Communication is only considered effective when information is passed through an appropriate channel from the sender to the recipient and the feedback achieved. Determining the right medium or channel is critical in ensuring effective communication. Communication channels can be through presentations, telephone calls, and written reports, emails and memos. Communication normally differs in all scales including the rich, and even the learned. The rich population tends to be more interactive than the lean population. For example, face to face conversation is a great medium since the recipient can ask questions and get an immediate response. In a community, people have the tendency of judging others based on a distortion of facts. It is important to understand the barriers of communication that lead to such kind of distortion and perceptions.
From the speakers’ presentations, one gets to know the several barriers to perceptions in the community. The first barrier coming out from the presentation is stereotyping. This is whereby one is judged based on the perception about the type of group to which an individual belongs. While generalization helps in maintaining consistency and simplifying a complex world, it leads to stereotyping which in most cases is not accurate. For example, from the presentation of Sarah Pepper, she admits that women who are outspoken and bold are often misunderstood for being over aggressive or rude. The secret, however, is being consistent and staying true to oneself.
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Another barrier is first impression error. First impressions are usually important since they often stick and last longer. People tend to remember what they perceive from the first impression. First impression error is whereby one forms a lasting perception about a person or activity based on the initial interactions or contacts. The effects of first impression error can be dangerous especially during interviews or references. This is because when people form the first impression, they may end up determining long-term relationships in employment.
Another obstacle is the halo effect which can be described as the general impression of an individual based on a single characteristic. All the speakers talked about the problem of an individual getting judged based on a single characteristic. Sarah Pepper, for instance, cautions listeners against the common stereotype that not all men want to take your job. Perhaps from the common perceptions that men are always getting better chances than women in most opportunities, she says that it is not right to always make such conclusions and that it is important for the ladies to stop having such thoughts that would make them less focused. Other speakers also point out the danger of judging an individual based on a single trait. One, for example, can be talkative or bold but that does not mean that the individual is insensitive or bad.
From the speaker's presentations, there are several ways through which one can overcome these barriers. The first one that comes out strongly is creating connections and building trust in the community. The speakers point out the importance of creating a solid network of trusted friends with whom one can share or ask for help when there is a challenge. According to most of the speakers, it is not what one knows that matters but rather who one knows that may be important especially in the current world where one has to know someone to find it easy in life.
Another way through which one can overcome these barriers is through listening. Listening is good since it gives one an opportunity to deeply understand the concept and apply the knowledge received in an appropriate manner. The last speaker, for example, points out that she listened to her mum who directed her to go and seek help from people who had a similar intention. Listening allows one to be emphatic with one another without rushing into quick judgments.
Analyzing one's perceptions and trying to improve on them is another way of overcoming barriers. It is important for an individual to question his perceptions and understand how these perceptions are formed. Sometimes one may want to ask from other people if the perceptions he is having about the next individual are accurate. With this knowledge, one can work on how to improve these perceptions.
