1/1/23, 11:58 PM CONT_22PCH-105::COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Lecture 1.1.

2 Barriers to Effective Communication

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Lecture 1.1.2 Barriers to Effective Communication

Lecture 1.1.2 Barriers to Effective Communication

Topic: Barriers to Effective Communication

 

Learning Outcome: Apply correct contextual and comprehensible written text and speech in a wide range of
communication situations.

Watch the video lecture to learn more about the topic

Lecture Notes:

Learning Content

Introduction

·        Categories of barriers to communication

·        Arising from sender/receiver’s personality

·        Related to Interpersonal transactions

·        Organisational barriers

Ways to overcome (7 Cs of effective communication)

·        Completeness

·        Conciseness

·        Consideration

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·        Concreteness

·        Clarity

·        Courtesy

·        Correctness

Summary

References

·        Web links for reference

·        E books

·        Further Links

·        Journals

·        Video links

·        Books and links for buying online

Key Terms:

1.   Effective communication: It is communication between two or more persons with the purpose of delivering, receiving,
and understanding the message successfully. It is the process of information sharing between team members in a way
that keeps in mind what you want to say,what you actually say, and what your audience interprets.

2.   Barrier to effective communication: Any problem, internal or external, that obstructs the flow of communication is
known as a barrier to effective communication

3.   Jargons: Jargon refers to the specialized language of a professional or occupational group. While this language is
often useful or necessary for those within the group, it is usually meaningless to outsiders

Introduction:

When the communication is effective, there is no ambiguity in the message. But the communication is not always as
effective as it should be. It is found out that almost 75% of the communication that happens in an organisation is
ineffective which in turn leads to undesired results. There are many external and internal factors which break the flow of
communication. These factors which obstruct the communication are known as Barriers to communication. External
barriers are caused by external factors such as noise, network issues etc. These are easy to overcome. Internal barriers
are mental or psychological blocks which affect the communication process. They are difficult to overcome. These
barriers act at physical, mental, emotional, and psychological levels. They contribute to failure of communication, or
cause miscommunication.”

Categories of Barriers:

Barriers can be categorized in three categories:

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Arising from sender/receiver’s personality:

Having the common frame of reference to encode and decode the message can prove helpful in avoiding this barrier.

Psychological barriers:

Psychology refers to the science of behaviour and mind. It is very important to understand the mindset of other person
during communication. When, during a communication process, receiver or sender doesn’t show the interest or
willingness, it leads to ineffective communication. Some common psychological barriers are as follows:

·        Lack of attention

·        Distrust

Lack of attention:

Paying attention is very important while communicating. If receiver’s mind is preoccupied and proper attention is not
paid while listening, the important information would get distorted and the result will be undesired. The listening skills
need to be improved to avoid psychological barriers. During oral communication, when the message has to travel
through long chains, the information contained in the message is usually lost fully or partially. Also, if the receiver is not
attentive while listening to the message, he may not retain the information for a long time hence the message will get
distorted leading to ineffective communication. Lack of attention also leads to premature evaluation of one’s message.

Distrust: In a communication setup, if there is no mutual understanding and trust between the sender and the receiver,
it may lead to misunderstanding and message distortion. There should be harmony between the sender and receiver
while communicating.

·        Difference in perception:

Our personality is shaped by the socio-cultural milieu that surrounds us. Our perception is formed by culture, family,
religious beliefs, geographical area we belong to, the literature etc. This in turn determines our temperament such as
extrovert/introvert, calm, pleasing, soft-spoken etc. Being too rigid in the perspective and having a closed mindset
makes it difficult for one to understand other’s point of view. This easily leads to misunderstanding and
misinterpretation of a message. If the person is pessimist, he will negatively perceive the situations. People like these are
not good for the working environment.

The famous phrase “Is the glass half empty or half filled” helps to understand the person’s perception and mindset.

