Overcoming Barriers to Communication

Title:-Overcoming Barriers in Communication Name:-Ekta Yadav Roll no:-201058 Div:-“A”

ABSTRACT We have seen all around us the problems resulting from the inability of people in today 's working environment to penetrate these barriers. What are you going to do about it? Can you let the barriers to effective communication in your organization continue to block the path to effective management? If you and the persons with whom you communicate do your part to reduce these barriers, some of them may be eliminated. As a result, management of your organization will be enhanced. Why not take such action today? Some scholar defined communication as a linking function between two or more persons. People can reach other members of the society through this link-path with their ideas, feelings, thoughts, facts & values. While many others termed communication is a ‘bridge’ of meaning among the people so that they can share news and views with each other. According to these theorists, people by using the ‘bridge’ can safely cross the ‘rivers of misunderstanding’, which sometimes separate them from one another. The attitude and outlooks expressed by the scholars in the above statement suggest that communication is a meaningful transfer of information from one person (or group) to another. To avoid this theoretical confusion, it is better to define; communication is a process of sending and receiving a message. Now we can define, “Communication is a process of sending thoughts, ideas, feelings, suggestions, advice, information, culture etc. from at least one person to another person in order to get things done by the other individual”.

INRODUCTION

Communication is a key part in everyone’s life. Communicating is a skill that requires constant learning. As easy as communicating may seem to be, communication is a rather complex skill for all people to master. Multiple barriers exist for communication. For the purpose of this paper there will be three specific communication barriers discussed, which consist of: differences in people’s cultures, language interpretations, and a person’s ability to listen properly. When it comes to the differentiations between cultures, three prominent aspects are present. These are: language, cultural background (i.e. age, gender, level of education), and economic status. People must understand that every language has words that can be taken the wrong way, or that can be misunderstood. People must watch how they say whatever they are trying to say, so as not to be misinterpreted. Then hand in hand with that people must be open-minded and view all the different ways of interpreting what has been said, rather than jumping to conclusions. This flows in with listening properly. A person cannot simply hear what is being said, they must listen to what is being said and the way the person says it. It is true that a smooth flow of information always does not go unhindered. There exist many roadblocks or barriers in different shapes in the communication process. Despite these barriers the situation is not that much hopeless. Communication barriers can be overcome if it is sincerely wanted. The most general strategy for improving organizational or any other communication is that the persons involved in the communication process must be sensitive to the barriers and must act accordingly.

ARTICLE Communication is a process of sending thoughts, ideas, feelings, suggestions, advice, information, culture etc. from at least one person to another person in order to get things done by the other individual”. When you send a message, you intend to communicate meaning, but the message itself doesn 't contain meaning. The meaning exists in your mind and in the mind of your receiver.
To understand one another, you and your receiver must share similar meanings for words, gestures, tone of voice, and other symbols.
Following are the guidelines to overcome barriers to communications.

Differences in perception
The world constantly bombards us with information: sights, sounds, scents, and so on. Our minds organize this stream of sensation into a mental map that represents our perception or reality. In no case is the perception of a certain person the same as the world itself, and no two maps are identical. As you view the world, your mind absorbs your experiences in a unique and personal way. Because your perceptions are unique, the ideas you want to express differ from other people 's Even when two people have experienced the same event, their mental images of that event will not be identical. As senders, we choose the details that seem important and focus our attention on the most relevant and general, a process known as selective perception. As receivers, we try to fit new details into our existing pattern. If a detail doesn 't quite fit, we are inclined to distort the information rather than rearrange the pattern.
Incorrect filtering
Filtering is screening out before a message is passed on to someone else. In business, the filters between you and your receiver are many; secretaries, assistants, receptionists, answering machines, etc. Those same gatekeepers may also 'translate ' your receiver 's ideas and responses before passing them on to you. To overcome filtering barriers, try to establish more than one communication channel, eliminate as many intermediaries as possible, and decrease distortion by condensing message information to the bare essentials.

