Scribd
Upload
25 views5 pages

Barriers To Communication

The document discusses various barriers to effective communication, categorizing them into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational types. It outlines steps to identify and address communication problems, emphasizing the importance of understanding different backgrounds and perceptions. Additionally, it highlights the impact of noise and organizational structures on communication flow, recommending strategies for improvement.

Uploaded by

rinivaishnavi26
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
25 views5 pages

Barriers To Communication

The document discusses various barriers to effective communication, categorizing them into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational types. It outlines steps to identify and address communication problems, emphasizing the importance of understanding different backgrounds and perceptions. Additionally, it highlights the impact of noise and organizational structures on communication flow, recommending strategies for improvement.

Uploaded by

rinivaishnavi26
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
You are on page 1/ 5

Barriers to Communication

Communication is effective only if it creates the desired impact on the receiver.


There are numerous barriers associated with communication. These need to be
addressed in order to ensure that no gap occurs in the communication cycle. If a
particular communication fails to evoke the desired response, the following five steps
can help solve the problem:

• Identify the problem


• Opt for the best solution
• Find the cause/barrier
• Follow up rigorously
• Work on alternative solutions

The first step—identifying the problem—is the most difficult. We first realize
that there is a problem when we do not receive the desired feedback. To identify the
problem correctly, it is mandatory that the feedback be analysed carefully. For
example, you have asked your subordinate to write a bimonthly report. When you ask
him about the delay, he replies that he was asked to produce the report bimonthly. The
problem here is that to you the term bimonthly meant twice in a month, whereas to
your subordinate it meant once in two months. Later, you look up the dictionary and
find that bimonthly means twice a month as well as once in two months!

Noise

Noise is defined as any unplanned interference in the communication environment,


which affects the transmission of the message. Noise can be classified as channel and
semantic. Channel noise is any interference in the mechanics of the medium used to
send a message. channel noise develops externally, semantic noise is generated
internally, resulting from errors in the message itself.

CLASSIFICATION OF BARRIERS

Barriers are classified according to the process of message formation and


delivery. It is identified into three types:

• Intrapersonal • Interpersonal • Organizational

Intrapersonal Barriers

The common causes that lead to these intrapersonal barriers:

• Wrong assumptions
• Varied perceptions
• Differing background
Wrong assumptions

Many barriers stem from wrong assumptions. For example, when a doctor tells
her patient that he has to take some medicine only ‘SOS’ (i.e., during an emergency),
without knowing whether the patient understands the term ‘SOS’, she is creating a
barrier in their communication

Wrong assumptions are generally made because the sender or the receiver does not
have adequate knowledge about the other’s background or entertains certain false
concepts, which are fixed in his/her mind.

Varied perceptions

Individuals in an organization perceive the same situation in different ways. Let


us take the case of disagreement between two individuals. If you are close to one of
them, you are likely to be biased. You may perceive your friend’s arguments as
correct, and hence, may not be able to appreciate his/her opponent’s point of view. It
is all a matter of perception. The best way to overcome this barrier is to step back and
take a wider, unbiased perspective of the issue.

Differing backgrounds

No two persons have the same background. Backgrounds can be different due
to different education, culture, language, environment, financial status, etc. Our
background plays a significant role in how we interpret a message. At times,
something not experienced earlier is difficult to interpret or appreciate. o enhance
communication skills, it is necessary to know the background of the audience. This
information can accordingly be used to construct the message. Empathy or
identification with another person is the solution to this barrier.

Wrong inferences

Inferences are more dramatic than facts, and for this reason they can provide
more scope for gossip and rumour to spread. When professionals analyse material,
solve problems, and plan procedures, it is essential that inferences be supported by
facts.

Blocked categories

Information that does not conform to our personal views, habits, and attitudes,
or appears unfavourable to us, we tend to react negatively or even disbelieve it.
Rejection, distortion, and avoidance are three common, undesirable, and negative
reactions to unfavourable information. This is a result of having a closed mind. Such
people are called misoneists. They tend to ignore variations and differences, which
leads to unreliable conclusions. Such people fall into blocked categories, because they
may not be able to accept any deviation from their points of view.

Categorical thinking

People who feel that they ‘know it all’ are called pansophists. This type of
thinking exists in people who feel that they know everything about a particular
subject, and therefore refuse to accept any further information on that topic.

To sum up, good communicators should:

• Be non-judgemental
• Be empathetic
• Not assume anything
• Stick to the subject
• Listen, and above all, paraphrase
• Remember that generalizations do not always hold good in all situations

Interpersonal Barriers

Intrapersonal barriers stem from an individual’s attitudes or habits, whereas


interpersonal barriers occur due to the inappropriate transaction of words between two
or more people. The two broad categories into which these barriers can be classified
are:

• Inefficient communication skills • Negative aspect nurturing in the climate

The second point refers to a situation when negative tendencies nurtured by


some people affect others around them. This leads to a barrier as individuals start
thinking only negative.

Interpersonal barriers creep in as a result of the limitations in the


communication skills of the encoder or the decoder, or of both. In addition, they may
also occur because of some disturbance in the channel or medium of communication.

The most common reasons for interpersonal barriers are:

1. Limited vocabulary
2. Incompatibility (clash) of verbal and non-verbal messages
3. Emotional outburst
4. Communication selectivity
5. Cultural variations
6. Poor listening skills
7. Noise in the channel

Organizational Barriers
Communication barriers are not only limited to an individual or two people but
exist in entire organizations. Every organization, irrespective of its size, has its own
communication techniques, and each nurtures its own communication climate.

In large organizations where the flow of information is downward, feedback is not


guaranteed.

Most large companies are realizing that a rigid, hierarchical structure usually
restricts the flow of communication. This is because there are numerous transfer
points for communication to flow in these hierarchical systems, and each of these
points has the potential to distort, delay, or lose the message. To obviate this, there
should be direct contact between the sender and the receiver with minimum transfer
stations. If the message is presented orally, this further reduces the dependence on
transfer stations.

The main organizational barriers are as follows:

• Too many transfer stations


• Fear of superiors
• Negative tendencies
• Use of inappropriate media
• Information overload

You might also like