Barriers To Communication

Javaria SiddiqueWinter 2015

Information is Socially Constructed

• Information is always created, shared and interpreted by people

• Contexts influence meaning

• The messenger and receiver always accompany a message

The effective soft skills/ people skills/ social skills/ life skills/ interpersonal skills

• To ensure that the meaning intended by the speaker/writer does not change when the listener/speaker interprets it

• Outcome: To establish a mutual understanding between the people involved

The Noise (Barriers)

• Semantic Barriers• Emotional/ Psychological Barriers• Physical Barriers• Wrong Channel/Medium• Organizational Barriers • Personal Barriers • Poor Listening Skills • Lack of Feedback

Semantic Barriers

• Muddled messages I will see you tomorrow at 7:30 am I will see you tomorrow around 7:30am

• Language (Specialist’s language)

• Symbols (words, pictures, with different meanings 1. What is the value of computer education these days?2. What is the value of this mobile phone?3. I value our friendship

Emotional/ Psychological Barriers

• Bias and Stereotyping (typifying/ over simplifying person/events/message based on preconceptions)

e.g. Asians are good at math.The elderly have health issues and behave like children.

• Premature Evaluation

• Distrust

Personal Barriers (Organization)

As a Superior: • Fear of challenge to one’s authority• Lack of time• Lack of knowledge

As a Subordinate:• Lack of incentive• Unwillingness/ hesitancy to communicate • Fear of authority

Physical Barriers

• Interruptions and distractions due to the environment

Organization Barriers

• Policies and Regulations

• Status relation

Lack of Feedback

• Asking for repetition• Non verbal gestures

(Agreement/disagreement)• Paraphrasing • Counter Argument

Poor Listening Skills

Hearing vs. Listening

• physical vs. a mental process

• receiving sound vs. perceiving it.

• active vs. passive process.

A person can hear something without listening to it; listening involves comprehending and retaining the message

Types of Listening

• Passive Listening• Selective Listening• Active Listening

Active Listening Skills

LISTENING STRATEGIES

Knowledge of the Content

Critical

Thinking

Displaying Emotional Intelligence (Primary Empathy + Advanced Empathy)

ACTIVE

The HURIER Model

Hearing(paying careful

attention to whatis being said)

Understanding(comprehending

the messagesbeing sent)

Remembering(being able to

recall the messagebeing sent)

Effective Listening

Responding(replying to thesender, lettinghim /her knowyou are paying

attention)

Evaluating(not immediatelypassing judgment

on the messagebeing sent)

Interpreting(not reading anythinginto the message the

sender is communicating)

Non Verbal Signs of Listening

Smile/ Nod (Gestures)Eye ContactPostureMirroring

Verbal Signs of Listening

Positive Reinforcement RememberingQuestioning/ Reflection/ ClarificationSummarization

Guidelines for Effective Listening• Listen Cautiously• Keep an open mind • Concentrate on the message• Determine the purpose of the message• Paraphrase/ Summarize• Minimize note- taking• Create images • Do not talk or interrupt• Analyze the total message• Provide feedback

Purpose

• Listening with your ears to auditory communication.

• Watch with your eyes for visual communication.

• Sense with your intuition the real meaning of the communication. Is their a difference with what they say and mean?

The Keys to Effective ListeningKeys to Effective

ListeningThe Bad Listener The Good Listener

1. Capitalize on thought speed

Tends to daydream Stays with the speaker, mentally summarizes the speaker, weighs evidence, and listens between the lines

2. Listen for ideas Listens for facts Listens for central or overall ideas

3. Find an area of interest

Tunes out dry speakers or subjects

Listens for any useful information

4. Judge content, not delivery

Tunes out dry monotone speakers

Assesses content by listening to entire message before making judgments

5. Hold your fire Gets too emotional or worked up by something said by the speaker and enters into an argument

Withholds judgment until comprehension is complete

The Keys to Effective Listening (cont)Keys to Effective

ListeningThe Bad Listener The Good Listener

6. Work at listening Does not expend energy on listening

Gives the speaker full attention

7. Resist Distractions

Is easily distracted Fights distractions and concentrates on the speaker

8. Hear what is said

Shuts our or denies unfavorable information

Listens to both favorable and unfavorable information

9. Challenge yourself

Resists listening to presentations of difficult subject manner

Treats complex presentations as exercises for the mind

10. Use handouts, overheads, or other visual aids

Does not take notes or pay attention to visual aids

Takes notes as required and uses visual aids to enhance understanding of the presentation