TOPIC= E.C.

I - eloborate any three sterotypes that can act as a barrier in

comminication.

Stereotypes are oversimplified and generalized beliefs or ideas about a particular

group of people. They can act as a barrier in communication by leading to
misunderstandings, prejudice, and discrimination. Here are three common stereotypes
that can affect communication:

Racial Stereotypes: These stereotypes are based on a person's race or ethnicity,

and they can cause communication barriers by creating preconceived notions about an
individual's behavior, attitude, and values. For example, assuming that all Asians
are good at math or that all African Americans are athletic can lead to
misunderstandings and misinterpretations during communication.

Gender Stereotypes: These stereotypes are based on a person's gender, and they can
affect communication by creating assumptions about an individual's behavior,
interests, and abilities. For instance, assuming that all women are emotional or
that all men are aggressive can lead to miscommunications, as individuals may not
feel comfortable expressing themselves or may feel misunderstood.

Age Stereotypes: These stereotypes are based on a person's age, and they can create
communication barriers by making assumptions about an individual's level of
experience, knowledge, or abilities. For example, assuming that all older people
are resistant to change or that all younger people lack experience and wisdom can
lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication.

What do Barriers to Effective Communication Mean?

What is Communication?
Communication is crucial to the existence and survival of humans as well as an
individual. In other words, communication is the exchange of information between
two entities. Every action of ours can be seen as a means to communicate. This
exchange is not necessarily in words only. It could be a gesture like a raised
eyebrow or waving to a friend when you spot them in a crowd. Communication means
sharing something with another person or a group of people.

What are Communication Barriers?

A communication barrier is anything that comes in the way of receiving and
understanding messages that one sends to another to convey his ideas, thoughts, or
any other kind of information. These various barriers of communication block or
interfere with the message that someone is trying to send. There are numerous
barriers to effective communication that can come in the way. It happens because
the message sent by the sender might not be understood exactly as it is meant to
be. It can get distorted during the communication exchange. These different types
of communication barriers can come at any stage in the process of communication. It
can come because of the bias or stereotyping and generalization that exists in the
workplace.

9 Common Effective Barriers to Effective Communication

A skilled communicator needs to have information about the different types of
barriers to effective communication and try to prevent them. These barriers to
effective communication can be overcome by active listening, reflection, etc. The
communicator must seek feedback from the receiver of the information to check if
the message was understood in its true sense. Listed below are some of the common
barriers to effective communication.
Using Jargon:

If one uses unfamiliar terms or over-complicated technical terms, it could not be

understood well.

Lack of Attention or Interest:

If the message is irrelevant to the receiver or there are distractions around (like
others speaking at the same time) then the message might not be communicated
properly.

Perception Difference:

If two people see things differently then their viewpoints might come in the way
of deciphering the message correctly.

Physical Disabilities:

If the receiver has hearing problems, or the speaker has speech disabilities, then
communication will not be effective. It will distort the message.

Emotional Barriers:

Sensitive topics make it difficult for the speaker or the receiver to engage
properly in the communication exchange. It could also be that some people are not
comfortable expressing themselves; hence their words might not reflect the true
meaning of what they want to convey. Topics that may be taboo or off-limits for
some people are politics, religion, mental or physical disabilities, racism,
sexuality, and any other unpopular options.

The Difference in Culture:

Social interactions have different norms in different cultures. For example, the
idea of space exists in some cultures and social settings but not in the same form
in others. These cultural differences could prevent effective communication.

Physical Barriers to Communication:

A face-to-face communication has a lot of parts to the communication than just the
words. Facial expressions, body language, gestures, etc. are also involved in the
whole communication process. If you can’t see the person, then some messages might
get lost. Text messages, phone calls, etc. are some of the technological ways of
communicating which lack the effect of a personal meeting.

Language Difference:

The difference in dialects of different regions or unfamiliar accents can make it

difficult to understand the message sent.

Prejudices:
Most people have preconceived notions about many things; hence they hear only what
they want to listen to, not what is being said. These false assumptions and
stereotyping lead to barriers in communication.

How to Overcome Barriers to Effective Communication?

Following are the different measures to overcome effective communication:

Ideas should be Clear before Communication

The person sending the message should have clear ideas in his mind about what he
wants to convey. He should know the objective of the message and accordingly, he
should arrange his thoughts in a systematized way.