·        Rigidity in thoughts:

Rigidity is opposite of flexibility and acceptance. Hence, people with rigid thoughts fail to understand other’s views and
ideas. They are also incapable of adapting to changing situations. Close to them is “know it all’s”. These people believe
that they know everything. Words that represent such personalities are- always, never, everyone, all etc and phrases like
“no one will believe you” “it is always done this way” etc. People will rigid thoughts express friction to change around
them making them difficult to adapt in fast changing situation. These people act as barriers to effective
communication.

Overcoming plan:

1.   Develop empathy and flexibility

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2.   Provide positive criticism

3.   Create mutual understanding

4.   Maintain positive body language

5.   Avoid stereotypes which shape the behaviour

Related to Interpersonal transactions:

Interpersonal transaction refers to relationship between sender and receiver, subordinate and superior, management
and employees. Major factor resulting in this barrier is the company’s policy and employees’ frame of reference.
Language skills, semantics, cultural background can decide the frame of reference.

Frame of reference:

Lack of proper language skills, vocabulary to express the emotions properly result in limited frame of reference.

Semantic barriers:

Semantics refers to the study of meaning in the language. So, semantic barrier is the obstruction caused by the
language and choice of words during communication. Improper encoding and decoding of message, incorrect
translation, use of jargons etc leads to semantic barriers.

Some of the semantic barriers are as follows:

1.   Badly expressed messages

2.   Use of technical words/ Jargons

3.   Symbol and words with multiple meanings

Badly Expressed message: The use of wrong words, incorrect grammar and vocabulary and omission of important
words leads to distortion in the meaning and intention of message which leads to misunderstanding. There are times
when the message lacks important information which results in misinterpretation and unclarified assumptions. Hence,
the receiver doesn’t understand the message properly leading to semantic barriers. There are many cases when the
members participating in the communication don’t understand a common language. In that case, the message needs
to be translated. But faulty or incorrect translations can easily change the actual meaning and can cause obstruction in
effective communication.

Use of technical words/jargons: Jargons are technical terms related to a particular area of study. These are the terms
which are not understood by everyone. When the specialists use these terms while explaining something to the non-
specialized people, they may fail to understand the meaning of such words. Thus, use of jargons can lead to barrier in
effective communication.

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Symbols and words with multiple meanings: there are many words in English language which have similar spelling but
different pronunciation and meaning and vice versa. These are known as homonyms. A person who doesn’t understand
the meaning and usage of such words can invite trouble for himself. Semantic barrier is not only limited to the verbal
communication. A lot depends on the non verbal communication, which involves gestures, face expressions, body
language as well. Non-verbal symbols may carry more than one meaning. The verbal and non verbal language need to
be in coordination with each other to avoid misinterpretation of message. Eg:

·        Call me a cab.

·        It is not easy to resume work without a resume

·        I didn’t object to the object

Cultural Barriers:

When people of different cultural backgrounds communicate with each other, there may be many hindrances during
the process. These hindrances may arise because of language differences, culture’s norms, religion, nationalities etc.
Since, employees in an organisation also belong to various countries and religions, it is important to understand
profoundness of everyone’s culture. When employees fail to respect each other’s dissimilarities and differences, it
results in cultural barriers. Main reasons behind this barrier are Stereotyping, prejudices, pre-evaluation etc.

Emotional interference:

Emotional barriers to communication are generally due to insufficient emotional awareness or control. On one hand,
emotions can guide us and help us be expressive but if they are not handled properly, it can lead to unfruitfulness. Other
than IQ, organisations these days are looking for employees who also have good EQ, i.e. Emotional Quotient. Major
emotional factors that may interfere in communication are Anger, Pride, Anxiety, Stress, Low self-esteem.

Overcoming plan:

1.   Use body language sparingly

2.   Don’t use jargons

3.   Know more about connotations and denotations

4.   Make the context clear

5.   Try to understand and respect each other’s differences

6.   Avoid passing comments or innuendos about culture

7.   Always use polite undertone

8.   Treat your phobias and issues

9.   Maintain proper work-life balance

Organisational barriers

Most of the barriers affecting the communication in workplace can be categorised under organisational barriers. These
are related to rules and regulations, organisation structure, various channels of the organisation, etc.

