Communication barriers

Overview
Communication barriers
Types of communication barriers
Sender barriers and receiver barriers
Attitudes and values
Valuing differences
Environmental barriers
Managing environmental factors
Summary
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2 Team participation skills

Overview
Communication barriers can interfere with or block the message you are
trying to send. This topic will help you to:
recognise the barriers to communication which prevent messages being
sent and received successfully
develop communication skills to overcome these barriers.
Inside this topic
Communication breakdown
Types of communication barriers
Sender barriers and receiver barriers
Attitudes and values
Dealing with change
Valuing differences
ias generalisations and stereotyping
Cultural awareness
!nvironmental barriers
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Communication barriers
Activity 1: Communication breakdown
"ook at the illustration below. #hy do you think there has been a breakdown in
communication$ #hat barriers can you see$
Figure 1
Comment
The breakdown occurred because %ran& the manager& assumed too much
about ill. She thinks he is a good worker but hasn't told him. She assumes
he knows her views without having told him. She didn't listen when he said
he was busy. So& the sender of a message must think about the feelings of
the receiver.
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ut the person receiving the message has a responsibility& too.
Communication isn't successful until there is feedback. ill should be
honest with %ran and let her know how he feels. ill didn't give feedback to
let her know his feelings. ill doesn't know that %ran& his manager& values
his work. oth %ran and ill contributed to the communication barriers.
Types of communication barriers
There are many different factors that can create barriers to effective
communication.
Language barriers
"anguage barriers occur when people do not speak the same language& or do
not have the same level of ability in a language. (owever& barriers can also
occur when people are speaking the same language. Sometimes barriers
occur when we use inappropriate levels of language )too formal or informal*
or we use +argon or slang which is not understood by one or more of the
people communicating.
,ften the situation in which the conversation is taking place& and whether or
not people have prior e-perience of the matter being discussed& can also
contribute to such barriers being formed.
Overcoming language barriers
.emember that preparation is an important part of communication.
Think about:
who you are communicating with
what their language needs may be.
/sing visuals )photographs& drawings& diagrams and so on* can help to
overcome language barriers as can using appropriate non0verbal
communication. e aware& however& that different situations and different
cultures )including workplace cultures* have varying interpretations of non0
verbal communication. #hat is acceptable in one culture may be offensive
in another. #hat is clear to you may not be clear to others: a nod for 1yes'
may not mean the same thing in another country2 See 1Take care with
gestures' in Section 3 for more e-amples.
The 4uality of your voice is also important for clear communication. e sure
to speak with appropriate volume for the situation and use clear diction.
"istening actively to other people and letting them know that you are
listening )nodding& asking 4uestions etc* is an e-cellent way to overcome
language barriers.
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Conversational bad habits
There are many bad habits we can have in conversation:
Sometimes we +udge the other person by criticising them& calling them
names or diagnosing them )for e-ample& 1you're stupid' or 1you are only
saying that because you know you should have spent more time on it'*.
Another bad habit is sending solutions to the other by threatening&
moralising& asking too many 4uestions or advising them. %or e-ample&
15ou should apologise.' 16f 6 were you7'.
Another common& but very negative& conversational habit is avoiding
the other person's concerns by changing the sub+ect& offering a 1logical 1
argument or reassuring the person& 16t'll be ok. The same happened to a
friend of mine7'
,ften people +ust want you to listen. 8re+udging helps no one. 8eople have
the right to make mistakes. 6n the workplace& the important thing is to get
the +ob done and to help each other to do this.
Sending solutions may not always be your business and will often not be
appreciated. 8eople must make their own decisions. #e often reassure the
person because we are embarrassed about facing others' emotions.
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Sender barriers and receiver barriers
oth senders and receivers sometimes create barriers that affect
communication.
Activity 2: Sender or receiver barrier?
.ead each statement& then tick the bo- to indicate whether you think it is a sender barrier& a
receiver barrier or both )in which case& tick both columns*.
Sender Receiver
1 ecoming distracted or daydreaming
2 6nterrupting
3 %i-ing other people's problems
4 %inishing another person's sentences
5 9aking assumptions about people based on their accents or dress
6 ias towards your own values and e-perience
7 ,verusing closed 4uestions
8 :ot being aware of non0verbal cues
9 ;umping to conclusions
10 :ot making sure you've got their attention
11 ody language that doesn't fit )incongruent*& such as nodding but frowning
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Comment
1.eceiver' is the correct answer for <& 3& =& >& ? and <<. oth 1Sender' and
1.eceiver' are correct answers for @& A and B and 1Sender' is the correct
answer for <C.
