Barriers to effective

communication
 Content:

1- Definition of communication barriers

2- Sender oriented communication barriers
3- Receiver oriented communication barriers
4- Explanation of different barriers and identification if they are
under or out of control in sender and receiver orientation

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Communication Barriers Defined:
Communication barriers can include anything
that disables communicators to deliver the right
message the right person at the right time or the
receiver to get the right message at the right time.

Sender oriented communication

barriers:

Sender oriented communication barriers could be

voluntary or involuntary. As the sender is the
originator of the message, he should be extremely
careful not to generate barriers.

If his interaction gives rise to or indicates that

there are barriers, the communication comes to a
grinding halt.

Receiver oriented communication

barriers:

The receiver can also have some barriers in the

course of the interaction. Although his role in the
initial phase is passive, he becomes active when
he starts assimilating and absorbing the
information. He is equally to blame if the
communication comes to stop or there is
miscommunication.

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Inference.
Communication quite often breaks down or
becomes an embarrassing affair if we keep
acting on an assumption without areing to seek
clarification.
For Sender: Out of Control
For Receiver: Under Control

Poor Expression.
Barriers relating to expression result in poorly
expressed messages. Lack of conceptual skills
results in inadequate or incomplete shaping of
the idea. Lack of clarity and ambiguity result
from limited word power, improper organization
of ideas and lack of coherence.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Out of Control
Inattention.
Sometimes people do not pay adequate
attention to the message. They do not listen to
the spoken words attentively. The
communication has no impact on those who are
unwilling to listen. Inattention arises due to lack
of interest, over stimulation and time pressure.
For Sender: Out of Control
For Receiver: Under Control
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Inconsistency.
Consistency is defined as “conformity in the
application of something, typically that which is
necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or
fairness.” A lack of consistency can be hugely
detrimental to communication and can leave
people feeling frustrated, alienated, and
confused.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Out of Control
Premature evaluation.
This premature evaluation is the possible
outcome of the message before it is transmitted
to the receiver. Such an evaluation may
prematurely conclude the message may not
bring the desired result, thereby he withholds
the message. This is an important psychological
factor of communication barrier.
For Sender: Out of Control
For Receiver: Under control

Semantic Barriers
Semantic refers to the relationship of signs to
their reference. It is the study of meaning in
language. The words usually have a variety of
meanings and the sender and the receiver have
to choose one meaning from among many.
When two individuals attach different meanings
to a word, a breakdown in communication can
occur. The use of jargon can also create a barrier
to communication.
For Sender: Out of Control
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For Receiver: Under Control

Emotions.
Emotional barriers to effective communication
represent the emotions that may hold you back
from communicating what you want to your
teammates. These emotions may also hold you
back from listening to others attentively and
accepting their point of view on matters
discussed.
These key emotional barriers include anger,
pride, and anxiety.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Under Control
Individual differences.
Communication Barriers created by the sender
and receiver are known as individual barriers.
This type of Barriers relates to the factors that
are personal to the sender and receiver and act
as a hindrance in the communication process.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Under Control

Physical barriers.
A physical barrier to communication can be
defined as an element or a physical factor that
acts as a distraction to hinder the flow of
communication. A physical barrier can be
natural or human-made and is easy to spot.
Noise, bad architecture and closed doors are all
physical barriers to listening. Even a network
disturbance due to a thunderstorm can be
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considered as one of the examples of physical
barriers. These physical factors could be Noise,
lighting or even obstacles like a wall or a closed
door.
For Sender: Out of Control
For Receiver: Out of Control

Lack of Feedback.
The speaker assumes the message is received
but has no feedback from the listener. This lack
of feedback means the speaker fails to modify
the message to help the listener better
understand the speaker's attitude and position.
For Sender: Out of control
For Receiver: Under Control

Insecurity.
Sometimes, we create our own emotional and
attitudinal barriers to communication. Insecurity
or fear about how someone may react may
cause you to carefully measure everything you
say, or avoid sharing what’s really on your mind
for fear it will be used against you or that others
will react negatively.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Out of Control

Pressure of Time.
The managers particularly those at higher work
under great pressure of time and they cannot
afford to interact and communicate frequently
with their subordinates. Such time pressure can
create communication problems between them.
For Sender: Out of Control
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For Receiver: Out of Control

Lack of Awareness.
Inadequate knowledge about the importance of
communication and its usefulness in various
ways, at times, the superiors may not give
desired attention to it. This may lead to
restricted or poor transmission of
communication affecting the organisation. This
can lead to inefficiency and mismanagement.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Under Control

Preoccupation of Superior.
A superior feels that there is no necessity to
communicate with him each and every matter,
as he is always preoccupied with his own work.
Supervisor’s involvement with their subordinate
is a major requirement for efficiency, which
many superiors ignore due to lack of time as an
excuse.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Out of Control

Lack of Interest.
lack of interest creates barriers to
communication, as a result of which the quality
of communication suffers. The intended
message is either not received at all or is
incomplete and, worse still, is understood
incorrectly.
For Sender: Out of Control
For Receiver: Under Control

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Lack of Trust in the Sender by the Receiver.
When a communicator (sender) frequently
alters the original communication, the receiver
at the other end will normally delay the action
warranted by the message. This happens due to
uncertain decisions often taken by the sender.
Thus, the communication becomes ineffective,
for various alterations and additions. This is an
example of lack of confidence on the part of the
sender.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Out of Control

Use of Wrong Medium

It is the responsibility of the sender of the
message to select the right medium. For
example, let us take despatch of letters from
one organisation to another at a distant place.
Whether the letter should go by an ordinary
mail of Speed post, Courier, FAX or email,
depends on the urgency of the action to be
taken at the receiving end. This aspect needs to
be decided by the sender himself at all times.
Thus, the sender must select a proper medium
of communication.
For Sender: Under Control
For Receiver: Out of Control

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