It is not possible that every time an order, instruction, guideline, direction, programme, information etc, transmitted by the superior is properly understood and assimilated by those for whom it is intended.
Barriers
to Communication
It is not possible that every
time an order, instruction, guideline, direction, programme, information etc,
transmitted by the superior is properly understood and assimilated by those for
whom it is intended. Similarly suggestions, reports, advice, recommendations,
complaints, etc., transmitted by the sub-ordinates to their superiors may be
misunderstood or mis-interpreted. In any case, the objectives of communication
are defeated.
As such, the process of
communication is not always smooth. It is obstructed by many obstacles. These
are referred to as barriers of communication. It refers to those factors which
cause disturbance either in the mind of the communicator or the communicatee or
in the process, which will create distortion of the message, leading to lack of
the response, ignoring or mis-understanding. The important barriers to
effective communication are: Ineffective Expression
The first and the most common
barrier in the process of communication is bad expression. This means that the
messages suffer from omissions, uncertainty, inaccuracies, verbosity,
repetitions, ambiguity, lack of clarity and precision. In order to remove this,
the staff should be trained to draft various kinds of effective communication.
This will save time because otherwise much time has to be devoted in giving
subsequent clarifications. Inaccurate Translation
Decisions are generally conveyed
from the top to the lower level. The superiors are known for their specialised
knowledge. They generally draft messages in a technical language which may not
be clearly understood by those who have to implement the decisions. Even if
they are able to understand, they may not be able to convey it further down the
line in simple words. In many such cases, it becomes
necessary to translate the subject matter or the message into a simpler language,
i.e., the language which the Communicatee can understand easily. But the
translation may be done inaccurately. Sometimes the translator is not in a
position to find out the equivalent of many terms. With the result, the
translation leads to further confusion. It becomes necessary that competent
persons are appointed for the job and are provided the necessary equipment for
the execution of the entrusted tasks.
Inattention
Inattention is a very common and chronic
human failing. This barrier
generally arises in case of oral communication. It can be illustrated with the
help of the following example: a superior is giving a message on the telephone.
The subordinate is busy reading a magazine or looking through the window or his
mind is occupied with some family problem. Superiors have to face this problem
of inattention quite frequently. Efforts to communicate fails. The communicator
should choose the appropriate time for communicating. Thus, for example,
communicating at lunch hour or while at rest will not invite due attention.
Holding a meeting at an odd time or calling the worker over for a talk on a
holiday are some other examples. Loss in
Transmission
Loss in transmission is another
barrier of communication which arises in oral communication. When messages are
conveyed from the higher to the lower level step by step, much of it is likely
to be lost in transit. This problem may arise in case of written communication
as well. At every level the superior will interpret the message which is likely
to be distorted. Further, the meaning will change if some words ar are dropped,
changed or misspelt. Harold Koontz and Cyril O’Donnell estimate that about 30%
of the information is lost in each transmission. Written communications too are
subject to loss in transmission. It is no wonder that enterprises often operate
in a cloud of ignorance.
Tags : Management Concepts & Organisational Behaviour - Communication
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