Are you surprised with how many barriers come from the receiver$ y now&
you are realising that it's not +ust the responsibility of the person sending
the message but also the responsibility of the person receiving the message
for communication to be effective.
Attitudes and values
A common cause of communication breakdown in a workplace situation is
people holding different attitudes and values. An e-ample of this is differing
perceptions people have of power and status.
Some people may think that they should treat people or be treated
differently based on what they perceive as their status or power within a
workplace or in the community. 6f they think that managers and supervisors
have power over staff& for e-ample that they can allocate duties& reward&
promote& or dismiss staff& this may lead to barriers before the
communication even takes place.
(owever& what one person considers power and control might be considered
leadership or mentoring by another person. !ffective communication is
necessary no matter what level or position you occupy. 6f you feel someone
is trying to e-ert power or control over you& communicate this to them.
ealing with change
#e all bring our own attitudes and values to our behaviour in the workplace
or community. #orkplace change can highlight very different attitudes and
values. #hen faced with workplace change& people's behaviour may be very
different. 8eople react differently to change.
Change in the workplace causes us to face minor and ma+or changes.
Sometimes people view change as good& but sometimes they feels that
change is happening too fast& too often& or without bringing any real benefit.
#hen people can't see a good reason for change& they are more likely to
resist. #e need to deal with potential barriers because of these differences in
attitudes.
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Case study! CommInc
Tran has worked for Comm6nc for ten years. (e is the longest serving staff
member. Tran remembers all the people who have ever worked there and is
the one everyone goes to if they need to know how things are usually done.
Tran is a dedicated worker and has received awards and citations for his
work. /nfortunately& Tran is planning to leave Comm6nc. Tran's main
reason for leaving is that the company e-ecutives are planning to totally
rearrange the office and storeroom at Comm6nc and restructure the work
methods for the despatch section where he does so much work. Tran does
not like change.
(ow will it affect the organisation by Tran's leaving$ 6t is e-pensive to
retrain someone. And Tran is a good worker. Think about how the
organisation can help Tran with accepting the change.
eing closed to change is an attitude which can be a very important barrier
to communication. .emember& being closed to change means
communication will be blocked as the person who should receive the
message does not want to listen& contribute to the e-change of ideas or share
information.
Change is an important feature of the modern workplace. #e need to be
sensitive and accept that people have different attitudes to change and that
we need to help people accept change. #e must listen with empathy for
their verbal and non0verbal feedback.
"romoting change
Strategies for managing change need to consider everyone involved. 6f we
want to help people to change we should:
provide information
ensure everyone is fully and clearly informed
provide the information in small& manageable doses
be prepared
know what the core issues are that you want to change and don't be
distracted by irrelevant side0issues
be prepared to have some parts of the communication traded or changed
to encourage a spirit of compromise
give people options and a way out
talk and listen
consider people's feelings
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give people an opportunity to e-press themselves and listen
wrap bad news in some good news
be open to feedback
enlist some help
win over influential people and enlist them to help spread the message
be open to ideas and advice.
5ou will need to use strategies that will create an open communication
environment where barriers can be more easily identified. ringing about
positive change re4uires careful management and open communication.
5ou will get a better commitment to change if you make sure that everyone
affected has an opportunity to participate. #hen people are consulted about
the need for change& they can make a valuable contribution and feel a sense
of ownership in the outcomes.
Valuing differences
Australia's multicultural society means we have a great variety of cultural
groups with differing beliefs& behaviours and e-periences. %or our
workforce this means we have the richness of diverse e-periences to draw
on.
6f you are aware of how your attitudes and values contribute to your identity&
you will be more sensitive to the attitudes and values of others. This will
help you to avoid or overcome communication barriers. 5ou will be able to
help people at work make the most of the range of e-periences available to
you.
ut to work effectively& you must first be open to understanding how culture
can influence behaviour and communication styles. 5our workplace will
also benefit from supporting and mentoring people with special needs& such
as physical or mental needs.
iscrimination
Discrimination arises when people make +udgments about individuals or
groups without thinking clearly. ehaviours such as stereotyping& bias and
pre+udice are forms of discrimination. #hen people discriminate& they make
decisions without bothering to get all the necessary information about the
people they are +udging.
