barriers to effective communication and how to overcome them by arun k. behera & bijay k....

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Introduction:Communication is a complex process

wherein information is shared betweenindividuals through a common system ofsymbols, signs, and behavior expressingfeelings, ideas, views, opinions, etc. Peoplecommunicate to satisfy needs. The mainpurpose of communication is to help peoplefeel good about themselves and about theirfriends, groups, and organizations. For thecommunication to succeed there must be atransmission of thoughts, ideas and feelingsfrom one mind to another. Effectivecommunication is an essential component oforganizational success whether it is at theinterpersonal or intergroup or organizationalor even external level.

Although all of us have beencommunicating with others since our infancy,the process of transmitting information froman individual (or a group) to another is avery complex process with many sources ofpotential error. According to anestmate,people in organizations typicallyspend over 75% of their time in aninterpersonal situation; thus it is no surpriseto find that at the root of a large number oforganizational problems is poorcommunication. This poor (or ineffective orunsuccessful or failed) communication iscaused by a large number of barriers. We willhowever be discussing them under three broadcategories.Barriers to Communication:

1. Physical2. Semantic3. Socio-psychological

1. Physical barriers:Physical barriers refer to a large number

of physical factors ranging from noise andbodily movements to ill health of either orboth the participants, confusion anddiscomfort. Even the slightest of theundesirable sound such as that arising out ofdragging a table or sneezing or banging ofthe door or the window panes or creaking ofthe door or the fan etc. can pose a distractionespecially to the listener leading to loss ofcertain information. Similarly, when one orboth of the persons in the field ofcommunication is/are not well or when thereis any kind of discomfort on either partcommunication becomes ineffective.Sometimes, some sort of confusion also ariseswhich leads to the communication being notsuccessful. Thus, in oral communication, otherbarriers such as faulty seating arrangements,distance between the sender and the receiver,fatigue etc. result in miscommunication. Incase of written communication, on the otherhand, illegible writing, bad photocopies etc.lead to miscommunication.2. Semantic Barriers:

Secondly, barriers pertaining to languagevary from spoken words to graphics, chartsetc. The audience fails to get the intendedmeaning if the words or expressions used aretoo complicated or uncommon. The choiceof words or language in which a sender encodesa message will influence the quality ofcommunication. Because language is asymbolic representation of a phenomenon,room for interpretation and distortion of themeaning exists. Similar is the case with

* Dept. of English, Sri Sathya Sai University, Brindavan Campus, Kadugodi P.O., Bangalore-560 067 E-mail: arunbehera_65@yahoo.co.in** Professor, P.G. Dept. of English, Sambalpur University, Jyotivihar-768 019 Orissa

Barriers to Effective Communication and How toOvercome Them

Dr. Arun K Behera*

Prof. Bijay K Tripathy* *

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graphics, charts, maps, diagrams and suchother things. When the teacher uses verydifficult or weird words such as bizarre, eerieetc. the students may not comprehend them.Semantic barriers occur when the sender andthe receiver assign different meanings to thesame words. The word vent, for example, maymean either an opening, a hole or to express.3. Socio-psychological barriers:

There is one more barrier to effectivecommunication: socio-psychological whichcomes out of attitudes, emotions, status,source of communication, inattentiveness,poor retention, unsolicited communication,etc. People attend to stimuli in theenvironment in very different ways. We haveshortcuts that we use to organize data.Invariably, these shortcuts introduce somebiases into communication. Some of theseshortcuts include stereotyping, projection, andself-fulfilling prophecies. Of these, however,stereotyping is more common. Similarly, ourperception or preconceived notions on certainthings also affect our understanding.Communication fails if there are hastyjudgments, refusal to listen to a problem,distraction, acceptance of words literally, fearof criticism, day dreaming, impatience,interruptions, preconceived notions, switchingoff, etc.Means to overcome barriers:

There are, however, many feasible waysto overcome these barriers so as to make ourcommunication effective and successful. Someof the more acceptable and easily practicableways and means of overcoming these barriersare suggested below:1. I. Means to overcome physical barriers:

As far as the physical barriers areconcerned, they can be overcome by followingsome small yet effective steps such as makingappropriate seating arrangements in theclassroom or the lecture hall. The seatingarrangement has to be such that all the

audience face the speaker in order to haveeye contact. Secondly, the audibility andvisibility in the hall should be ensured.Moreover, the visual and aural distractionsshould be minimised. It is also necessary thatthe environmental comfort is provided toachieve optimum effect.2. I. Means to overcome semantic barriers:

Similarly, in order to tackle linguisticbarriers use of simple language is a very usefulmethod. Ideas and information can also beeffectively disseminated by using graphicsymbols, charts, audio-visual resources, etc.The speaker also should prepare handouts andrecommend books for better communication.Taking feedback as frequently as possible isanother useful means of overcoming linguisticbarrier.3. I. Means to overcome socio-psychologicalbarriers:

Socio-psychological barriers are difficultto tame. Calling attention and motivatinglisteners, however, go a long way. Feedbackalso helps overcome psychological barriers toa large extent. The listeners expect some kindof assistance and sympathy which are veryuseful for the success of the communication.Judicious use of audio-visual media helpsbridge the communication gap.Conclusion:

Language is a powerful vehicle ofcommunication. Sometimes, however, owingto a number of factors successful or effectivecommunications do not take place. Some ofthe more prominent factors leading tobreakdown or failure in communication are:physical, semantic and socio-psychologicalbarriers. Of course there are also equallyeffective means through which these barrierscan be overcome, thus resulting in effectivecommunication. To cite Francis T Bergin,communication, in order to succeed must becorrect, clear, complete, concise, concrete,candid and courteous.

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