Raunak Zatakia, Roll No.

162 Semester 1 (Section B) BBA

What are communication barriers? Why must they be removed?

‘Communication’ is a process by which a person conveys his message to another person
or a group of people; and if the message is conveyed clearly and unambiguously, then it
is known as ‘effective communication’.

In effective communication, the message send would reach the receiver with very little
distortion. However, a communication becomes successful only if the receiver
understands what the sender is trying to convey. When the sender’s message is not
clearly understood he should understand that both of them are facing a barrier to
communication.

Barriers to effective communication could cause roadblocks in your professional and

personal life and it could be one of the major hurdles in achieving your professional
goals.

An effective communication barrier is one of the problems faced by many organizations.

Many social psychologists opine that there is 50% to 70% loss of meaning while
conveying the messages from a sender to a receiver. A few barriers of effective
communication in an organization are given below.

1. Physical barriers

Physical barriers in the workplace include:

 Marked out territories, empires and fiefdoms into which strangers are not
allowed.

 closed office doors, barrier screens, separate areas for people of different
status.

 large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from
others.

Research shows that one of the most important factors in building cohesive teams
is proximity. As long as people still have a personal space that they can call their own,
nearness to others aids communication because it helps us get to know one another.
 Raunak Zatakia, Roll No. 162 Semester 1 (Section B) BBA

2. Perceptual barriers

The problem with communicating with others is that we all see the world differently. If
we didn't, we would have no need to communicate: something like extrasensory
perception would take its place.

The following anecdote is a reminder of how our thoughts, assumptions and perceptions
shape our own realities:

A traveller was walking down a road when he met a man from the next town. "Excuse
me," he said. "I am hoping to stay in the next town tonight. Can you tell me what the
townspeople are like?"

"Well," said the townsman, "how did you find the people in the last town you visited?"

"Oh, they were an irascible bunch who kept to themselves & took me for a fool. Over-
charged me for what I got & gave me very poor service."

"Well, then," said the townsman, "you'll find them pretty much the same here."

3. Emotional barriers

One of the chief barriers to open and free communications is the emotional barrier. It is
comprised mainly of fear, mistrust and suspicion. As a result many people hold back
from communicating their thoughts and feelings to others.

They feel vulnerable. While some caution may be wise in certain relationships, excessive
fear of what others might think of us can stunt our development as effective
communicators and our ability to form meaningful relationships.

How to remove it: Be aware. If at all possible, you should communicate when
everyone is in a calm emotional state. Because this will rarely happen, however, it's
important to be aware of any people or situations that are emotionally charged. Be
aware of feelings as they arise and then try and control them. If you feel like the person
or people on the receiving end were too emotional, try talking to them when the
situation has calmed down.

4. Cultural barriers

When we join a group and wish to remain in it, sooner or later we need to adopt the
behaviour patterns of the group. These are the behaviours that the group accepts as
signs of belonging.
 Raunak Zatakia, Roll No. 162 Semester 1 (Section B) BBA

The group rewards such behaviour through acts of recognition, approval and inclusion.
In groups which are happy to accept you and where you are happy to conform, there is a
mutuality of interest and a high level of win-win contact.

Where, however, there are barriers to your membership of a group, a high level of game-
playing replaces good communication.

5. Language barriers

Language that describes what we want to say in our terms may present barriers to others
who are not familiar with our expressions, buzz-words and jargon. When we couch our
communication in such language, it is a way of excluding others. In a global market
place the greatest compliment we can pay another person is to talk in their language.

One of the more chilling memories of the Cold War was the threat by the Soviet leader
Nikita Khruschev saying to the Americans at the United Nations: "We will bury you!"
This was taken to mean a threat of nuclear annihilation.

However, a more accurate reading of Khruschev's words would have been: "We will
overtake you!" meaning economic superiority. It was not just the language, but the fear
and suspicion that the West had of the Soviet Union that led to the more alarmist and
sinister interpretation.

How to remove it: Ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification or to restate
the issue or problem to make sure it is understood by everyone. This is also important in
a group context. It's not a bad idea, especially when dealing with more technical or
specialized professions or departments, to clarify anything that not everyone may
understand.

6. Gender barriers

There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a man and those in a
woman. A woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000 words a day whereas a man
speaks between 7,000 and 10,000. In childhood, girls speak earlier than boys and at the
age of three, have a vocabulary twice that of boys.