Discrimination causes people to miss out on the value of difference& and the
benefits that individuals and groups bring to any situation. Valuing people
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who are different allows you to draw on a broader range of insights& ideas&
e-perience and knowledge.
!ach person's uni4ueness comes from personal characteristics such as:
race
gender
education
age
ability
lifestyle
e-perience.
"et's see how these factors apply to Comm6nc staff.
Case study! CommInc staff
Peri
8eri has travelled widely. (e knows that if he uses gestures that are familiar
at home or in his office& they may not be understood or welcome in other
settings.
Tran
Tran has been raised to respect a person's space& and would never step over
a fellow worker's legs to get past& as that is considered rude. Some other
actions that can appear rude to different people include showing the soles of
your feet to others& walking between people who are talking& or standing too
close to people you don't know well.
Alex
Ale- has been raised to think the pub is the place where friendships are
formed and consolidated. Ale- was offended when Salwa refused to come
for a beer after work. Salwa e-plained that she does not drink for religious
reasons. Ale- is now comfortable about her refusal and doesn't take it
personally.
Comm6nc staff have been encouraged to treat each other as e4uals and
warned that discrimination will not be tolerated. Comm6nc values the
diversity staff contribute and has a motto: 16f you can do the +ob& nothing
else matters'. This means that& whatever your race& religion& politics or
se-ual preference& you will be treated e4ually.
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#ias$ generalisations and stereotyping
These behaviours can cause communication barriers. (aving these attitudes
and not confronting them is not +ust wrong& it's bad for business. 6n the
workplace& such attitudes can cost the organisation time and money.
Stereotyping occurs when you assume you know something about a person
because of their cultural or social background. 5our views may come from a
bias you may have against a particular behaviour& appearance& possession or
even a particular geographical area.
An e-ample of generalisation is where you know one person from a
particular background and then generalise that all people from that
background are the same.
5our situation& appearance and behaviour may contribute to other people's
stereotyped views. This could contribute to communication breakdown.
"earn to treat everyone as an individual. 5ou will open up the channels for
communication and overcome the barriers based on discrimination.
Cultural awareness
Communicating with people of different cultures and backgrounds means
becoming aware of the differences in values& beliefs and attitudes that
people hold.
!mpathy is important for overcoming barriers to communication based on
culture. !mpathy means sensing the feelings and attitudes of others as if we
had e-perienced them personally. There is a common e-pression that
describes how you can develop empathy: 15ou need to walk a mile in
another person's shoes'.
There are many techni4ues involved in creating empathy. #e can try:
respecting other's feelings and attitudes
using active listening skills
encouraging involvement of others by asking 4uestions while respecting
personal privacy
using open body language and an encouraging vocal tone
taking other people's fears and concerns into consideration.
refraining from giving unsolicited advice.
not blaming& instead working towards a solution.
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%nvironmental barriers
:ot all barriers to communication are caused by people. There are many
environmental factors affecting the effective communication process.
9essages can be blocked by environmental factors& such as the physical
setting or the situation where communication takes place.
Managing environmental factors
(ere are some points to help you manage environmental factors for
effective communication when in teams.
Team meeting rooms should be cool but not cold. A warm room makes
participants sleepyD a cold room can make them very unhappy2
9ake sure that the environment is comfortable and secure. 8eople need
to feel safe before they will listen or offer suggestions.
Check that nothing behind or near the team member will cause
distraction )for e-ample& activity seen through an open window or doorD
a television screen*.
Turn off your mobile phone when you are communicating with other
people.
#ait until machinery )or any other distracting noise* is turned off before
you even try to communicate. 6f this is not possible& move to a 4uieter
location.
/se accepted format in any written communication )letters&
memorandums and reports* and& if it's important& check with someone
beforehand that they can understand it.
As a communicator& you need to think about what are the potential and real
environmental barriers in your workplace or community.
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Summary
Communication is about sharing meaning. #ith no sharing& there is no
communication. To communicate successfully in a team or with others& at
work or in the community& you need to understand the communication
environment and the barriers which prevent messages being sent and
received successfully.
As senders we must monitor feedback and change out communication to
suit the diversity of the person with whom we are communicating. #e are
fortunate to have a richness of different e-periences in our Australian
workplaces to tap into.
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