Q. What do you mean by communication barriers? Explain different types of barriers in brief.
Or What are the barriers to communication? Give suggestions to overcome these barriers.
Ans. MEANING OF COMMUNICATION BARRIERS: Barriers basically refers to the hurdles or hindrances which obstructs the communication. By barriers, we mean hindrances or obstructions discovered from external, organizational and personal factors. These barriers to communication must be identified and removed for effective communication in an organization.
TYPES OF BARRIERS: Barriers of communication can be classified as under:
1. Semantic or Language Barriers: Semantic is the study of words or their meanings. The semantic barriers are those barriers which are related to language. The chief semantic or language related barriers are as under:
i) Wrongly Expressed Message: Because of complexity of language, there is always a possibility of wrong interpretation of the messages. This barrier is created because of the wrong choice of words, the wrong sequence of sentences and frequent repetitions. When the listener or reader draws different meanings of a word than the writer or the speaker; there arises a barrier.
ii) Faulty Translation: A manager receives much information from his superiors and subordinates and he translates it for the concerned employees acording to their level of understanding. Hence, the information has to be moulded according to the understanding of the receiver. If there is little carelessness in this process, the faulty translation can be a barrier in the communication.
iii) Unclarified assumptions: It has been observed that sometimes a sender takes it for granted that the receiver knows some basic things and therefore, it is enough to tell him about the major subject matter. This point of view of the sender is correct to some extent with reference to the daily communication, but it is absolutely wrong in case of some special message.
iv) Use of Technical Language: Some people like engineers, quality controllers, etc. do technical work. They have their separate technical language. Their communication is not so simple as to be understood by everybody. Hence, technical language can be a barrier to communication.
2. Organisational Barriers: Organizational barriers refer to obstacles that hinder the flow of communication within an organization affecting the capability of employees. Organisational structure greatly, affects the capability of employees so far as communication is concerned. Some major organisational hindrances in the way of communication are:
i) Organisational Policies: Organisational policies determine the relationship among all the persons working in the enterprise. For example, it can be the policy of the organisation that communication will be in the-written form. If this message can be expressed in a few word, it will take Iittle time. If the message is transmitted in writing it takes some time. Consequently, work gets delayed.
ii) Organisational rules: Organisational rules become barriers in communication by determining the subject-matter, medium, etc., of communication. Annoyed by the definite rules, the senders hesitate to send some of the messages.
iii) Status Relationship: In an organisation, all the employees are divided into many categories on the basis of their level. This formal division acts as a barrier in communication especially when the communication moves from the bottom to the top of the organisation.
iv) Complexity in Organisational Structure: More number of levels in an organisation results in delay in communication and information gets changed before it reaches the receiver. In other words negative things or criticisms are concealed. Thus, more the number of managerial levels in an organisation, more ineffective the communication becomes.
v) Less Organisational Facilities: Organisational facilities mean making
available sufficient stationery, telephone, translator, etc. Where these facilities are lacking in an organisation, communication will not be timely, clear and in accordance with necessity.
3. Personal Barriers: There are some barriers which are directly connected with the sender and receiver. They are called personal barriers. They have been divided into two parts:
I) Barriers related to Superiors: These barriers are as follows:
i) Attitude of Superiors: The attitude of top level superiors directly affects the flow of communication. If the attitude of superiors toward communication is unfavorable or they give no importance to communication, then it will be a barrier.
ii) Fear of Position: Everybody desires to occupy a high office/position in an organisation. In this hope, officers try to conceal their weaknesses by not communicating their ideas.
iii) Insistence (force, जिद) on Proper Channel: The top level superiors remain connected through communication with a view to getting their authority implemented. They do not like any irregularity in communication, when sometimes it is not possible to follow the proper channel of communication, particularly when the work has got to be done quickly. They consider such a situation against their authority and finally, they become a barrier in communication.
iv) Shortage of Time: The top level superiors feel that they are overburdened with excessive work and because of this they do not pay much attention to communication.
v) Lack of Attention: Sometimes top level superiors do not pay adequate
attention to the importance and utility of communication. As a result, the flow of communication gets hindered. Consequently , work performance gets delayed, and the enterprise has to face much inconvenience.
II) Barriers related to Subordinates: Subordinates related barriers are as under:
i) Unwillingness to Communicate: Sometimes the subordinates do not want to send any information to their superiors. When the subordinates feel that the information is of negative nature and will adversely affects them, an effort is made to conceal that information. If it becomes imperative to send this information, it is sent in a modified or amended form. Thus the subordinates, by not stating the facts, become a hindrance in communication.
ii) Lack of Proper Incentive: Lack of incentives to the subordinates creates a hindrance in communication. This is because of the fact that their suggestions or ideas are not given any importance. If the superiors ignore the subordinates, they become indifferent towards any exchange of ideas in future.
