Barriers of Communication

Definition of the Barrier to Communication: ‘Any obstacle or problem in the process of

Communication which hinders/obstructs the process of Communication is called Barrier.’

Barriers are part of process of Communication. Whenever we are communicating we encode

and decode. We use various channels for passing messages. At any level or at any moment or
stage there can be problems in communication process. Sometimes the sender may not use
proper language that the receiver will understand. Receiver may not be able to Decode
properly. There can be lot of noise in the surrounding which can disturb us. It rarely happens
that barriers do not arise in the communication process. Many times barriers arise in the
minds of the sender and receiver. The intended messages are not sent to the receivers.

Physical Barriers: Many barriers arise in the surroundings or our environment. These
barriers create problems or confusion in communication.

Noise: Traffic Noise or noise of machines in factory create disturbances in communication.

Noise pollution is biggest contributor or environment pollution in India.

Time and Distance :Physical distances between people can create major problems in
communication. Time zones around the world are not same. Due to differences in timings
between countries we have to adjust with the time difference of that country.
Defects in Communication Systems: Many times the instruments or machines used in
communication such as Telephones, Fax or Computer can develop problems. The network of
Internet can fail or the Mike or Microphone used in the programmes can create loud noise.
Due to excess rains or natural calamity it becomes difficult to use the instruments properly.
The failure of Electronic power also results into communication loss or messages are not sent
properly.

Wrong Selection of Medium : Medium means the objects used in communication eg.
Emails,Mobile Phones or Telephones etc. The correct medium is necessary. The improper
use of some machines such as Emails can delay the messages.

High Temperature and Humidity: Excess Temperature or heat or cold Temperature create
difficulties in communication
Language or Semantic Barrier

Language Barriers: Barriers arising due to differences in languages, words meaning or

pronunciation can create confusion among the people. Linguistic means related to the
language. Semantic means the meaning of the words. Following are some of the examples of
language barriers.

Different Languages or lack of Common Language can create obstacles in Communication.

A person who does not understand the native language or even foreign language cannot
communicate well. This becomes very difficult situation.
Multiplicity of words: words can have different meanings. Word power is gift to human
beings but at the same times multiple meaning or spellings of the words can create the
problems in communication.
Words with similar pronunciation but different meaning [Homophones]also create problems
in communication. E.g. Except-accept, fair-fare, council-counsel, principal-principle[etc].
Jargon words[Technical words]used by professionals such as Engineers/Doctors or any other
professionals. Many times, jargon words are used unintentionally. But common people or
those who do not understand the meaning of these words face problems.
By-passed Instructions: Means many times short cuts are used while passing the messages.
Eg. A Manager ordered the newly appointed secretary to go and burn the C.D.She literally
burned it . He meant to copy the C.D.

Psychological Barriers
The psychological barrier of communication is the influence of psychological state of the
communicators (sender and receiver) which creates an obstacle for effective communication.
Communication is highly influenced by the mental condition that the communicators are in
and is disturbed by mental disturbance. If the people involved in communication are not
emotionally well, they won’t be able to communicate properly.

Every person’s mind is unique and communication does not work like that in machines or in
numbers. The people who are involved in the communication matter as much as the message
e.g. If your boss doesn’t trust you, he/she will only send selective information, which makes
the communication ineffective.

Causes of Psychological Barriers

Lack of Attention
When a person’s mind is distracted or preoccupied with other things, the person is not able to
form proper message, listen to what others tell him/her, interpret the message as required and
give proper feedback.The communication will face problems and becomes ineffective.

Poor Retention:
Retention of information is the capacity of the memory of the brain to store information and
the way brain stores information in memory. Brain does not store all the information it comes
across, but only the ones it deems useful for future. So, half the information is lost in the
retention process.

Distrust and Defensiveness

Communication is successful when the communicators trust each other.
Lack of trust makes them derive negative meaning of the message and they ignore the
message. When a person tries to force his/her own ideas and opinions, then receiver does not
listen. If the receiver does not agree to the message provided or thinks of it as a threat, he/she
will not listen to it.

