BARRIERS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

BARRIERS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Barriers to communication arise from the inherent process involved in sending and /
or receiving messages among human beings. Imperfections creep in from:
 Different levels of thinking of individuals
 Different mental filters arising from individual mental filters conditioned by their knowledge, experience and opinions
 Less than perfect mastery over the language of expression
 Inadequacy of the language
 Limitations arising from bounded rationality
This has been beautifully captured by one of our folklores – there always exists a vicious triangle in each individual so much so that it is an integral part of ones‟ being. The triangle has three apexes – Thinking (Vichar), Saying (Upchar) and Doing (Achar).
 What we think, we do not say (Human inadequacy, imperfect language and insufficient linguistic capability)
 What we say, we do not do (Semantic and psychological deficiencies)
Just as the apexes of a triangle do not ever meet, this triangle would always exist.
If individuals become aware of their deficiencies, they start looking for ways to
overcome them.

 TYPES OF BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

Communication capability is a personal skill. Barriers to effective communication
within organizations happen at the following three levels:
 Personal barriers to communication
 Group barriers to communication
 Organizational barriers to communication
These have been described further:

 PERSONAL BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

These barriers can be at individual employee level, senior or subordinate levels:
(1) Barriers at the individual level
These are the obstructions caused in the process of sending and receiving messages during the encoding or decoding of ideas, words and phrases. In most languages, a word has different meanings, depending upon the context in which it is used. Each word has many synonyms but which one is the most suitable in the given situation, is always an issue. These are known as semantic barriers and may take the following forms:
(i) Badly expressed message
 Lack of clarity
 Lack of precision
 Poorly chosen words and phrases
 Careless omissions
 Lack of coherence
 Poor organization of ideas
 Use of jargons
 Inadequate vocabulary
 Awkward sentence structure

(ii) Assumptions not clarified

Messages are normally based on some assumptions that, if not communicated to the receiver, may lead to incomplete message or wrong interpretation of the message.

(iii) Faulty translation

Messages must use words and phrases that receiver is familiar with so that he can understand and respond to them. This calls for a great mastery and flexibility in the use of language on the part of the sender. In the absence of suitable choice of vocabulary, the message may not invoke the desired response from the receiver.

(iv) Use of specialist language

Each specialist uses a lingua that is peculiar to that profession. For example, MBAs use a different language that an engineer and a technician uses a different language that an ordinary workman. Illiterates use a different language that the educated. Similarly, city dwellers use different words and phrases than village folks. These act as roadblocks for effective communication among them.

(2) Barriers at the levels of seniors

These could be:

(i) Attitude of the seniors

If attitude of the seniors is not helpful either owing to lack of awareness or because of personal agenda, messages will not flow freely to or from them unlike what should happen in a well-lubricated organization structure.

(ii) Insistence on proper channel of communication

Some seniors like to stay within the confines of the lines of communication as depicted in a formal organization chart. They do not like bypassing these lines of communication and think that these would amount to thwarting of their authority

(iii) Fear of challenge to their authority

Some seniors tend to hoard information going down / up as it may disclose their weaknesses. They may also think if they do not share the information, they would become more important.
(iv) Lack of confidence in the subordinates
Some seniors perceive their subordinates to be less competent and do not likethe information going downwards for the risk of its leakage and misuse.

(v) Ignoring communication

Some seniors ignore the information from their subordinates deliberately in order to maintain their importance. This can create a barrier in the minds of subordinates who may loathe to provide information to seniors.

(vi) Lack of time

Some seniors are overburdened with work and consequently have no time to provide information downwards, upwards or horizontally.

(vii) Lack of awareness

Some seniors do not appreciate the critical importance and significance of maintaining a smooth flow of information in all directions within and outside of the organization. This also acts as a blocker of flow of communication in the organization.

(3) Barriers at the level of subordinates

These are:

(i) Unwillingness to communicate

As a rule if an employee feels giving information may be embarrassing, he would not divulge it or would delay its flow as much as possible. They often modify the information so as to protect their interests. Wrong information can be very misleading too. Wrong information is worse than no information.

(ii) Lack of proper incentive

Lack of motivation comes in the way of flow of information up or down the lines of command and control. Similarly, if good suggestions from subordinates are ignored or do not evoke enough response or attention, it has a snowballing effect in the organization. Subordinates do not feel enthused about giving suggestions for improvement of products, processes and systems. This has been the main reason for dismal failure of suggestion schemes in USA, Europe and India.