Communication Barrier

A conversation or even an online chat or string of mobile texts leads to a terrible misunderstanding and all of a sudden all hopes for reaching an agreement go right out of the window that is where communication barrier plays its role.

Communication is any exchange of information between two entities. A communication barrier is anything that prevents you from receiving and understanding the messages that others want to convey in form of information, ideas and thoughts. Most people would agree that communication between two indidviduals should be simple.

There are many reasons why interpersonal Communication may fail. In many communications the message may not be received exactly the way the sender intended. It is important that the communicator seeks feedback to check that their message is clearly understood.

There are many barriers to communication and these may occur at any stage in the communication process. Barriers may lead to your message becoming distorted ant you may risk wasting both time and money by causing confusion and misunderstanding. It is important to remember that there are differences between talking and communicating. When we talk we tend to erect barriers that hinder our ability to communicate.

Common barriers to effective Communication :

1.            The use of jargon

2.            Emotional barriers

3.            Lack of attention, interest, distractions or irrelevance

4.            Differences in perception and viewpoint

5.            Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties

6.            Physical barriers to non-verbal communication

7.            Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents

8.            Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions

9.            Cultural differences

10.          People often hear what they expect to hear rater than what is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions (Poor listening skills)

11.          Environmental barriers

12.          Timing barriers

Many company have difficulties due to Communication issues. There are five key barriers that can occur within a company those are: language, cultural diversity, gender differences, status differences and physical separation.

Effective communication invovles overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and concise message. Barriers can be overcome by the skilled Communication like below:

1.            Active listening

2.            Use simple language

3.            Give constructive feedback

Communication is not just about who says the right things or says the most perfect things, it is about who does the best listening.

To improve your overall Communication skills you need to be aware of and attempt to minimise any barriers to communication that are present.

Events and things people say to you are information, it is up to us how we respond to them.