According to Keyton (2011), communication is the process by which information is transferred from one person to another. A common understanding has to be arrived at for the process to be considered as communication (Keyton, 2011). The process of communication starts from the sender through to a medium to the receiver and back to the sender in what is referred to as feedback. All these elements determine the quality of communication. There are barriers to communication. They include process barriers, personal barriers, physical barriers and semantic barriers. Different practices and procedures can be used to overcome these barriers.
Process barriers are barriers that are encountered as a result of the step by step procedure of communication. The barriers can vary from the sender, medium, receiver to the feedback. The process of passing the piece of information can be broken down at any of these levels. These barriers can be overcome by the senders developing a clear and direct idea of the information that is to be passed. This should be followed by a clear purpose for communication. The sender should then follow-up on the message to ensure that one was successful in passing the information (Cheney, 2011).
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Another barrier to communication is personal barriers. Personal barriers are the issues that pertain to the persons involved at more private level. This includes the person’s perception of things, values, upbringing, needs and wants. A message that is sent by a sender can be received and interpreted to mean a different thing based on the personal context of the receiver. To overcome this barrier there some things that can be done. It includes the use of empathy by the sender. This is where the sender puts himself/herself in the context of the receiver to see the world through the receiver’s eyes and therefore communicate effectively (Cheney, 2011). Also, the sender should understand their capacity and responsibility/role for effective communication. Once a sender understands their specific roles then one can pass a message more accurately, realistically and appropriate to the receiver.
Physical barriers impede effective communication. Physical barriers are the solid, tangible blocks that we face during the communication process. These are the physical distractions. They can be walls, noise from a passing airplane, etc. Physical barriers are easy to handle. Physical barriers can be overcome by removing them. For example, a closed window can be opened to allow for easy communication between sender and receiver. Physical barriers can also be dealt with by avoiding them such as avoiding sending messages when a noisy airplane is flying over. Also, as a receiver, one can stop talking and remove any physical distractions such as earphones or hood-caps to clearly understand the sender.
The fourth barrier to communication is semantic barriers. Semantics means that which relates to the meaning of words or phrases. As such semantic barriers are therefore barriers that involve the choice of words we use, the purpose we use them for and the meaning we attach to these words or phrases. Also, semantic barriers involve jargon. Jargon is the expression or words used by a group of people belonging to a certain profession which are not easily understood by other people. To overcome semantic barriers, one can ask questions where there is a need for clarity. This can help in understanding unclear words or phrases.
All in all, communication is an important tool for our everyday living, and as such it has to exercise daily. Effective communication can help an organization improve its efficiency. Therefore overcoming barriers to communication is an important part of a successful manager’s leadership strategy.
References
Cheney, G. (2011). Organizational communication in an age of globalization: Issues, reflections, practices . Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.
Keyton, J. (2011). Communication and organizational culture: A key to understanding work experience . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
