Barriers to Communication

• Barrier


  Something that prevents or controls progress or movement
• Communication is effective only if it creates the desired impact on the receiver
• Five steps to overcome barriers

  1. Identify the problem

  2. Find the cause/barrier

  3. Work on alternative solutions

  4. Opt for the best solution

  5. Follow up rigorously
• Noise


  Any interference in the message sent and the message received that inhibits or distorts the message
• Classification of noise


  • Channel noise
  • Semantic noise
• Channel noise


  Interference in the mechanics of the medium used to send a message
• Channel noise


  • Distortion due to faulty background, noise in telephone lines, too high a volume or pitch from loudspeakers, illegible handwriting
• Semantic noise


  Errors in the message itself, resulting from the connotative (implied) meaning of a word that is interpreted differently by the sender and the receiver
• Semantic noise


  • Ambiguous sentence structure, faulty grammar, misspellings, incorrect punctuation
• Classification of barriers


  • Intrapersonal (Sender and receiver's personality)
  • Interpersonal
  • Organizational
• Intrapersonal barriers


  Barriers that stem from an individual's attitudes or habits
• Causes of intrapersonal barriers

  • Wrong assumptions
  • Varied perceptions
  • Differing background
  • Wrong inferences
  • Blocked categories
  • Categorical thinking
• Wrong assumptions


  Assumptions made without knowing whether the receiver understands the message
• Varied perceptions


  Individuals perceiving the same situation in different ways
• Differing background


  Differences in education, culture, language, environment, financial status, etc. that affect how a message is interpreted
• Wrong inferences


  Drawing conclusions not supported by facts
• Blocked categories


  Rejecting, distorting, or avoiding information that does not conform to one's personal views, habits, and attitudes
• Categorical thinking


  Feeling that one 'knows it all' about a particular subject and refusing to accept any further information
• Remedies for intrapersonal barriers

  • Be non-judgemental
  • Be empathetic
  • Avoid assumptions and stereotyping
  • Stick to the subject
  • Listen and paraphrase
  • Avoid generalizations
• Interpersonal barriers


  Barriers that stem from inappropriate transaction of words between two or more people
• Causes of interpersonal barriers

  • Limited vocabulary
  • Incompatibility of verbal and non-verbal messages
  • Emotional outburst
  • Communication selectivity
  • Cultural variations
  • Poor listening skills
  • Noise in the channel
• Limited vocabulary


  Inadequate vocabulary that hinders effective communication
• Incompatibility of verbal and non-verbal messages

  When a person's facial expressions or body language do not match their verbal message
• Emotional outburst


  Excessive emotional involvement that creates an emotionally charged environment and prevents rational discussion
• Communication selectivity


  The receiver paying attention only to the parts of the message that are of interest to them
• Cultural variations


  Differences in laws, customs, and business practices across cultures that can create communication barriers
• Poor listening skills


  Failure to actively listen and accurately decode the signals received from the speaker
• Noise in the channel

  Any unwanted signal that acts as a hindrance in the flow of communication, not limited to just audio disturbances
• Organizational barriers


  • Too many transfer stations
  • Fear of superiors
  • Negative tendencies
  • Use of inappropriate media
  • Information overload
• Too many transfer stations


  The more links in a communication chain, the greater the chances of miscommunication
• Fear of superiors


  In rigidly structured organizations, subordinates are afraid to speak frankly to their superiors
• Negative tendencies


  Insider-outsider equations and opposition that create noise in interpersonal communication
• Use of inappropriate media


  Choosing a communication medium without considering its advantages, disadvantages, and potential barriers
• Information overload


  Decrease in efficiency resulting from manual handling of huge amounts of data
• To reduce information overload, screening of information and highlighting major points while leaving out irrelevant details is mandatory
• A mix of communication media is best for effective communication