Barriers to Effective Communication

Some example of barriers to communication are use of jargon, physical barriers, cultural differences, impairments, different language and patronising communication.

It is clear that effective communication is only possible with the elimination of the various barriers. Organizations should ensure that these barriers are addressed so as to ensure that the communication process is not interrupted at any point.

The six barriers of effective communication are, 1)Physical barriers 2)Language barriers 3)Body language barriers 4)Perceptual barriers 5)Organizational barriers 6)Cultural barriers. In my opinion I believe that the easiest barriers to surmount are the physical barrier. Often people act as if nothing is bothering them, and the can hide their physical discomforts.

There are four basic barriers that hinder effective communication, emotional barriers, physical barriers, semantic barriers, and ineffective listening. All of these barriers separately or combined can contribute to a lack of effective communication.

two or more people; this is something that we do all the time. It is

For this question I am going to explain strategies used in health and social care environments to overcome barriers to effective communication and interpersonal interactions.

As practitioners it is essential that we work together as a team and communicate effectively with children, young people, families, other practitioners and professionals, successful team depends on co-operation and skills of team members, being a good team member includes beginning to express one’s own ideas and encouraging others, with good communication skills as stated by Forgas. (1985), Communication is a real source of power in most groups: knowing what is happening, being able to contribute to and influence the group’s actions is essential for a satisfying membership. Social psychologists have studied extensively the consequences of more or less open group communication systems on group performance and satisfaction.

There are many barriers that can be avoided with well planned communication and I have listed some of these below:

Strategy to overcome communication barriers , firstly state all anticipated barriers that may impact upon others causing challenging behaviour.

For example, a barrier to communications would be if you are having a phone call with someone and you are not talking clearly enough. It is not difficult to tweak your tone or volume on the phone ant it could make a big improvement in communication between you and the person you are communicating with over the phone. Another barrier of communication is the use of jargon. Using jargon when it is not necessary is not just disrespectful for the recipient as it can also be taken as patronising to them not understanding what you are talking to them about. It could then also cause confusion, guessing and misunderstandings to occur. This could then cause many issues, which could have been easily avoided. It is always easier and safer to be clear and professional with all correspondence. Lastly, another barrier of communication could be your emotional state. When you are talking to an individual not located within your business they expect a level of professionalism throughout the conversation but this can be affected if you are not in a good mood emotionally at the time. For example, if I was having a discussion on phone with a client and I was in a very distressed upset state, the emotions would come out in my voice tone without me even noticing it and affecting the way that phone call went as well as emotions of the recipient. Another

Communication can be blocked if individual differences are not understood. There are 3 ways in which this happens; a person can not see, hear or receive the message, a person can not make sense of the message, a person misunderstands the message (Core Themes in Health and Social Care, page 6, Beryl Stretch). These can all make communication ineffective and often impossible but can all be overcome with a different method or communication aids. ‘A barrier gesture is any action, behaviour or physical arrangement (such as room layout) that discourages the other person from feeling comfortable, thereby reducing their ability to communicate positively and effectively’

Barriers to effective communication include many things such as lack of awareness of cultural differences, language barriers, cultural biases, ethnocentrism and inactive listening.

The fourth barrier is lack of subject knowledge. If you send a message with the lack of subject knowledge then the receiver may not be able to convey your message clearly. The final barrier in communication is stress. Stress is one of the major barriers faced by employees in most organizations. When a person is under stress, they may have difficulty understanding the message. This will lead to communication distortion. Our psychological frame of mind depends on our beliefs, experiences, goals, and values. Thus, we fail to realize the essence of communication. You can overcome these barriers through effective and active listening.

Barriers to communication refer to obstacles that ideas and messages face before reaching the receiver. Language barriers occur when the receiver does not fully understand information conveyed by the sender. This occurs in the work place when orders and instruction pass to employees and employees fail to understand what the actual message and how they should respond. Dubrin argues, "Insiders but not outsiders understand technical or professional/jargon language" (443). Language barrier can occur in all levels of the organization not necessarily between the top and bottom. Emotional barriers occur if the message is not appealing to the receiver; it may arouse emotion and feelings that may lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Proper interpretation of the message

Is anyone wrong in this situation? By what other means could Randell have requested the information from Tom Ballard? What do you think of Tom Ballard’s reaction? Why?