The reason for this lies in the wiring of a man's and woman's brains. When a man talks,
his speech is located in the left side of the brain but in no specific area. When a woman
talks, the speech is located in both hemispheres and in two specific locations.

This means that a man talks in a linear, logical and compartmentalized way, features of
left-brain thinking; whereas a woman talks more freely mixing logic and emotion,
 Raunak Zatakia, Roll No. 162 Semester 1 (Section B) BBA

features of both sides of the brain. It also explains why women talk for much longer than
men each day.

7 Interpersonal barriers

There are six levels at which people can distance themselves from one another:

1. Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is both refusals

to be in touch and time alone.

2. Rituals are meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real contact.

3. Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial activities.

4. Working activities are those tasks which follow the rules

and procedures of contact but no more.

5. Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning

and losing. They include "rackets" and "stamps".

6. Closeness is the aim of interpersonal contact where there is a high

level of honesty and acceptance of yourself and others.

Working on improving your communications is a broad-brush activity. You

have to change your thoughts, your feelings, and your physical connections.
That way, you can break down the barriers that get in your way and
start building relationships that really work.

‘BARRIER’s TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION’ maybe done away with

by being a good listener, by focusing on what the other person is saying
 Raunak Zatakia, Roll No. 162 Semester 1 (Section B) BBA

when they are speaking to you. Look at them and listen to their words
instead of formulating arguments or rebuttals in your head, and don't
interrupt them when they are speaking; you will get your chance to speak
eventually. In addition, remove distractions. Don't read notes or look
around while someone is talking to you; give them the respect of your full
attention. One tip that helps is to rephrase what they have said, or repeat it
back to them.

Communication is essential to a productive work environment, but

communication barriers can hamper the success and morale of everyone
around. By recognizing communication barriers and then making an effort
to remove them, you can improve the overall communication within your
office.

Sender's Responsibilities

1. Clarify ideas before communicating.

2.. Examine the true purpose of each communication.
3. Consider the total physical and human setting and the given
environment
4. Consult with others, when appropriate, in planning communications.
5.Be mindful, while communicating, of the overtones as well as the basic
content of the message.
6.Take the opportunity, when it arises, to convey something of help or value
to the receiver.
7. Follow up their communication.
8. Communicate for tomorrow as well as today.
9. Be sure that their actions support their communications.
10. Communicate in order to seek, not only to be understood, but to
understand—be a good listener.

Receiver's Responsibilities

1. Stop talking.
2. Put the speaker at ease
3. Show the speaker that you want to listen.
4. Remove distractions.
5. Empathize with talkers..
6. Be patient.
 Raunak Zatakia, Roll No. 162 Semester 1 (Section B) BBA

7. Hold your temper.

8. Go easy on argument and criticism.
9. Ask questions.
10. Stop talking.

Active Listening
Active listening is a term popularized by the work of Carl Rogers and
Richard Farson (n.d.) and advocated by counselors and therapists
(Brownell, 2009; Burstein, 2010). The concept recognizes that a sender's
message contains both verbal and nonverbal content as well as a feeling
component. The receiver should be aware of both components in order to
comprehend the total meaning of the message. For instance, when a staff
member says to her supervisor, "Next time you ask me to prepare a report,
please give me some advance notice." The content conveys that the staff
member needs time, but the feeling component may indicate resentment
for being pressured to meet a deadline with such short notice. The
supervisor, therefore, must recognize this feeling to understand the staff
member's message. There are five guidelines that can help school
administrators to become more active listeners (Rogers & Farson, n.d.).
1. Listen for message content.
2. Listen for feelings.
3. Respond to feelings.
4. Note all cues, verbal and nonverbal.
5. Rephrase the sender's message.

Conclusion
Communication is the process of transmitting information and common
understanding from one person to another. The elements of the
communication process are the sender, encoding the message, transmitting
the message through a medium, receiving the message, decoding the
message, feedback, and noise.
A number of barriers retard effective communication. These can be divided
into four categories: process barriers, physical barriers, semantic barriers,
and psychosocial barriers. To improve the effectiveness of communications,
schools must develop an awareness of the importance of sender's and
receiver's responsibilities and adhere to active listening skills.
REFERENCE

http://www.hodu.com/barriers.shtml
http://www.communicationskills.co.in/communication-barriers.htm
 Raunak Zatakia, Roll No. 162 Semester 1 (Section B) BBA

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/barriers-to-effective-communication.html
http://www.businessknowledgesource.com/blog/_how_to_recognize_com
munication_barriers_and_remove_them_023404.html