BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND METHODS TO OVERCOME THEM

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND METHODS TO OVERCOME THEM

Objectives

·         The various barriers to effective Communication

·         The basic techniques which can be used to overcome these barriers.

·         A broad understanding of the different types of Communication flow in an organization

Introduction

The transfer of information from the sender to the receiver, with the information being understood by the receiver, is known as communication. The problems which are likely to be encountered in a communication process and discuss how these can be

Overcome are discussed here. It includes:

·         Barriers to effective communication

·         How to overcome the barriers to effective communication.

·         Communication flow in an organisation (vertical, horizontal and diagonal).

·         Official and semi-official communication

Barriers to Effective Communication

There are many barriers which can come up at any stage of the communication process. Some of the more common barriers or obstructions to effective communication will be discussed. If these barriers are overcome, message is likely to be clearly understood. The main barriers to effective communication that we will discuss are:

·         Filtering

·         Psychological factors

·         Defensiveness

·         Language

·         Lack of planning

1.       Filtering

Filtering refers to the sender manipulating information so that it will be seen more favourably by the receiver. In this he / she sends only partial information concealing the slightly unpleasant bit of the information. Advertising commonly makes use of this technique. You may have noticed that several advertisements promise exciting deals. The unpleasant clauses are always filtered or kept in fine-print, so that you do not understand them.

2.      Psychological factors

The receiver in the communication process interprets the message based on his psychological makeup – his likes, dislikes, experiences, background and other personal characteristics. This factor should always be kept in mind while making communication.

3.       Defensiveness

When the receiver interprets the sender’s message as a threat, they often respond in ways that prevent effective communication. For example, when there is an upward communication in an organization, the subordinates due to fear or hesitation may not clearly express their thoughts or give the right feedback.

4.       Language

Language should be carefully chosen as it can lead to misunderstandings or distortions in the communication process. We must remember that words mean different things to different people. Meanings of words also change from culture to culture. All these factors should be kept in mind while communicating.

For example, in a tribal village, the tribal people used to consume water from a lake nearby. The government realized that in due course the water of that lake had become unsafe to drink. So the govt. put a board outside the lake “UNSAFE WATER, DO NOT CONSUME”. Yet the tribal people continued to use the water. WHY? It was because the board was printed in English…a language not known to the tribal people. Hence the communication was not effective due to language barrier.

5.      Lack of planning

Lack of Planning is one of the important reasons of poor communication or failure of communication. Communication is a complex process. To be a good communicator, a person has to:

·         Formulate his idea clearly

·         Understand the capabilities of the receiver.

·         Anticipate how his message can be misinterpreted and correct it in advance accordingly

·         Use simple, concise and precise language.

All this requires skill and good planning, which can be developed with practice.

Overcoming Barriers

The following tips should be kept in mind for effective communication:

·         The Planning for communication should be done properly. One must know what is to be communicated, to whom it is to be communicated and how it is to be communicated.

·         The sender should have a clear understanding of the receiver’s environment and should be able to visualize how the message will be understood by the receiver.

·         The message should be clear, concise and brief. Span of human attention is very short. Long, complicated sentences confuse people.

·         The tone of voice, the choice of language, the manner in which communication is made, should be appropriate for the occasion.

·         Facial expressions, body language, gestures etc., should be in harmony with the message.

·         To ascertain whether we have communicated the message clearly, it sometimes helps to repeat the important part of the message and sometimes also to ask the receiver to repeat what he has understood.

·         In written communication, the sender should ensure that the grammar and punctuation are appropriate. Also the language of the message should be drafted in a way that it is understood in the same manner by both the sender and the receiver. For example “Bear eats, shoots and leaves” does not imply the same as “Bear eats shoots and leaves” due to the punctuation error in the first sentence.

Having discussed the various barriers to effective communication and how to overcome them, let us now briefly understand how communication flows in an organisation.

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