Showing posts with label Barriers in communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barriers in communication. Show all posts

Overcome of Barriers to Effective Communication

The prime objectives of setting up a communication is to exchange facts and information in a manner which is acceptable to concerned people and which will lead to a cooperative action by all concerned. Effective communication is an essential for achieving the overall goals of an organization. For making communication effective, a manager should consider the following principles of communication. These principles are not exclusive, but illustrative, as more can be added to them.

1. Consistency

The communication should be consistent with the plans, policies, programs and objective of the enterprise. Above all, the communication should also be consistent. Inconsistency in communication may reduce the effectiveness of communication and sometimes it does not remain reliable due to inconsistency.

2. Clarity

The communicated message should be clear; it should be communicated in simple, easy and commonly understood language. Clarity of thought is the soul of the communication. It is the speaker who makes them meaningful and it is the receiver who interprets them, so whatever is conveyed should be conveyed in an unambiguous manner. Selection of words to be used in the communication should be made properly so that the words do not have dual meaning. Difficult and high sounding words obscure the meaning.

3. Complete

The message should be complete with respect to thought as well as content. Incomplete messages will create confusion in the mind of the receiver and he will be forced to seek clarification from the sender. This will lead to slowing down of the communication process. To ensure completeness, answer all the questions, give all the relevant facts. One should always check for the basic questions i.e., what, why, where, when, who. For example, while announcing a meeting, specify what is to be discussed in the meeting, why it is being held, where the meeting is to be held, when it is being held and who is to attend the meeting.

4. Effective Listening

A communicator must be a good listener too. Proper listening assures the speaker that the listener is sincere and can be trusted. He/she has emphasized to stop talking because without stopping talking, one cannot listen too. To quote Brain Tracy, "Listening builds trust." We trust people who listen to us and we are more open to their influence, guidance and persuasion. The sender of the message should emphasize on the receiver for the attentive listening at the time of delivering the message.
enhancing effective communication
5. Concise

The message should be concise and in concrete form. Ruskin said, "Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words." It should not contain irrelevant content and words. In nutshell, to retain the attention as well as to save time of the reader, it is essential that the message should be concise. Conciseness means conveying the message in fewest possible words without sacrificing its completeness.

6. Adequacy

Communication should be adequate and complete, not broken or incomplete. Inadequate communication delays action. It spoils understanding as well as good relations. Efficiency of both the communicator and recipient is affected.

7. Correct

We should not transmit any message unless we are absolutely convinced of its accuracy and authenticity. The message to be communicated should be correct in spelling, grammar, format, contents, statistics, information etc. It is very essential to use correct facts and correct style. Also the message should be transmitted or sent at correct time. Delayed and outdated messages cause loss of time and money. It is often said that information delayed is information denied. Transmission of incorrect information to outsiders may spoil relations and reputation.

8. Use of Informal Channels of Communication

The principle states that management must make use of informal communication as much as possible. This will serve twin purpose of bringing management closer to the workers and also avoid a delay in the communication. Moreover very often, management extracts such information from the informal channels which would never have been obtained through the formal channels e.g., information concerned with the problems and complaints of the workers are normally suppressed and distorted by the formal channels in the organization. Therefore, best way of knowing such problems, grievances etc. is to establish personal or informal contacts with workers.

9. Selecting the Proper Media

Proper media of communication should be followed, for instance in case of formal relations, written communication should be followed, illiterate workers should be instructed through oral and visual communication. All the aspects of oral and written communication should be examined before transmitting the communication.

10. Charts and diagrams

These may help to communicate the ideas more effectively. If your communication is oral, as in case of a presentation, or if it's in writing charts and diagrams will definitely help.

Issues Confronted by Organizations in Communication

Over the past few years, communication has increased its importance. It is one of the basic functions of managers in any organization. Communication is not only necessary for managerial effectiveness, but also important for interpersonal, inter-team, intra-team and organizational effectiveness. With the development and modernization of communication system, a number of issues have been emerged. Some important current issues are: 

  1. Why do men and women often have difficulty in communicating with each other?
  2. What are the implications of the “politically correct” movement on communications and organizations?
  3. How can individuals improve their cross-cultural communication?
  4. How is electronics changing the way people communicate with each other in organizations?
  5. What is the limit of privacy in communication?
Issue No. 1: Communication barriers between men and women 

According to tannin’s research, men use to talk to emphasize status, while women use it to create connection. Men are often more direct than women. Men frequently complain that women talk on and on about their problems while women criticize men for not listening. When men hear about the problem, they frequently assert their desire for independence and control by offering the solutions. Women usually present the problem to gain support and connection, to promote closeness with men but not take his advice this creates a distancing between them. 

Men and women have their own attitudes about the way of communication. Mostly, men are aggressive, extrovert, individualistic and competitive in communication matters whereas women have better skills as well as comparatively positive attitude in situational communication. Similarly, women are more prone to establish relations but men are looking for status in the communication process. The number of people present normally determines domination in communication. 

Issue No. 2: Politically correct communication

Words are the primary means by which people communicate. When we eliminate words form usage between they are politically more incorrect, we reduce our options for conveying messages in the clearest and most accurate form. We must be sensitive to how our choice of words might offend others.

Political correctness is another faction or issue that is to be incorporated in proper for effective communication. It is important to choose the word which is the most representative in the communication process and it should not be offensive to others. In the name of selecting new and politically correct vocabulary, sometimes, there is a danger of losing the real meaning or misusing the vocabulary in the communication process.  

Issue No. 3: Cross-cultural communication

Cross-cultural communication has been another current issues in communication. Languages differ as per culture. The same work means different things to different people. A gesture that is understood and acceptable in one culture may be meaningless in another culture. The language they use also differs in different culture. In some culture, some formal languages are used, while in some culture, frequently in formal languages are used. This is due to cross-cultural effect. People from different culture also view the work in different ways. This is due to cross cultural effect. People from different culture also view the world in different ways. Thus, due to cross cultural effect, there may cause barriers in communications. 

Different people from the different regions have different cultures, languages, attitudes, norms, standards, values and some ethical issues. Therefore different people may have different styles of delivering their message to others in the means of communication. But cross-cultural factors have added the complexities in the communication because of different cultures and others. Cross-cultural communication may have following difficulties or barriers of languages: 
  • Barriers caused by word connotations (different things in different languages). 
  • Barriers caused by semantic (different meaning to different people).
  • Barriers caused by tone differences.
  • Barriers caused by difference among perceptions.

Issue No. 4: Electronic communication

Organizational boundaries become less relevant as a result of electronic communication. Electronic communication such as cellular phones, pager, now allows accessing the desired person at any time and at any place of the world. The line between an employee’s work and non-work life is no longer distinct. Networked computers in an office allow the employees to share the files and jump vertical levels within the organization.

Electronic communications have revolutionized both the ability to access other people and to reach them almost instantaneously. Unfortunately this access and speed have come with some costs. Electronic mail, for instance does not provide the non-verbal communication components that face-to-face meeting does.

Issue No. 5.: Privacy in Communication 

Privacy in communication is the emerging issue in the field of communication. A company has to communicate strategic and valuable information to the mangers keeping privacy in some related matters or issues. Secrecy about information is the main thing for the company. In these circumstances, the issue of employee privacy becomes most pressing on the moral grounds.