Defensive Barriers to Communication

Defensive behaviors can be the result of a:

* Challenge to private or public perceptions of ourselves.

* Desire to be perfect in the public's eye.

* Lack of self-confidence.

* Fear of being found to be less than what was previously thought.

* Fear of a loss of status.

* Fear of rejection.

Defensiveness is often a reflection of insecurity in individuals. It tends to distort questions

into accusations and responses into justifications. [1] There is a little wonder that effective
communication often ends when the speaker or listener becomes defensive. In response to
defensiveness, "attack or avoidance" replaces "fight or flight," in a self-perpetuating cycle of
events, leading to more threats and accusations, and more defensive behaviors and
counterattacks.

The reference here is not to physical threats to safety. It is the threat of challenge, the fear of
losing the ability to control, predict, or know ourselves. Ego and prestige are threatened. Our
self-image may include the perception that we are honest, ethical, reliable, trustworthy,
truthful, responsible, intelligent, congenial, generous, etc. A significant threat to a self-image
leaves us with basically two alternatives--accept or ignore the threat, or protect the self-image
by defensive behaviors.
Defensiveness makes us feel uncomfortable, hostile, and/or guilty. It causes obvious
emotional and physical tension. It can make us perspire and speak in a rapid, higher pitched
voice. We are likely to become angry, aggressive, or withdrawn. If defensiveness is
excessive, the outcome is predictably bad. Not only does the communication process end, but
interpersonal relationships are injured, feelings are hurt, and the underlying cause of the
conflict remains unresolved.

Perception, Viewpoint, Attitudes and Opinions

Perception is the mindset using which people judge, understand and interpret everything.
Each person has his/he own perception of reality which is shaped from mental and sensory
experiences.

Likewise, viewpoint is also a mindset to look at the world. Sender might have a particular
viewpoint that is not shared by the receiver. The sender does not explain the viewpoint but
takes the viewpoint as granted. The message is not understood by the receiver as must have
been understood, creating a barrier to effective communication.

Attitude is the established way in which we think and feel about things and ideas which also
creates a psychological communication barrier.

Emotions
Anyone who isn’t in a good mood is likely to talk less or talk negatively. A preoccupied mind
is not good at communicating. For example, when a person is angry, he/she might say things
they regret later. Even when listening to someone else speak, an angry person might easily
misinterpret the message.

Various other emotions like fear, nervousness, confusion, mistrust and jealousy affect
communication process. For example, a person having extreme moods of happiness will
laugh at anything at all said to him/her. The same person when sad will cry or get angry at
insignificant situations.

Closed Mind and Filtering

Man is selfish by nature and put his own needs and problems above all else. This sometimes
leads people to filter information that someone is trying to convey to them. This might be due
to mistrust, competition, jealousy, or the view that the message is insignificant.

For example, a sexist person does not accept the suggestions of a female colleague in a
meeting that affects the communication flow in the meeting. It is difficult to argue with such
close minded people and give proper information.

Premature Evaluation
Some people are always in a hurry by habit. These kinds of people most likely make quick
judgments and jump into conclusions. They do not consider all aspects of the information
such as social, cultural, economic, etc. and often end up taking quick and wrong decisions.
It is important to hear the whole message to make proper judgments because they are not
changed easily after they are once made.

