BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION
BARRIERS
There exist many barriers to communication and these may occur at any
stage in the communication process. Barriers may lead to your message
becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and/or money
by causing confusion and misunderstanding. Effective communication
involves overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and concise
message.
 Barriers To Effective Communication

• The use of jargon: Over-complicated or unfamiliar terms.

• Emotional barriers and taboos.

• Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.

• Differences in perception and viewpoint.

• Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.

• Physical barriers to non-verbal communication.

• Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.

• Expectations and biases which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People
often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to
incorrect conclusions.
• Cultural differences: The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as
do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal
space varies between cultures and between different social settings.
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

The process of communication has multiple barriers. The Barriers to effective communication
could be of many types like
 Linguistic
 Psychological
 Emotional
 Physical
 Cultural etc
LINGUISTIC BARRIERS
 The language barrier is one of the main barriers that limit effective communication. Language
is the most commonly employed tool of communication. The fact that each major region has
its own language is one of the Barriers to effective communication.
PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS
 There are various mental and psychological issues that may be barriers to effective
communication. Some people have stage fear, speech disorders, phobia, depression etc. All of
these conditions are very difficult to manage sometimes and will most certainly limit the ease
of communication.
EMOTIONAL BARRIERS
 The emotional IQ of a person determines the ease and comfort with which they can
communicate. A person who is emotionally mature will be able to communicate effectively.
On the other hand, people who let their emotions take over will face certain difficulties.
 A perfect mixture of emotions and facts is necessary for effective communication. Emotions
like anger, frustration, humor, can blur the decision making capacities of a person and thus
limit the effectiveness of their communication.
PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

 They are the most obvious barriers to effective communication. These barriers are mostly
easily removable in principle at least. They include barriers like noise, closed doors, faulty
equipment used for communication, closed cabins, etc. Sometimes, in a large office, the
physical separation between various employees combined with faulty equipment may result in
severe barriers to effective communication.
CULTURAL BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION

 Different cultures have a different meaning for several basic values of society. Dressing,
Religions or lack of them, food, drinks, pets, and the general behavior will change drastically
from one culture to another. Hence it is a must that we must take these different cultures into
account while communication. This is what we call being culturally appropriate.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE BARRIERS

 As we saw there are many methods of communication at an organizational level. Each of these
methods has its own problems and constraints that may become barriers to effective
communication. Most of these barriers arise because of misinformation or lack of appropriate
transparency available to the employees.
ATTITUDE BARRIERS
 Certain people like to be left alone. They are the introverts or just people who are not very
social. Others like to be social or sometimes extra insecure! Both these cases could become a
barrier to communication. Some people have attitude issues, like huge ego and inconsiderate
behaviors.
 Certain personality traits like shyness, anger, social anxiety may be removable through courses
and proper training. However, problems like egocentric behavior and selfishness may not be
correctable.
PERCEPTION BARRIERS
 Different people perceive the same things differently. This is a fact which we must consider
during the communication process. Knowledge of the perception levels of the audience is
crucial to effective communication. All the messages or communique must be easy and clear.
There shouldn’t be any room for a diversified interpretational set.
PHYSIOLOGICAL BARRIERS
 Certain disorders or diseases or other limitations could also prevent effective communication.
The shrillness of voice, dyslexia, etc. are some examples of physiological barriers to effective
communication. However, these are not crucial because they can easily be compensated and
removed.
TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS & SOCIO-
RELIGIOUS BARRIERS
 Other barriers include the technological barriers. The technology is developing fast and as a
result, it becomes difficult to keep up with the newest developments. Hence sometimes the
technological advance may become a barrier. In addition to this, the cost of technology is
sometimes very high.
 Other barriers are socio-religious barriers. In a patriarchal society, a woman or a transgender
may face many difficulties and barriers while communicating.
THANK YOU