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Organisational Policy and facilities:

Proper organisational facilities such as complaint box, suggestion box, social and cultural gathering are very important
for the proper flow of communication. If the free flow of communication is not provided in organisational policy, it leads
to the barriers to communication. Complex channels of communication in the organisation lead to delay and distortion
in message which is another reason of barrier to communication. Unnecessary rigidity in rules and regulations can also
interfere in the free flow of communication.

Lack of proper organisational facilities further leads to many other issues such as:

·        Attitude of superiors: If the attitude of superiors is unfavourable towards the other employees, this will break the
harmony and will work against the flow of effective communication

·        Lack of awareness: When there is lack of awareness about the importance of communication, it also acts as a
barrier.

·        Unwilling to communicate: If the subordinates feel that passing on information to the higher authorities may
trouble them, they may not share the information. In many cases, Superiors generally perceive their subordinates as
under confident and less capable which affect the performance of subordinates. Because of the hierarchies,
subordinates may also try to manipulate the information for their own benefit.

·        Lack of proper incentive: Without proper incentives, subordinates may not feel motivated enough to communicate
within the organisation. Eg. When asked to give an input, if the higher management doesn’t show interest, subordinates
will also not feel comfortable to share the information.

Technological Barriers:

For a business to hold out and remain alive, technological advancements play an important role. Without constant
investments to improve technology that determines the growth of an organisation, it holds a higher risk of lagging
behind. However, introduction of new technologies may also result in various problems. If not implemented properly, the
devices that are supposed to save our time may rather lead to wastage and thus can become a reason of barrier to
communication.

Various reasons behind technical barriers are: Improper training, limited resources, lack of innovation etc.

Physiological Barriers:

Physiological barriers include problems related to sender or receiver’s physical state. It also includes distance between
receiver and sender. It also arises due to the lack of proper medium and channel. External noise, hearing or speaking
disabilities will count under Physiological barriers.

Some of the main physical/physiological barriers are:

1.   Environment

2.   Distance

3.   Medium

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Environment: if either the sender or receiver is in an unfavourable environment, it will act as a barrier. Eg. If the receiver is
talking and there is noise behind him, lots of important information may get lost because of external noise.

Distance: if the communication is not face to face, it may also give rise to various problems like misinterpretation,
misunderstanding, incorrect encoding of message etc.

Medium: As in the language, there is a difference in selecting the medium of formal and informal communication. The
formal communication should be formally documented and should be emailed properly whereas we can choose any
medium we are comfortable with during informal communication.

Overcoming plan:

1.   Maintain proper interpersonal relations between superiors and subordinates

2.   Use proper medium (spoken, written, non-verbal) and channel (face to face, telephone,video conference) while
communicating

3.   Avoid sending long emails

4.   Use concrete words while giving feedback

7 Cs to achieve effective communication

Completeness

Your message is complete when you have given everything that is required to induce a reaction from the audience
(reader). Your message needs to be complete in all terms of data and facts. To accomplish this you need to follow this
guideline:

·        Offer all necessary records

·        Answer all questions requested

·        Give something extra, if preferred

Conciseness

Conciseness means to deliver your message in the least possible words, meaning in a nut shell. While following
conciseness do not in any case sacrifice the other principles of communication. To write your message concise comply
these guidelines:

·        Discard prolonged expressions

·        Only add relevant facts

·        Avoid pointless repetition

Consideration

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This means preparing every message keeping the receiver’s in mind; try to put yourself in reader’s place. You are
foremost aware of their desires, problems, circumstances, emotions and probable to your request, then prepare your
message. This thoughtful consideration is also called “you attitude”. There are three specific ways to consider your
receiver’s are:

·        Emphasis on “You” in place of “I” or “We”

·        Be sure benefits are prominent

·        Consciously use positive information

Concreteness

Communication focuses on sharing concrete information. Be precise about your data. The ideas in your message
should be well established. It means you should be sure of what you are communicating not unsure or indefinite try to
use energetic voice in preference to passive voice in your message. Use words which the reader can relate to and make
out in real life. The following guidelines should help you compose concrete and convincing messages:

