5.7 Communication Barriers

Communication barriers are something that prevents us from correctly getting and accepting the messages others use to communicate their information, thoughts and ideas. Examples include information overload, choosy perceptions, workplace gossip, semantics, gender differences, etc.

Types of Communication Barriers

• Psychological Barriers
• Physical Communication Barriers
• Physiological Barriers
• Language Barriers
• Attitudinal Barriers

Examples of each include:

Anger is a psychological barrier to communication. When we are angry, it is simple to say things that we may afterwards regret and also to misunderstand what others are saying. Also, people with low self-esteem may be less self-assured and, therefore, may not feel comfortable communicating (Hassan, n.d.).

A physiological barrier could be a receiver with condensed hearing may not grab the sum of a spoken conversation, especially if there is significant surrounding noise (Hassan, n.d.).

Attitudinal barriers are perceptions that stop people from communicating well. Active receivers of messages should be challenged to overcome their attitudinal barriers to assist effective communication (Hassan, n.d.).

Barriers to effective communication skills include:

• Lacking clarity. Avoid abstract, overly formal language, colloquialisms, and jargon, which obscure your message more than they serve to impress people.
• Using stereotypes and generalizations. Speakers who make unqualified generalizations undermine their own clarity and credibility. Be careful not to get stuck in the habit of using stereotypes or generalizing about complex systems or situations. Another form of generalization is “polarization,” or creating extremes. Try to be sensitive to the complexities of situations rather than viewing the world in black and white.
• Jumping to conclusions. Confusing facts with inferences is a common tendency. Do not assume you know the reasons behind events or that certain facts necessarily have certain implications. Ensure you have all the information you can get, and then speak clearly about the facts versus the meanings or interpretations you attach to those.
• Dysfunctional responses. Ignoring or not responding to a comment or question quickly undermines effective communication. Likewise, responding with an irrelevant comment that isn’t connected to the topic at hand will quash genuine communication. Interrupting others while they are speaking also creates a poor environment for communication.
• Lacking confidence. Lacking confidence can be a major barrier to effective communication. Shyness, difficulty being assertive, or low self-worth can hinder your ability to make your needs and opinions known. Also, a lack of awareness of your rights and opportunities in a given situation can prevent you from expressing your needs openly.

Instead, try implementing strategies  to improve effective communication using some of the following guidelines.

• Focus on the issue, not the person. Try not to take everything personally, and similarly, express your own needs and opinions in terms of the job at hand. Solve problems rather than attempt to control others. For example, rather than ignoring a student who routinely answers questions in class with inappropriate tangents, speak with the student outside of class about how this might disrupt the class and distract other students.
• Be genuine. Be yourself, honestly and openly. Be honest with yourself, and focus on working well with the people around you and acting with integrity.
• Empathize rather than remain detached. Although professional relationships entail some boundaries when it comes to interaction with colleagues, it is important to demonstrate sensitivity and to really care about the people you work with. If you don’t care about them, it will be difficult for them to care about you when it comes to working together.
• Be flexible towards others. Allow for other points of view, and be open to other ways of doing things. Diversity brings creativity and innovation.
• Value yourself and your own experiences. Be firm about your own rights and needs. Undervaluing yourself encourages others to undervalue you, too. Offer your ideas and expect to be treated well.
• Use affirming responses. Respond to others in ways that acknowledge their experiences. Thank them for their input. Affirm their right to their feelings, even if you disagree. Ask questions, express positive feelings, and provide positive feedback when you can.

The key to good communication is good listening skills.  Barriers to active listening include:

• Focusing on a personal agenda. When we spend our listening time formulating our next response, we cannot be fully attentive to what the speaker is saying.
• Experiencing information overload. Too much stimulation or information can make it very difficult to listen with full attention. Try to focus on the relevant information and the central points that are being conveyed.
• Criticizing the speaker. Do not be distracted by critical evaluations of the speaker. Focus on what they are saying – the message – rather than the messenger.
• Being distracted by strong emotional responses. When you have strong emotional response, acknowledge the emotion and shift your focus back to listening. Make a conscious effort not to get lost in your emotional response.
• Getting distracted by external “noise”. Audible noise may be extremely distracting. Some things can be minimized – e.g., turn down the ringer on your phone and notifications on your phone or computer while meeting with someone. Other noises may be unavoidable – e.g., construction, other people. Also, there may be figurative “noise” from the external environment, such as distracting or inappropriate decor in a room, or environmental conditions, such as the room being too hot or cold.
• Experiencing physical illness or pain. Feeling physically unwell or experiencing pain can make it very difficult to listen effectively. You may wish to communicate that this is not a good time and reschedule the discussion or have someone present.

Other strategies for active listening could include:

Stop: Focus on the other person, their thoughts and feelings. Consciously focus on quieting your own internal commentary and step away from your own concerns to think about those of the speaker. Give your full attention to the speaker.

Look: Pay attention to non-verbal messages without letting yourself be distracted. Notice body language and non-verbal cues to allow for a richer understanding of the speaker’s point. Remember that “active listeners need to communicate to the speaker that they are involved and giving the person unconditional attention” (Weger et al., 2010, p. 35).

Listen: Listen for the essence of the speaker’s thoughts: details, major ideas and their meanings. Seek an overall understanding of what the speaker is trying to communicate rather than reacting to the individual words or terms that they use to express themselves.

Be empathetic: Imagine how you would feel in their circumstances. Be empathetic to the feelings of the speaker while maintaining a calm centre within yourself. You need not be drawn into all of their problems or issues as long as you acknowledge what they are experiencing.

Ask questions: Use questions to clarify your understanding, as well as to demonstrate interest in what is being said.

Paraphrase: If you don’t have any specific questions to ask, you may choose to repeat back to the speaker, in your own words, what you have taken away in order to allow the speaker to clarify any points (Weger et al., 2010).

Overcoming Barriers

• Be aware of language, message and tone
• Consult others before communication
• Communicate according to the receiver
• Consistency of messages
• Follow up communication
• Proper feedback

“Effective Communication: Barriers and Strategies” from University of Waterloo by Centre for Teaching Excellence is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.—Modifications: Changed order; Removed section Perception; Added introduction content.