Sender should Communicate According to the Receiver’s Needs

The sender should frame the structure of the message not according to his own level
or ability but should keep in mind the level, understanding, and environment of the
receiver.

Consult Others before Communication

During Communication planning, suggestions should be invited from all the concerned
persons. Its main benefit is that all those people who are involved in the
communication planning will contribute to the success of the communication system.

Be Aware of the Tone, Content, and Language of the Message

The sender should consider that the message should be transmitted in a clear,
precise, and easy language. The tone of the message should not hurt the feeling of
the receiver. Hence, try to formulate the content of the message in brief and
ensure to avoid technical words.

Convey Things that is Helpful to Listener

The content of the message should be helpful and valuable to the receiver. The need
and interest of the receiver should be kept in mind before communicating.
Communication becomes more effective in such situations.

Ensure to getting Proper Feedback

The aim of getting feedback is to find whether the receiver has properly understood
the meaning of the message received. While communicating face to face, the reaction
on the face of the receiver can be easily understood.

Message should be Consistent

The message sent to the receiver should not be inconsistent. The information
transferred should be in accordance with the objective, programs, policies, and
techniques of the organization. When a new message is sent in place of the old
message, a sender should always mention it as it will create confusion.

Follow Up Communication
To make the communication effective, the manager should attempt to know the
weakness of the communication system. In this condition, effort should be made to
know whether it is appropriate to focus more on formal communication or informal
communication.
Be a Good Listener
Both sender and receiver must be good listeners in the communication process. Both
should understand each other's points of view with patience, attention, and a
positive attitude. A receiver can receive much relevant information if he is a good
listener.

What are the Different Ways of Improving Communication?

The different ways of improving communication are:

To be a good communicator, the foremost step is to communicate well.

Have a positive attitude about communication

Constantly work at improving communication skills

Help managers and employees to improve their communication skills by making them
understand their barriers.

Consider the effects of miscommunications

Always try to use assertive and active voice while communicating.

When you are being communicated to, list down the important points in
communication. This is the most effective way to ensure that there is no
miscommunication.

Try to speak in the right tone as most miscommunication happens because either of
the parties involved was not speaking in the right tone.

Common Communication Barriers And How To Overcome Them

The first step in resolving communication issues is to find the barriers to
communication. Knowing the obstacles will allow you to find the root cause of most
problems and deal with them more effectively. Some of the commonly encountered
communication barriers are:

Stress

Attitude

Language barriers

Excessive Information

Abbreviations and acronyms

Cultural differences

Geographical barriers

Stress

In any interpersonal interaction, the speakers' emotional states dictate how the
conversation will continue. For example, if someone is stressed or anxious, they
may get distracted easily. If someone is worried about personal problems, they
might not be able to concentrate on your message. Anger also causes people to
misinterpret one another and regret the consequences later.
In addition to the state of mind, the personality of a person also changes the
effectiveness of communication. For example, a shy person is often intimidated by
the prospect of saying something important to avoid being hurt or to prevent
themselves from hurting someone else. Similarly, assertive people can often appear
dominant.

Modifying your approach in these situations can change the conversation into a more
positive experience. It requires tolerance and compassion to talk with people under
stress. Here's what you can do to ease the tension:

Listen to what the other person says carefully and understand it instead of just
hearing them.
Avoid distracting yourself.
Avoid interrupting that person unnecessarily.
Provide visible cues, make eye contact and nod when appropriate to indicate your
involvement.
If the other person interrupts you, use a polite but assertive tone to stop them.
Mention the reason why they must hear what you have to say.
This approach reduces negative emotions, and the person you interact with is likely
to become more receptive to your message. It's a successful method employed by
leadership in workplaces to manage people effectively. You can use this technique
outside the workplace, too.

Attitude
Attitude is another prime example of a barrier to communication. The perspective of
a person in a conversation depends on their opinions, conflicts, motivations and
prejudices. It also depends on your interpersonal relationship.

For example, people may have strong opinions on some issues or behave with
prejudice, which causes disagreements. These disagreements can aggravate people and
become conflicts if not resolved quickly.

A positive attitude also depends on motivation. A highly motivated individual can

be more positive in a conversation and give enhanced results. Someone with low
enthusiasm is less likely to listen to other people, resulting in decreased
productivity and difficulties in training.

