BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THEM
Communication is the act of sending or receiving messages and business communication is the
act of sending or receiving messages with the intention of achieving a goal. However, barriers are
common to both so, for business communication to be effective the communicator must do the best in
overcoming these barriers. Characteristics of effective communication are providing practical
information, giving facts rather than impressions because opinions differ from one to another, keeping
the message short but clear by stating all required information and should be persuasive while offering
recommendations.
Barriers would lead to ineffective communication and inability to achieve the required goal
within the given time. There are five main barriers to communication as perceptual and language
differences, restrictive environments, distractions, deceptive tactics and information overload.
The first barrier is perceptual and language differences between the communicator and
audience. Perception refers to how one interprets the world around him/her. Simply put, it is how the
see and analyze situations. Perceptual differences occur due to differences in tastes, ideologies,
personalities, style, gender, cultural values, attitudes and religions in people. So, it is important for a
communicator to always provide facts than impressions as opinions differ from one person to another.
Perceptual barriers are of two types: perceptual filters and triggers and cues. Perceptual fillers are
differences in people due to their individual preferences, values, attitudes or experiences through which
they judge a situation. This can lead to misunderstandings and conventional behavior. Secondly, triggers
and cues are how people read others from their body language. For an example, if someone has crossed
his arms some might interpret it as he disagrees with the situation. This could be avoided by using facts
and avoiding opinions.
Language barriers arise due to differences in language used by the communicator and the
audience which leads to ineffective communication. It is widely seen when different languages are used
within the same country depending on the region. Moreover, jargon, which are technical terms, could
be a barrier so, avoiding jargon would be wise. These barriers could be conquered by pre-analyzing the
audience and developing an audience centered approach.
Environment is a vital factor which determines the effectiveness of the communication.
Restrictive environments could be caused by outside noises, weather, location and the distance
between the communicator and audience. Environmental barriers could make communication uneasy
Communication is the act of sending or receiving messages and business communication is the
act of sending or receiving messages with the intention of achieving a goal. However, barriers are
common to both so, for business communication to be effective the communicator must do the best in
overcoming these barriers. Characteristics of effective communication are providing practical
information, giving facts rather than impressions because opinions differ from one to another, keeping
the message short but clear by stating all required information and should be persuasive while offering
recommendations.
Barriers would lead to ineffective communication and inability to achieve the required goal
within the given time. There are five main barriers to communication as perceptual and language
differences, restrictive environments, distractions, deceptive tactics and information overload.
The first barrier is perceptual and language differences between the communicator and
audience. Perception refers to how one interprets the world around him/her. Simply put, it is how the
see and analyze situations. Perceptual differences occur due to differences in tastes, ideologies,
personalities, style, gender, cultural values, attitudes and religions in people. So, it is important for a
communicator to always provide facts than impressions as opinions differ from one person to another.
Perceptual barriers are of two types: perceptual filters and triggers and cues. Perceptual fillers are
differences in people due to their individual preferences, values, attitudes or experiences through which
they judge a situation. This can lead to misunderstandings and conventional behavior. Secondly, triggers
and cues are how people read others from their body language. For an example, if someone has crossed
his arms some might interpret it as he disagrees with the situation. This could be avoided by using facts
and avoiding opinions.
Language barriers arise due to differences in language used by the communicator and the
audience which leads to ineffective communication. It is widely seen when different languages are used
within the same country depending on the region. Moreover, jargon, which are technical terms, could
be a barrier so, avoiding jargon would be wise. These barriers could be conquered by pre-analyzing the
audience and developing an audience centered approach.
Environment is a vital factor which determines the effectiveness of the communication.
Restrictive environments could be caused by outside noises, weather, location and the distance
between the communicator and audience. Environmental barriers could make communication uneasy
