Communication barriers

TITLE: Unit 03 Barriers to communication

Overview 3

Communication barriers 4Types of communication barriers 5

Sender barriers and receiver barriers 7Attitudes and values 8Valuing differences 10

Environmental barriers 13Managing environmental factors 13

Summary 14

Team participation skills 1

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

Bias generalisations and stereotyping

Cultural awareness

Environmental barriers

Team participation skills 3

Communication barriers

Activity 1: Communication breakdown

Look at the illustration below. Why do you think there has been a breakdown in communication? What barriers can you see?

Figure 1

Comment

The breakdown occurred because Fran, the manager, assumed too much about Bill. 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.

4 Team participation skills

But the person receiving the message has a responsibility, too. Communication isn’t successful until there is feedback. Bill should be honest with Fran and let her know how he feels. Bill didn’t give feedback to let her know his feelings. Bill doesn’t know that Fran, his manager, values his work. Both Fran and Bill contributed to the communication barriers.

Types of communication barriersThere are many different factors that can create barriers to effective communication.

Language barriers

Language barriers occur when people do not speak the same language, or do not have the same level of ability in a language. However, 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 jargon or slang which is not understood by one or more of the people communicating.

Often the situation in which the conversation is taking place, and whether or not people have prior experience of the matter being discussed, can also contribute to such barriers being formed.

Overcoming language barriers

Remember that preparation is an important part of communication.

Think about:

who you are communicating with

what their language needs may be.

Using visuals (photographs, drawings, diagrams and so on) can help to overcome language barriers as can using appropriate non-verbal communication. Be aware, however, that different situations and different cultures (including workplace cultures) have varying interpretations of non-verbal communication. What is acceptable in one culture may be offensive in another. What is clear to you may not be clear to others: a nod for ‘yes’ may not mean the same thing in another country! See ‘Take care with gestures’ in Section 2 for more examples.

The quality of your voice is also important for clear communication. Be sure to speak with appropriate volume for the situation and use clear diction. Listening actively to other people and letting them know that you are listening (nodding, asking questions etc) is an excellent way to overcome language barriers.

Team participation skills 5

Conversational bad habits

There are many bad habits we can have in conversation:

Sometimes we judge the other person by criticising them, calling them names or diagnosing them (for example, ‘you’re stupid’ or ‘you 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 questions or advising them. For example, ‘You should apologise.’ ‘If I were you…’.

Another common, but very negative, conversational habit is avoiding the other person’s concerns by changing the subject, offering a ‘logical ‘ argument or reassuring the person, ‘It’ll be ok. The same happened to a friend of mine…’

Often people just want you to listen. Prejudging helps no one. People have the right to make mistakes. In the workplace, the important thing is to get the job done and to help each other to do this.

Sending solutions may not always be your business and will often not be appreciated. People must make their own decisions. We often reassure the person because we are embarrassed about facing others’ emotions.

6 Team participation skills

Sender barriers and receiver barriers

Both senders and receivers sometimes create barriers that affect communication.

Activity 2: Sender or receiver barrier?

Read each statement, then tick the box to indicate whether you think it is a sender barrier, a receiver barrier or both (in which case, tick both columns).

Sender Receiver

1 Becoming distracted or daydreaming

2 Interrupting

3 Fixing other people’s problems

4 Finishing another person’s sentences

5 Making assumptions about people based on their accents or dress

6 Bias towards your own values and experience

7 Overusing closed questions

8 Not being aware of non-verbal cues

9 Jumping to conclusions

10 Not making sure you’ve got their attention

11 Body language that doesn’t fit (incongruent), such as nodding but frowning

Team participation skills 7

Comment

‘Receiver’ is the correct answer for 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 and 11. Both ‘Sender’ and ‘Receiver’ are correct answers for 5, 6 and 8 and ‘Sender’ is the correct answer for 10.

Are you surprised with how many barriers come from the receiver? By now, you are realising that it’s not just 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 example 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. If they think that managers and supervisors have power over staff, for example that they can allocate duties, reward, promote, or dismiss staff, this may lead to barriers before the communication even takes place.

However, what one person considers power and control might be considered leadership or mentoring by another person. Effective communication is necessary no matter what level or position you occupy. If you feel someone is trying to exert power or control over you, communicate this to them.

Dealing with change

We all bring our own attitudes and values to our behaviour in the workplace or community. Workplace change can highlight very different attitudes and values. When faced with workplace change, people’s behaviour may be very different. People react differently to change.

