message sent to one ego state gets the predicted or expected response from the other
individual. A crossed transaction occurs when a message addressed to one ego state
gets an unexpected response from another ego state. And an Ulterior transaction
involves hidden meaning.

EGO STATE TRANSACTIONS:

A Complementary Transaction
1. Have you read the 1990 audit report of our company done by our external auditor?
2. I received it to the other day but I havent read it.
A Crossed Transaction
1. Have you read the 1990 audit report of our company done by our external auditor?
2. (Angry) I received it to the other day but I havent read it. There is so much to do in
this office.
An Ulterior Transaction
1. (Approaches suddenly the responder with a hurried tone in voice). Have you read the
1990 audit report of our company done by our external auditor? Ulterior message:
Hoping youve read it.
2. (Taken a back but catches voice with a sullen smile). Is this the report? It will be the
next thing I will read. Ulterior message: Please dont worry, Ill read it for sure.