·        Use specific facts and figures

·        Put action in your verbs

·        Choose vivid and image-building words

Clarity

The reader should not get harassed after reading your message. You must be accurate in what you need to say. To
achieve clarity we should follow these guiding principles:

·        Choose easy and familiar phrases

·        Construct effective sentences and paragraphs

Courtesy

Courtesy is politeness, respect and consideration for others. It is not merely politeness with mechanical insertions of
please and thank you, but it means much more. It is being aware of other people’s values and feelings and respecting
them. Remember that a more courteous message will leave a good and lasting impression on your receiver. Courteous
communication generates a special tone in writing and speaking. For courtesy in your messages the guideline is:

·        Be absolutely thoughtful and appreciative

·        Use expression which show respect

·        Use of non discriminatory expressions

Correctness

This last of the seven C’S focuses on correctness in grammar, punctuation and spellings as well as in facts and
information. Not only this, you have to check whether the information you are giving in your message is accurate or not.
Guideline for correctness:

·        Select the right level of language

·        Confirm accuracy of information, figures and statistics

·        Use suitable medium of messages

Additions:

Confidence

Keep in mind when you communicate you should demonstrate confidence in yourself because this will influence the
receiver’s mind. If a person tells a truth half-heartedly and without much self-confidence people tend not to believe, but
if the same person tells a lie with full confidence people usually believe what is being said. So the sender should always
show confidence in one’s self. Try not to use words which mirror that you don’t have much confidence, for example I
trust, I accept, I think, perhaps

    Conversational Tone                                    

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This implies that you should set up your message in such a way that the beneficiary is directly before you. The reader
ought to read as though conversing with you vis-à-vis rather than simply of just reading a piece of paper. This means
that your message need to be formal to a limit not over the edge formal, if this happens the reader will lose enthusiasm
in the message and you might fail to get a coveted response.

Summary:

Effective communication is not only necessary in the workplace but also for the development of cordial relations with
everyone
It is necessary to understand the reason behind the barriers to overcome them efficiently.
Barriers have categories such as related to sender’s and receiver’s personality, interpersonal relations and
organisational network
The personality such as perception, thoughts and psychology obstructs the communication.
Frame of reference and emotional intelligence, the sub categories of interpersonal relations also acts as a barrier
Organisational rules, technological barriers and physiological conditions also impede the effective communication.
7 Cs of effective communication can be used to overcome these barriers and communicate effectively

References:

1.   www.proofhub.com/articles/effective-communication

2.   www.thoughtco.com/what-is-jargon-1691202

3.   https://nptel.ac.in/courses/109/104/109104030/

4.   https://www.capitalism.com/effective-business-communication/

5.   https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business-communication/barriers-to-business-communication-business-
management/70120

6.   https://www.dcslsoftware.com/8-business-technology-barriers-and-how-to-overcome-them/

7.   https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/communication/barriers-to-effective-business-communication-in-
an-organisation/2360

8.   https://drexel.edu/goodwin/professional-studies-blog/overview/2018/July/6-barriers-to-effective-communication/

9.   https://www.marketing91.com/barriers-to-communication/

10. https://www.lifehack.org/593804/barriers-to-communication

11. https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html

12. https://www.typetalk.com/blog/overcoming-emotional-barriers-to-communication/

Web links for reference

https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/9-effective-communication-skills/

https://www.toolshero.com/communication-skills/7cs-of-communication/

E-books(PDF links)

http://promeng.eu/downloads/training-materials/ebooks/soft-skills/effective-communication-skills.pdf

Further Readings:

Journals Papers:

1.   https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323794732_Barriers_to_Effective_Communication

2.   http://www.peakwriting.com/UMUC/barriers_effective.pdf

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3.   http://joell.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/114-115BARRIERS-TO-EFFECTIVE-COMMUNICATION.pdf

Video Links:

 1.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=75&v=6-hf5uXeWpQ&feature=emb_logo

2.   

3.   

Books and links for buying online

1.   Roshan Lal Raina, Courtl, L. Bove, John V. Thill. Business Communication Today, 14th Edition. English, Paperback

2.   V Bastin Jerome. S Joseph Xavier, Business Communication. English, Paperback, Educreation Publishing

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