Change in the workplace causes us to face minor and major 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. When people can’t see a good reason for change, they are more likely to resist. We need to deal with potential barriers because of these differences in attitudes.

8 Team participation skills

Case study: CommInc

Tran has worked for CommInc for ten years. He 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. Unfortunately, Tran is planning to leave CommInc. Tran’s main reason for leaving is that the company executives are planning to totally rearrange the office and storeroom at CommInc and restructure the work methods for the despatch section where he does so much work. Tran does not like change.

How will it affect the organisation by Tran’s leaving? It is expensive to retrain someone. And Tran is a good worker. Think about how the organisation can help Tran with accepting the change.

Being closed to change is an attitude which can be a very important barrier to communication. Remember, 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 exchange of ideas or share information.

Change is an important feature of the modern workplace. We need to be sensitive and accept that people have different attitudes to change and that we need to help people accept change. We must listen with empathy for their verbal and non-verbal feedback.

Promoting change

Strategies for managing change need to consider everyone involved. If 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 side-issues

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

give people an opportunity to express themselves and listen

Team participation skills 9

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.

You will need to use strategies that will create an open communication environment where barriers can be more easily identified. Bringing about positive change requires careful management and open communication.

You will get a better commitment to change if you make sure that everyone affected has an opportunity to participate. When 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 experiences. For our workforce this means we have the richness of diverse experiences to draw on.

If 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. You will be able to help people at work make the most of the range of experiences available to you.

But to work effectively, you must first be open to understanding how culture can influence behaviour and communication styles. Your workplace will also benefit from supporting and mentoring people with special needs, such as physical or mental needs.

Discrimination

Discrimination arises when people make judgments about individuals or groups without thinking clearly. Behaviours such as stereotyping, bias and prejudice are forms of discrimination. When people discriminate, they make decisions without bothering to get all the necessary information about the people they are judging.

Discrimination causes people to miss out on the value of difference, and the benefits that individuals and groups bring to any situation. Valuing people who are different allows you to draw on a broader range of insights, ideas, experience and knowledge.

10 Team participation skills

Each person’s uniqueness comes from personal characteristics such as:

race

gender

education

age

ability

lifestyle

experience.

Let’s see how these factors apply to CommInc staff.

Case study: CommInc staff

Peri

Peri has travelled widely. He 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

Alex has been raised to think the pub is the place where friendships are formed and consolidated. Alex was offended when Salwa refused to come for a beer after work. Salwa explained that she does not drink for religious reasons. Alex is now comfortable about her refusal and doesn’t take it personally.

CommInc staff have been encouraged to treat each other as equals and warned that discrimination will not be tolerated. CommInc values the diversity staff contribute and has a motto: ‘If you can do the job, nothing else matters’. This means that, whatever your race, religion, politics or sexual preference, you will be treated equally.

Team participation skills 11

Bias, generalisations and stereotyping

These behaviours can cause communication barriers. Having these attitudes and not confronting them is not just wrong, it’s bad for business. In 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. Your views may come from a bias you may have against a particular behaviour, appearance, possession or even a particular geographical area.

An example of generalisation is where you know one person from a particular background and then generalise that all people from that background are the same.

Your situation, appearance and behaviour may contribute to other people’s stereotyped views. This could contribute to communication breakdown. Learn to treat everyone as an individual. You 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.

Empathy is important for overcoming barriers to communication based on culture. Empathy means sensing the feelings and attitudes of others as if we had experienced them personally. There is a common expression that describes how you can develop empathy: ‘You need to walk a mile in another person’s shoes’.

There are many techniques involved in creating empathy. We can try:

respecting other’s feelings and attitudes

using active listening skills

encouraging involvement of others by asking questions 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.

12 Team participation skills

Environmental barriers

Not all barriers to communication are caused by people. There are many environmental factors affecting the effective communication process. Messages can be blocked by environmental factors, such as the physical setting or the situation where communication takes place.

Managing environmental factorsHere 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 sleepy; a cold room can make them very unhappy!

Make sure that the environment is comfortable and secure. People need to feel safe before they will listen or offer suggestions.

Check that nothing behind or near the team member will cause distraction (for example, activity seen through an open window or door; a television screen).

Turn off your mobile phone when you are communicating with other people.

Wait until machinery (or any other distracting noise) is turned off before you even try to communicate. If this is not possible, move to a quieter location.

Use 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.

Team participation skills 13

Summary

Communication is about sharing meaning. With 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. We are fortunate to have a richness of different experiences in our Australian workplaces to tap into.

14 Team participation skills