Cross-Cultural Communication Barriers

Ethnocentrism:
We all have a natural tendency to look at other cultures through our own lenses.
Ethnocentrism happens when we implicitly believe our way of doing things and seeing things
is the right and only way. As a result, we negatively judge behaviours that don’t conform to
our world vision. We perceive other’s behaviours as odd and improper. Ethnocentrism also
creates an “us versus them” mentality that can be detrimental. In a previous company I
worked for, countless times I’ve heard the French complain about the Americans in an
ethnocentric way and vice-versa.
Stereotyping:
It’s also common to rely on oversimplified clichés about people from different cultures. In
fact, there are quite a few cross-cultural trainings in the market that are focused on
memorizing cultural differences and can reinforce stereotyping. Learning about differences
can be useful as a starting point. But individuals are unique; you can never predict a person’s
behaviour based on his or her nationality.
Psychological Barriers:
To manage cross-cultural teams successfully, you need to flex your own style. It’s not easy to
go against your natural preferences. People can feel unauthentic and incompetent. I know the
case of a French manager who went to the United States. He found out that his typical French
style of giving feedback, focused on what was “wrong” rather than on what was working
well, was undermining his team’s confidence. He realised what the problem was, but he felt
artificial acting the “American” way. He went back to France as soon as he could.
Language Barriers:
All teams have a common language, but when some people are more fluent than others, it
creates social distance between members. In global teams, people who are less fluent in
English tend to withdraw from communication, which means the team may not get all the
input it needs. Understanding what’s said can be challenging if people speak too fast or use
too much slang. This also might have an influence on how people’s competence and
performance are perceived. I worked for an organisation where non-English native speakers
felt that their career progression opportunities were not the same as for English native
speakers.

Geographical distance:
In global virtual teams, people don’t get the chance to interact and build relationships with
each other as in a traditional office environment. And the less you know about people, the
less you share information with them. Collaboration within virtual teams is, therefore, more
challenging. Groups outside of the head office can also feel excluded. On the other hand,
head office group members might think that other colleagues are not contributing.
Differences in time zones also can be challenging. Often if you’re not in the headquarters,
you are expected to cope with meeting timings that are less convenient. I know of a highly
talented woman who left a global senior leadership role because she got tired of having
frequent meetings in the night.

Conflicting values:
Task oriented vs. relationship oriented
In some countries like the US, people view conversations as an opportunity to exchange
information. People get down to business quickly. In Latin American countries, for instance,
conversations are primarily an opportunity to enhance the relationship. I once worked for an
American company where, in meetings, participants barely introduced each other; we got
down to work immediately. Being a Latin American, it took me a while to get used to it.
Direct vs. indirect communication
In countries like Germany, it is a sign of professionalism to speak clearly and leave no room
for misinterpretation. In countries like Korea, people prefer to communicate indirectly.
People approach problems through vague references. The danger here is that a person from a
direct culture may come across as insensitive, while the person from the indirect culture may
appear imprecise.
Open subtle disagreement
Cultures that place a high value on “face” and group harmony may be averse to
confrontation, like in China. In other cultures, having a “good fight” is a sign of trust, like in
the Netherlands. People from different parts of the world also vary in the amount of emotion
they show during professional conversations. For example, Italians raise their voices, while
the British are more composed.
Informality vs. formality
In some countries, such as Australia, people are generally casual; in others, like Japan, people
tend to be more formal. To informal people, formality might be interpreted as the sign of
stiffness, while informality to formal people might be perceived as a lack of professionalism.
Structured vs. flexible scheduling
All businesses follow timetables, but in some cultures, people strictly adhere to the schedule,
whereas in others, they treat it as a suggestion. For some, “five minutes” could mean half an
hour, and “tomorrow” could mean the next few days. In Brazil, I wouldn’t start a meeting
exactly on time. It feels disrespectful not to wait a bit for the late comers. In the UK, not
starting the meeting on time might be considered disrespectful towards those who made it to
the meeting on time.
 How to overcome barriers of communication

1. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is

recruiting right individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to
ensure that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There
should be proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all
the employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required employees
(for eg: Voice and Accent training).
2. Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use
of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided.
3. Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communication barrier
which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the source of
noise and then eliminate that source.
4. Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between
“listening” and “hearing”. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding
of the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether
his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by
the speaker.
5. Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of body
language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the
receiver might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer
of the message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information
being delivered is not good.
6. Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not be
complex. The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a
ideal span of control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure,
more effective will be the communication.
7. Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize their
work. They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality
time with their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks
actively.
8. Give Constructive Feedback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the
feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive
feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate.
9. Proper Media Selection: The managers should properly select the medium of
communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face
interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be
encouraged for delivering complex messages. For significant messages reminders can
be given by using written means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc.
10. Flexibility in meeting the targets: For effective communication in an organization
the managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely
without skipping the formal channels of communication. There should not be much
pressure on employees to meet their targets.