BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION

& MEASURES TO OVERCOME

THEM
BY
KISHAN
NAJMUDIN

Meaning
The problem areas at every stage in the
process
of communication and other things that
can distort communication is
called the barriers of communication.

Types of Barriers

Physical Barriers
Semantic Barriers
Organisational Barriers
Individual Barriers

Physical barrier
Obstacle that prevent a message from reaching the
intended recipient may be outside and beyond the
control of the persons concerned.
1)Defects in the medium :- Defects in the devices like
telephone, postal
2) EnvironmentSome barriers are due to the existing environment. If you are
standing in adverse weather conditions, your conversation
would be hampered, because you would not be able to pay full
attention to what the other person is saying.
The ambience in which you are having a conversation also plays
an important part in the quality of a conversation. If the place is
too noisy, or two crowded, you may not be able to clearly listen
to the speaker.

Semantic Barriers
There is always a possibility of

misunderstanding the feelings of the

sender of the message or getting a wrong
meaning of it.
The words, signs, and figures used in the
communication are explained by the
receiver in the light of his experience which
creates doubtful situations.
This happens because the information is
not sent in simple language.

The chief language-related

barriers are as under:
Symbols or Words with Different

Meanings
A symbol or a word can have different
meanings. If the receiver misunderstands
the communication, it becomes
meaningless. For example
1)The bandage was wound around the
wound
2)Close the window before the bee gets too
close

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,
Body Language and Gesture Decoding
When the communication is passed on with the help of
body language and gestures, its misunderstanding
hinders the proper understanding of the message. For
example, moving ones neck to reply to a question does
not indicate properly whether the meaning is Yes or
No

Organisational Barriers
Caused by delay made in the movement of
the information,misinterpretation, lack of
understanding, negligence,filtrations at
every level etc affect the efficiency as well
as the quality of work.

Orgnizational policy

Organizational rules and regulations

Status relationship in organisation

(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. In such a
situation anything that could be conveyed in a few
words shall have to be communicated in the written
form. Consequently, work gets delayed.
(ii) Rules and Regulations:
Organisational rules become barriers in communication
by determining the subject-matter, medium, etc. of
communication. Troubled by the definite rules, the
senders do not send some of the messages.

iii) Status:
Under organising 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.
For example, when a lower-level employee
has to send his message to a superior at
the top level there is a lurking fear in his
mind that the communication may be
faulty, and because of this fear, he cannot
convey himself clearly and in time. It delays

Individual Barriers to
Communication

Authority

Some employees, no matter where they sit in the hierarchy, will be

unwilling to speak to their superiors. This is often through fear of being
dismissed or patronized, the unfortunate result of a poor manager who
does not create a culture of being approachable. This fear can prevent
initiative from being displayed in the form of creative and interesting
suggestions on how to improve business procedures.

Ability
Some workers may feel inadequate enough to prevent them from
voicing opinions and providing feedback. They may also feel that they do
not have the ability to communicate their feelings and thoughts in a
coherent manner, and this prevents them from conveying them at all.

Emotion
This barrier relates to an individual's state of mind when she is
communicating. If you are in a bad mood, your communication skills are
compromised, and you may be unable or unwilling to respond to a
colleague or manager in an effective manner.

Measures to Overcome the

Barriers of Communication
(1)Clarify Ideas before Communication:

The person sending the communication should be

very clear in his mind about what he wants to say. He
should know the objective of his message and,
therefore, he should arrange his thoughts in a proper
order.
(2)Communicate According to the Need of the
Receiver:
The sender of the communication should prepare
the structure of the message not according to his
own level or ability but he should keep in mind the
level, understanding or the environment of the
receiver.

3)Consult Others before Communication:

At the time of planning the communication, suggestions should
be invited from all the persons concerned. Its main advantage will
be that all those people who are consulted at the time of preparing
the communication plan will contribute to the success of the
communication system.
(4)Be Aware of Language, Tone and Content of Message:
The sender should take care of the fact that the message should
be framed in clear and beautiful language. The tone of the message
should not injure the feelings of the receiver. As far as possible the
contents of the message should be brief and excessive use of
technical words should be avoided.
(5)Convey Things of Help and Value to the Listener:
The subject matter of the message should be helpful to the
receiver. The need and interest of the receiver should specially be
kept in mind. Communication is more effective in such a situation.
(

(6)Ensure Proper Feedback:

The purpose of feedback is to find out whether the receiver has properly
understood the meaning of the information received. In the face-to- face
communication, the reaction on the face of the receiver can be understood.
But in case of written communication or some other sort of communications
some proper method of feedback should be adopted by the sender.
(7)Consistency of Message:
The information sent to the receiver should not be self- contradictory. It should
be in accordance with the objectives, policies, programmes and techniques of the
organisation. When a new message has to be sent in place of the old one, it should
always make a mention of the change otherwise it can create some doubts.
(8)Follow up Communication:
In order to make communication effective the management should regularly try
to know the weaknesses of the communication system. In this context effort can
be made to know whether to lay more stress upon the formal or the informal
communication would be appropriate.
Similarly, suggestions can be invited in respect of the medium of communication
(oral, written and gestural) to know as to which medium would be more effective
and appropriate.