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Barriers of Communication

Barriers of Communication identifies several common barriers to effective communication, including environmental noise that disrupts messages, physiological impairments that prevent reception of intended messages, semantic differences that lead to different interpretations, poor grammar that disrupts meaning, unclear organization that causes confusion, cultural assumptions that lead to misunderstandings, and psychological states like anger or autism that hamper focus. Barriers to communication in the workplace include job dissatisfaction reducing engagement, inability to listen actively, lack of transparency and trust, differences in communication styles, unresolved conflicts between parties, and unrecognized cultural or language differences that risk offense.

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Raymond Manalang
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77 views2 pages

Barriers of Communication

Barriers of Communication identifies several common barriers to effective communication, including environmental noise that disrupts messages, physiological impairments that prevent reception of intended messages, semantic differences that lead to different interpretations, poor grammar that disrupts meaning, unclear organization that causes confusion, cultural assumptions that lead to misunderstandings, and psychological states like anger or autism that hamper focus. Barriers to communication in the workplace include job dissatisfaction reducing engagement, inability to listen actively, lack of transparency and trust, differences in communication styles, unresolved conflicts between parties, and unrecognized cultural or language differences that risk offense.

Uploaded by

Raymond Manalang
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Barriers of Communication

Objectives:
A. Identify and explain the barriers of communication
B. Give some ways on how to resolve the barriers of communication

BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION
In any communication model, noise is interference with the decoding of messages sent
over a channel by an encoder. There are many examples of noise:
 Environmental noise. Noise that physically disrupts communication, such as standing
next to loud speakers at a party, or the noise from a construction site next to a classroom
making it difficult to hear the professor.

 Physiological-impairment noise. Physical maladies that prevent effective


communication, such as actual deafness or blindness preventing messages from being
received as they were intended.

 Semantic noise. Different interpretations of the meanings of certain words. For example,
the word "weed" can be interpreted as an undesirable plant in a yard, or as a euphemism
for marijuana.

 Syntactical noise. Mistakes in grammar can disrupt communication, such as abrupt


changes in verb tense during a sentence.

 Organizational noise. Poorly structured communication can prevent the receiver from
accurate interpretation. For example, unclear and badly stated directions can make the
receiver even more lost.

 Cultural noise. Stereotypical assumptions can cause misunderstandings, such as


unintentionally offending a non-Christian person by wishing them a "Merry Christmas".

 Psychological noise. Certain attitudes can also make communication difficult. For
instance, great anger or sadness may cause someone to lose focus on the present
moment. Disorders such as autism may also severely hamper effective communication.

Barriers to Effective Communication in a Workplace

 Dissatisfaction or Disinterest With One’s Job


If you are unhappy or have lost interest in your job, you are far less likely to communicate
effectively – both on the giving and receiving ends. In other words, your heart isn’t in it. This
barrier, is perhaps the most difficult to overcome because it involves changing a mindset, and
thus it typically doesn’t change until the person leaves.

 Inability to Listen to Others


Active listening is an important aspect of effective communication. You cannot engage with
someone if you are not listening to them because you will tend to make assumptions about their
needs based on your perceptions versus reality.

 Lack of Transparency & Trust


It is extremely difficult to communicate anything when there is a lack of transparency and trust.
For example, if your staff believes you are holding something back, they will be anxious, some
will speculate, and as a result, it will be more difficult for them to process any attempt you make
to communicate with them.

 Communication Styles (when they differ)


Everyone has their own communication style. Some people are very direct while others prefer a
more indirect approach. Some use detailed data, while others rely on generalities, and so forth.
Occasionally, one person is so entrenched in their way of communicating, they find it difficult to
communicate with others who rely on a different style. You might hear comments such as,
“Mary never explains what she wants me to do, she’s never specific” or “Bill gets so caught up
in the weeds, that I lose focus on the bigger picture.”

 Conflicts in the Workplace


Conflict can happen for a variety of reasons and when it does, it becomes a barrier to effective
communication. The nature of the conflict is not necessarily important, what is important is
working to resolve the conflict. When conflict is not eradicated, it grows and then people begin
to take sides, which further impedes effective communication.

 Cultural Differences & Language


It is important to understand the cultural differences in communication. But don’t just think
international as in remembering that in Japan one’s surname precedes their given name. There
can also be regional differences – for example, a northerner might not like the term "y’all" or
even understand the more comprehensive version, "all y’all." While these examples may seem
trivial, the point is that cultural differences can occur within the boundaries of the US, and when
one does not recognize cultural differences, they risk offending the other person. It is in the
offense that communication breaks down.

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