Language problems

When you choose the words for your message, you signal that you are a member of a particular culture or subculture and that you know the code. The nature of your code imposes its own barriers on your message. Barriers also exist because words can be interpreted in more than one way. Language is an arbitrary code that depends on shared definitions, but there 's a limit to how completely any of us share the same meaning for a given word. To overcome language barriers, use the most specific and accurate words possible. Always try to use words your audience will understand. Increase the accuracy of your messages by using language that describes rather than evaluates and by presenting observable facts, events, and circumstances. Poor listening
Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is simply a lack of attention on the receiver 's part. We all let our minds wander now and then, regardless of how hard we try to concentrate.
People are essentially likely to drift off when they are forced to listen to information that is difficult to understand or that has little direct bearing on their own lives. Too few of us simply do not listen well! To overcome barriers, paraphrase what you have understood, try to view the situation through the eyes of other speakers and resist jumping to conclusions.
Clarify meaning by asking non-threatening questions, and listen without interrupting.
Inadequate Communication Structures Organizational communication is effected by formal restrictions on who may communicate with whom and who is authorized to make decisions. Designing too few formal channels blocks effective communication. Strongly centralized organizations, especially those with a high degree of formalization, reduce communication capacity, and they decrease the tendency to communicate horizontally thus limiting the ability to coordinate activities and decisions. Tall organizations tend to provide too many vertical communication links, so messages become distorted as they move through the organization 's levels.

Problem of Media Selection
In any given situation the medium, or media, for communication must be selected. One medium may work better than another. However, in many cases a combination of media may be used for the communication process to function effectively.
Henry H. Albers says that no one communication medium can adequately serve the diverse functional and personal problems of organization dynamics. He believes that "a repetition of ideas in different terms is useful in solving some communication problems." The question then emerges, what combination of media would be most effective? Any project to develop the one best combination of media would prove rather fruitless. There are many combinations that can provide satisfactory results.

Differing emotional states
Every message contains both a content meaning, which deals with the subject of the message, and a relationship meaning, which suggests the nature of the interaction between sender and receiver. Communication can break down when the receiver reacts negatively to either of these meanings. You may have to deal with people when they are upset or when you are. An upset person tends to ignore or distort what the other person is saying and is often unable to present feelings and ideas effectively. This is not to say that you should avoid all communication when you are emotionally involved, but you should be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies aroused emotions. To overcome emotional barriers, be aware of the feelings that arise in yourself and in others as you communicate, and attempt to control them. Most important, be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies emotional messages.
Differing backgrounds
Differences in background can be one of the hardest communication barriers to overcome.
Age, education, gender, social status, economic position, cultural background, temperament, health, beauty, popularity, religion, political belief, even a passing mood can all separate one person from another and make understanding difficult. To overcome the barriers associated with differing backgrounds, avoid projecting your own background or culture onto others.
Clarify your own and understand the background of others, spheres of knowledge, personalities and perceptions and don 't assume that certain behaviors mean the same thing to everyone. Physical distractions
Communication barriers are often physical: bad connections, poor acoustics, illegible copy. Although noise or this sort seems trivial, it can completely block an otherwise effective message. Your receiver might also be distracted by an uncomfortable chair, poor lighting, or some other irritating condition. In some cases, the barrier may be related to the receiver 's health. Hearing or visual impairment or even a headache can interfere with reception of a message. These annoyances don 't generally block communication entirely, but they may reduce the receiver 's concentration. To overcome physical distractions, try to prepare well written documents which are clear, concise, and comprehensive. When preparing oral presentations try to find a setting which permits audience to see and hear the speaker clearly. Have a positive attitude about communication. Defensiveness interferes with Communication. Work at improving communication skills. It takes knowledge and work. The communication model and discussion of barriers to communication provide the necessary knowledge. This increased awareness of the potential for improving communication is the first step to better communication. Include communication as a skill to be evaluated along with all the other skills in each person’s job description. Help other people improve their communication skills by helping them understand their communication problems. Make communication goal oriented. Relational goals come first and pave the way for other goals. When the sender and receiver have a good relationship, they are much more likely to accomplish their communication goals. Approach communication as a creative process rather than simply part of the chore of working with people. Experiment with communication alternatives. What works with one person may not work well with another person. Vary channels, listening techniques, and feedback techniques. Accept the reality of miscommunication. The best communicators fail to have perfect communication. They accept miscommunication and work to minimize its negative impacts.

CONCLUSION Communication is at the heart of many interpersonal problems faced by farm employers. Understanding the communication process and then working at improvement provides managers a recipe for becoming more effective communicators. Knowing the common barriers to communication is the first step to minimizing their impact. Managers can reflect on how they are doing and make use of the ideas presented in this paper. When taking stock of how well you are doing as a manager, first ask yourself and others how well you are doing as a communicator.

Bibliography:-
Websites
http://www.martin-hahn.biz/pages/attraction http://ezinearticles.com/?Overcoming-Communication-Barriers-Between-People&id=119628 http://www.bizmove.com/skills/m8k.htm SEARCH ENGINE – GOOGLE

Bibliography: - Websites http://www.martin-hahn.biz/pages/attraction http://ezinearticles.com/?Overcoming-Communication-Barriers-Between-People&id=119628 http://www.bizmove.com/skills/m8k.htm SEARCH ENGINE – GOOGLE