However, there is a way to change this attitude:

Acknowledge the opinion of the other person, even if your opinion is different, to
prevent that disagreement from becoming a conflict.
When dealing with people who are prejudiced, you must discard any bias of your own.
This gives the other person a reason to leave their preconceived notions behind.
Reaching out to find the root cause of their perceived bias will make it easier for
that person to work with you.
Increase motivation among your colleagues or trainees by appreciating an excellent
performance. Avoid blaming or shaming people for mistakes. Instead, show them how
to avoid those errors. Creating an atmosphere of support will ensure that people
notice your knowledge, which will encourage them to listen to you of their own
accord.
Language barriers
Language plays a critical role in any conversation. If you're fluent in a language
and the other person is not, the use of unknown words or phrases can lead to
confusion and misunderstanding. The tone and pace of your speech can also affect
that person's ability to understand you. Speaking too fast with an inaudible or
muffled voice will result in repeated questions or loss of interest.

When you are in charge of training new people on account of your specialised
knowledge, this distorted speech can make it challenging to explain complicated
concepts. These problems prevent some talented individuals from performing to the
best of their ability.

You need to think from the listeners' viewpoint to understand why they have
problems in understanding what you speak. Here are some additional tips to solve
this problem:

Use simple language with an informal tone.

Make complicated concepts easy to understand. Start with the basics and check for
gaps in knowledge along the way.
Break down detailed ideas into manageable sections of information.
Use examples or demonstrations to put the information in context.
Speak clearly and with a steady, slow pace.
Make sure to follow up and confirm if your target audience has understood the
message clearly.
Excessive information
When you possess specialised knowledge, it can be tempting to demonstrate as much
of it as possible. Providing too much information is a common pitfall in pitch
meetings, presentations or customer-facing roles. It leads to disorientation and
loss of interest.

Use the following tips to improve your judgment in offering the right amount of
information:

At first, provide only the required amount of data to gauge the level of
comprehension among your listeners. Provide additional information when they raise
questions or don't understand something.
When you are giving presentations, use bullet points and graphics instead of typing
large blocks of text. Then expand on those bullet points verbally to keep
engagement levels high and to keep the attention of your audience focused on you.
Reserve some time for questions at the end of your presentation or pitch. You can
use this time to provide any extra details which add value to your efforts.
When showcasing a product to customers, highlight the characteristics that make the
product stand out. If they ask more questions, you can provide the relevant
information and keep them interested enough to convert them into leads.
Abbreviations and acronyms
Short forms and jargon are useful in shortening sentences and conversations.
Usually, most people learn these technical terms during their education in a
particular industry or from their professional experience.

However, people who are switching careers often experience difficulty in

understanding or memorising the terminology of the target sector. For instance, a
mechanical engineer transitioning into sales may find the terms CRM and ERP
confusing. Experienced professionals working in the sales industry know that CRM
means Customer Relationship Management and ERP means Enterprise Resource Planning,
as well as the difference between the two.

Explaining such complicated jargon in your conversations allows new colleagues to

get accustomed to the way of communication in your sector, increases their
participation and makes them feel more included.

Cultural differences
Communication and interaction vary significantly among different cultures. Cultural
background dictates accent, tone and style of speech in addition to the gestures
and body movements in day-to-day interaction.

For example, many colleagues call each other on a first-name basis in the west.
However, in some countries, colleagues still address people in higher positions
with the title ‘sir' as a sign of respect and authority. When a crossover happens,
some people in senior roles might feel awkward when addressed in such a manner.
Conversely, some of them may feel insulted when a colleague calls them using their
first name.

You can avoid such instances by knowing the internal working ethic of an
organisation before starting work. If that's not possible, you can observe how
people behave around each other and adapt your behaviour accordingly over time.

Geographical barriers
Communication barriers are not always rooted in physical interaction. In a global
workplace, people connect with their coworkers through technological means such as
phones, email and social media. This indirect form of communication gives you more
control over your thoughts and words. However, you cannot use facial expressions or
gestures to express your ideas effectively unless you are in a video conference.

In this situation, use your etiquette and take time to express your thoughts
concisely. When accessing text-based channels, you can reword your content, include
appropriate greetings and direct the flow to maximise the impact of your message.
If you are on the phone, you need to account for connectivity issues which force
you to speak with a louder volume and at a slower pace.