Barriers of effective coimmunication.
Breakdowns of communication channels, is a frequent
challenge that managers face. Communication problems signify more deep-rooted
problems than those that appear prima facie. The barriers may exist either at
the transmission stage or at the feedback stage. It may so happen that the
sender is unable to properly channelise the message, or it may also be wrongly
received. The important point is to understand the barriers that a manager
faces at various stages so that they can be properly dealt with.
1. Faulty Planning :
The prerequisite of effective communication is accurate planning. The
message should be properly planned and then delivered. Which channel links are
to be adopted needs to be planned out in advance. The contents of the message
should be drawn after considering all the aspects. A poorly designed message
looses all its worthiness. Besides, the purpose of the message also needs to be
clearly stated. Hence, faulty planning leads to breaking up of communication
lines.
2. Vague Presumptions :
The non-communicated assumptions that underline the message are extremely
dangerous. The sender presumes a certain part and accordingly forwards the
message. It is not necessary that the receiver shall also presume things in the
same manner. This may lead to confusion and chaos. Unclarified and vague
presumptions lead to greater dangers. For example, a senior officer gives a
call to the junior stating that on certain days he will be out of town assuming
that the junior shall make necessary staying arrangements for him. The junior
receives this message assuming that senior manager is simply informing him of
his absence so that he can take over the responsibility and that all staying
arrangements were already taken care of by the senior.
A single word conveys lots of different meanings. Each word
is understood in reference to the context of the sentence as well as place and
situation it is used at. Semantic Distortion can be deliberate or accidental.
When it is deliberate, it is intended so but the one that is accidental hinders
the progress of communication. It renders ambiguity to the message and every
different individual may come to his own conclusion in the end.
This occurs when one person is considerably higher in the hierarchy
than another. The person at the top gives the message. People at the bottom
take it literally and follow it as an order. The top people may not have
intended to pass it on literally. This leads to confusion.
Poorly
Expressed Contents :
The sender of the message may be clear about the thought in
his mind but poorly chosen words or omission of important links, leads to
misunderstandings in the group. The message that is simple and straightforward
tends to be easily accepted and interpreted in the team. But the simplicity
should not be achieved at the cost of misrepresentation of the crux.
Definition-----
Barriers to communication include all those things that
hinder the communication process and result in some kind of distortion in the
message. The first barrier is physical for example if two employees in an
office have their offices in two different floors then they will communicate
very less with each other. Then there are perceptual barriers that mean that
people have their own views about things and they do not listen carefully to
what other people are saying. Then we have emotional barriers like fear and
anxiety because of which communication is not effective. Cultural and language
barriers mean that people in different cultures communicate differently and it
is difficult for them to understand each other. Men and women also have a
different style and difficulty to communicate arises because of this
difference. Then the personality also can become a barrier because there are
many people who do not want to communicate with others.
