Write a detailed note on Barriers to communication

         Communication is not always successful. Several things can prevent the message from reaching the intended recipient or from having the desired effect on the recipient.

          There may be some fault in the communication system which may prevent the message from reaching the intended recipient. Some of these defects are in the mechanical devices which are used for transmitting that is the medium. Some barriers are in the tools we used for communication that is language. Some barriers are in the nature of the person who is engaged in communication that is a ‘sender’ and the ‘recipient’.

          Barriers to communication can be broadly divided in following groups.

(1) Physical and External Barriers, (2) Socio-physiological Barriers,

(3) Semantic and language Barriers, Let’s discuss about them in a depth.

Physical, External and Mechanical Barriers:-

          There are barriers created by any mechanical defect, by noise, or defective organization communication system. They are called physical, external or mechanical barriers.

1.     Defects in the medium:- Defects in communication are external and usually not without control of the parties. e.g. the defective telephone, the postal system, the courier service, and even electronic media may fail or break down.

The partial failure of the mechanical equipment is more dangerous than a complete failure as it conveys incomplete or distorted message, which might cause a wrong action to be taken.

2.     Noise:- Noise is any disturbance which occurs in the transmission process. In face-to-face communication without a microphone, the air may be disturbed by noise in the environment such as traffic, factory work or people talking etc.

3.     Defects in the organization’s communication system; within the organization, the movement of papers and of information may be held up by the system. Oral message and information which have to pass through too may levels are often delayed. Because at each level, they are edited on. As a result, some persons in the organization may not get some information which they want. This is known as a communication gap.  

Language Barriers-

          There are barriers to communication arising out of misuse of language. Language is a great tool of communication and it requires skill and good and large vocabulary. Many words have multiple meaning such as charge, spring, suit, ring, wind, minute. 

          Some words like ‘minute’ and wind’ are pronounced in two different ways to mean to entirely different things. Some words like ‘present’, ‘transfer’, ‘record’, are used as verb or as noun with difference in stress in speaking because not different in spelling.

          Besides adjectives and adverb like ‘for’, ‘last’, ‘few’, ‘early’, convey different meaning to different person. Even a concrete noun lie ‘table’ may suggest a writing table or dining table.

          Phrase can be more trickily; ‘a red and a blue carpet’ signifies two carpet one red and one blue. While ‘A red and blue carpet is one carpet in two colours. The word ‘mouse’ is a technical term for a computer man. A layman fails to understand its meaning ‘index’ is a technical term in mathematics.

Socio-psychological barrier:-

          All persons are not skilled communicators. Skills in communication have to be cultivated. People have some personal feeling like desires, fears, hopes, prejudices, attitudes, views, and opinions. They all do not allow them to communicate freely, frankly and honestly and they become psychological barrier to communication. Sometime people have a social status, tradition and customs which become barriers. Interpretations to communication arise partly from personal attributes. These are called ‘socio-psychological barriers. We receive a massage at three levels.

Noticing-is at the physical level.

Understanding-is at the level of intelligence.

1.    Acceptable is at the emotional level.

(1)   Self-Centred Attitudes:- We tend to see and hear everything in the light of own interest and needs and desires. We pay attention to massage which are useful to us. As a result, self-interest may prevent us form seeing the point of view of others.

(2)   Selective Perception: We see, read or hear selectively according to our needs, interest and experiences. We project our exceptions or expectations into the communication as we interpret the message.

(3)   Closed Mind:- A person with a closed mind is very difficult to communicate with other. Limited intellectual background, limited reading and narrow interest can cause a person’s mind to be narrow. This limits made him not take any suggesting for change. Such person is a man with deeply fixed prejudices. He is the kinds of man who will says, “Look, my mind is made up. I know what I know. And I do not want to know anything else.”

(4)   Status Consciousness:- Status consciousness exits in ever organization. It is one of the major barriers to effective communication. e.g. Subordinates are afraid of communication upward any unpleasant information.

(5)   Inattentiveness:- People often become inattentive while receiving a massage. Aged personas usually refuse changes. Changes make things uncertain and they unconsciously become inattentive.

(6)   Poor Retention:- Poor retention(ability to remember things) of communication also acts as a barrier. Scientific studies show that employees retain only about 50 percent of the information communication to them. The rest is lost.

Poor communication skills:-

          Lack of skill in writing and speaking prevents a person form framing a message properly. Oral communication can be handicapped by number of problem; nervousness in facing an audience. Written communication can be handicapped by poor skill in using the language. Writing and speaking skills can be developed by training and practice. Reading and Listening need careful training to overcome.

Cross Culture Barriers:-

          Even in the best of conditions, communication can be difficult; cross-cultural barriers mean different cultures or nation. Each nation has a character of its own. The Chinese are not like the Indians nor the Pakistanis nor the Shri Lankan, although they are neighboring countries. National characters, language values, and norms of behaviour, social relationships, concepts of them, space, thinking processes, perception these all are also make difference in communication.

          In summing up, we must remember that contrary to the popular belief redundancy is not always a barrier to communication. On the other hand, redundancy, the repetition of the elements of a message, may prove to be an aid to communication in certain situation.