Barriers of Communication and its Overcome .

Barriers in Communication:

The term barrier' means 'hurdie', 'hindrance' or 'obstacle'. Thus barrier to communication implies hurdles and obstacles on the way of transmission of message from the sender to the receiver. In practice, there exist several barriers in communication which render it ineffective.

1. Language or Semantic Barrier: The most common types of language barriers are:

(a) Unclear Message: Lack of clarity and precision in a message makes it badly expressed. Poorly chosen and empty words and phrases, careless omission, lack of coherence, bad organisation of ideas are some common faults found in this case.

(b) Faulty Translation : Every manager receives various types of communications from superiors, peers, subordinates and he must translate information destined for subordinates, peers and superiors into language suitable to each. This needs to high level of verbal capacity.

(c) Specialist's Language : It is often found that technical personnel and special groups tend to develop a special, peculiar and technical language of their own. it builds a communication barrier because of the receiver's ignorance of that type of language.

(d) Unclarified Assumptions : Though a message appears to be specific, its underlying assumptions may not be clear to the receiver.

2. Physical and Mechanical Barrier :

(a) Noise : Communication does not occur in a totally noise-free environment. Noise, though of varying degree, disturbs or interferes with communication. Noise can be physical or psychological. Physical disturbances or distractions such as loudspeakers, etc. disturb the attention of the receiver while psychological noise is related to the mental disturbance: ego clash, fatigue, anxiety, etc.

(b) Distance: Long distances between the sender and receivers can also obstruct effective communication.

(c) Time: Time refers to the reaching of the message. If an important message reaches late it is sure to affect communication.

(d) Information Overload: Much more information than what the receiver can process is transmitted to him. The receiver cannot understand, digest, analyse and act upon information overload, that is beyond his mental capacity.

(e) Physical Barrier : Outdated machines and equipments may produce excessive noise leading to physical barrier in communication.

(f) Use of Words with Different Meaning: Communication is mainly carried through spoken and written words. But the word is used may convey different meanings to different people, this act as a barrier in the way of effective communication.

3. Socio-Psychological Barrier :

Psychological needs and feelings are the prime barriers in organisational communication process. Following are some of the Psychological Barriers: 

(a) Difference in Perception: Perception barrier may arise due to differences between individuals in the way they perceive, organise and understand their environment.

(b) Difference in Attitudes: People differ with regard to attitudes and opinions which often interfere with communication. For Example: A news of bonus is likely to be received favourably by employees. But they may oppose a move of the management to install latest machines due to the belief that it will reduce job opportunities for them.

(c) Emotions : How the receiver feels at the time of receipt of information influences effectively, how he interprets the information. Extreme emotions and depression are quite likely to hinder the effectiveness of communication.

(d) Inattention: Communication has no impact on those who are unable or unwilling to listen and hence communication will lose its purpose.

(e) Closed Minds : For an effective communication both the sender and receiver should have open minds, as it enables them to process information in a spontaneous manner.

(f) Premature Evaluation : Some people form a judgment before receiving the Complete message.Such premature evaluation prevents effective communication.

(g) Distrust : It arises out of ill-considered judgment or illogical decision or frequent invalidation of the original communication by the communicator.

(h) Resistance to Change : It is general tendency of human beings to maintain status quo. When new ideas are being communicated, the listening apparatus may act as a filter in rejecting new ideas.

(i) Cultural Differences : Cultural differences are faced when managers deal with people of different cultures, symbols, words, colours, gestures. Language must be carefully selected when senders of information are dealing with people of different cultures, symbols, words, colours, gestures.Language must be carefully selected when sender of information are dealing with people of different nations and regions.

4. Organisational Barrier:

(a) Status Relationship: Organisation structure creates a number of status levels among the members of the Organisation. The common causes for obstacle in communication due to status are non listening habit of the superior and desire to keep maximum information with oneself .

(b) One-way Flow: Effective communication is two-way. When the flow of feedback from the receiver or the listener is blocked, understanding will suffer.

(c) Organisational Structure: Organisational Structure makes problems because communication may break down at any level of supervision due to faulty transmission.

(d) Rules and Regulations: The rules may restrict the flow of certain messages and may leave many important ones. On the other hand, communication through proper channel in a specified way prescribed by these rules delays it and works against the willingness of persons to convey the message.

(e) Distance Barrier: If both communicator and communicates are at distant places, the communicates fails to get the immediate clarification required.

(f) Physical Barrier: Communication becomes ineffective due to physical factors such as noise, pollution of machines, vehicles and equipments.

(g) Mechanical Barrier: Equipments used for communication should always be in the perfect working order. Any defect in the equipment may distort the communication.

5. Personal Barrier:

(a) Attitude of Superiors: The attitude of superiors towards communication in general or in any particular direction affect the flow of messages in different directions.

(b) Lack of Confidence in Subordinates: Superiors generally perceive, correct or otherwise, that their subordinates are less competent and capable, they are not able to advise superiors or they may not have some information causing downwards.

(c) Ignoring Communication : Sometimes superiors consciously and intentionally ignore the communication from their subordinates to maintain their importance.

(d) Filtering of Information: Sometimes, the sender intentionally screens the information for passing only such information which will look favourable to the receiver.

(e) Lack of Time : Superiors does not spare considerable time to talk to their subordinates. They feel, whether real or not that they are overburdened with work.

(f) Message Overload: Message overload is really a hurdle in the communication process. The effect of overload may be omission of message, errors, delay, filtering, etc.

(g) Barriers in Subordinates: Subordinates are also equally responsible for restricting communication flow particularly in upward direction.

Ways to Overcome from Barriers :

Following are the various ways through which barriers of communication can be overcome: 

(a) Two way Channel: A good communication system should be like a two way traffic. In other words, no single entity, but both the transmitter and the receiver have a joint role in making the communication effective.

(b) Mutual Trust: A communication system may be considered good when mutual understanding exist between the transmitter and the receiver of the message.

(c) Clarity of Message: The message can be conveyed properly only if it is clearly formulated in the

mind of the communicator.

(d) Timely Message: Considerable attention should be given to the timelines of communication. Old information is worse than none at all.

(e) Consistency of Message: The message to be communicated should always be consistent with the objective, policies and programmes of the enterprise.

(f) Good Relations: Communication should create proper understanding in the minds of the receiver if it is to achieve good human relations in the enterprise.

(g) Feed Back: Feed back means, the sender must try to ascertain through some signals whether ot ho he is properly understood. He should also try to know the reaction of the receiver of the message.

 (h) Empathetic Listening: Manager should resist the temptation of making premature evaluation o a subordinate's communication or interrupting him in the course of his communication.

(i) Flexibility : The communication system should be flexible enough to adjust to the changing requirements. It should be able to carry entire loads of information without any strain.