4. Emotional or Perceptional Barriers: The importance of communication depends on the mental condition of both the parties. A mentally disturbed party can be a hindrance in communieation. Following are the emotional barriers in the way of
communication:
i) Premature Evaluation: Sometimes the receiver of information tries to dig out meanings without much thinking at the time of receiving or even before receiving information, which can be wrong. This type of evaluation is a hindrance in the exchange of information and the enthusiasm of the sender gets dampened (reduced).
ii) Emotional Attitude: Some people are emotional by nature and lose their mental balance quickly and easily. If a superior happens to get agitated quickly, his communication, howsoever authentic it may be, remains ineffective. Similarly, if a receiver of the message is mentally upset or disturbed he will find unfavourable meaning in it.
iii) Poor Retention of Information: Poor retention of information means that with every transfer of information its reality gets reduced. According to an estimate, in oral communication there is a loss of 30% in every transfer of information. This is because of our carelessness. Hence, transfer of information being not in its actual reality is a big hindrance in communication.
5. Physical Barriers: Physical barriers are those barriers which are caused due to the faulty physical conditions. These barriers cause a lot of noise These include insufficiently insulated rooms from outside noises such as those of traffic filtering through, poor lighting, a typewriter clattering away in a nearby office and such like things as frequent movement of body posture, fiddling with a pen in the hand or even the arrival of coffee at a critical stage of an on going communication.
Suggestions to overcome barriers to communication: It is essential to remove barriers in the way of communication keeping in view the importance of communication in a business organisation. Following steps are worth taking for the removal of barriers to communication:
i) Think about purpose and audience: The first step is to define goal in communicating. You must create a bridge of words that leads listeners or readers from their current position to your point. Before you can do this, of course, you have to know something about their current position.
(2) Tell the audience what you expect: After you have defined your readers' or listeners' needs, Let them know the purpose of the message (thus helping them recognize the relationship among the ideas you hope to convey), and tell them what main points they will encounter on the way (so that they can organize them into a rational framework). Even if you do not want to reveal controversial ideas at the beginning of the message, you can still give receivers a preview of the topics you plan to cover.
(3) Use of easy language: The language used in the communication should be simple, understandable and of the level of the receiver. The best way to do this is to balance the general concepts with specific illustrations. At the beginning, state the overall idea; then develop that idea by using vivid, concrete (real) examples. The most momorable words are the ones that create a picture in the receiver's mind by describing colors, objects, scents sounds and tastes. Specific details can also be very vivid (life like).
(4) Stick to the point: You can also help your audience by eliminating any information that does not directly contribute to your purpose. Many business messages contain too much material. But most receivers do not need everything. All they need are a few pertinent facts, enough information to answer their questions or facilitate their decisions by eliminating unnecessary ideas, you focus the other person's thoughts on those few points that really matter.
(5) Connect new information to existing ideas: By showing the audience how new ideas relate to familiar ones, you increase the likelihood that your message will be understood correctly. The meaning of the new concept is clarified by its relationship to the old. The receiver already has a wealth of information on the subject; all she or he has to do is apply it to the new idea.
Most of us approach anything unfamiliar with caution. When we discover that it is similar to something familiar, we become more confident. We accept this new idea and work on it more carefully.
(6) Emphasize and review key points: Call attention is the most important points of the message. You can do this with your words, your format and your body language. Underscore key points by calling attention to them visually. Use headlines, body type, and intended lists to emphasize major ideas. Re-inforce the text of your message by using charts, graphs, maps, diagrams and illustrations. If you are delivering the message orally, use your body and voice to highlight important concepts.
Before you conclude your message, review one or two of its essential points. Restate the purpose and then show how the main ideas relate to it.
It is a good idea to provide summaries at the end of major sections of a long message as well as at the end of a document or presentation. Such summaries not only refresh people's memories but also help simplify the overall meaning of complex material.
(7) Minimize noise: To the extent possible, you should try to eliminate potential sources of interference that stand between you and your audience. The key to getting through to the receiver often lies in the choice of communication channels and media. You should choose the method that will most likely attract the receiver's attention and enable him or her to concentrate on the message.
(8) Physically appealing written document: A written document seems the best choice, try to make it physically appealing and easy to comprehend. Use an attractive, convenient format and pay attention to such details as the choice of paper and quality of type. If possible, deliver the document when you know the reader will have time to study it.
(9) Eliminate environmental competition: If the message is to be delivered orally try to minimise environmental difficulties. The location should be comfortable and quiet with sufficient lighting and good sound system. Your own personality should be attractive to the audience to influence them. The more people who interfere in your message, the greater are the chances of its getting distorted. Thus, oral messages should have least interference on the part of the people.
(10) Facilitate feedback: Give the receiver a chance to provide feedback. If you are talking face-to-face with other person, feedback is immediate and clear. But if you are writing a letter, memo or report that will be read by several people, feedback will be delayed and mixed. Choose a form of communication that suits your needs. Some channels and media are more compatible with feedback than others. For example, if you want to send our message quickly, you must talk to the receiver face-to-face or by phone. If feedback is less important to you, you can use a written document or give a prepared speech.
In short, business communication is especially prone to misunderstandings because the message is complex, conditions are difficult and psychological or social differences often separate the sender and receiver. To overcome communication barriers, think about your audience, let them know what to expect, use vivid language, stick to the point that connects new ideas to familiar ones, emphasize and review key points, minimize noise, and provide opportunities for feedback.
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