Barrier to communication

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

Facial Expressions Convey Emotions

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Barriers to Effective Communication

FilteringSelective PerceptionEmotionsLanguage Gender

Barriers to Effective Communication

Filtering – information reduction by sender Selective perception – what you attend to Judging message Not listening with understanding (Covey) Information overload Gender -Do men and women communicate in

the same way? The answer is no. And the differences between men and women may lead to significant misunderstandings and misperceptions

Barriers to Effective Communication

Distractions Differences in background Poor timing Emotions Personality differences Prejudice Differences in knowledge and

assumptions Stress

Biases Affecting Communication First impressions Stereotypes Just-like-me Halo or pitchfork effect Contrast effect Leniency/severity effect

Barriers to Effective Communication (cont.) Defensiveness - behaviors that result from

feeling threatened hinders effective communication

Language - meaning of words differs among people with diverse backgrounds

jargon - specialized terminology used by a group even those who speak the same language may use it

quite differently National Culture - cultural values affect the way

people communicate individualism versus collectivism

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Overcoming Barriers

A. Solicit feedback – request information of message, restate in own words, performance appraisals, look for nonverbal cues

B. Simplified languageC. Active listening – including empathy

Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication Use Feedback - ask a set of questions about a

message to determine whether it was understood as intended

ask receivers to restate the message in their own words Simplify Language - tailor the language to the

audience for whom the message is intended jargon can facilitate understanding when used in

appropriate groups Listen Actively - listen for full meaning

restrain premature judgments or interpretations enhanced by developing empathy with sender

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Overcoming Communication Barriers (cont.)Constrain Emotions - emotions

severely cloud and distort the transference of meaning

refrain from communicating until one regains her/his composure

Watch Nonverbal Cues - actions should be aligned with words

nonverbal message should reinforce verbal message

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