Although all communication is subject to misunderstanding, business communication is particularly difficult. The material is often complex and controversial. In addition, both the sender and the receiver can face distractions that divert their attention. Additionally, opportunities for feedback are often limited, making it difficult to correct misunderstandings. The following communication barriers in organizations and ways to overcome them will be the main topic of this article.
1. Information overload. Too much information is just as bad as too little because it reduces the audience’s ability to effectively focus on the most important messages. People faced with information overload sometimes try to cope by ignoring some of the messages, delaying responses to messages they deem unimportant, responding only to parts of some messages, responding incorrectly to certain messages, spending less time each message or reacting. superficially to all messages.
To overcome information overload, keep in mind that some of the information is not needed, and make the needed information readily available. Give meaning to information rather than simply convey it, and set priorities to manage the flow of information. Some information is not necessary.
2. Complexity of the message. When formulating business messages, you communicate as an individual and as a representative of an organization. Therefore, you must adjust your own ideas and style to make them acceptable to your employer. In fact, on occasion you may be asked to write or say something you personally disagree with. Suppose you work as a recruiter for your company. He has interviewed a candidate for the position that he thinks he would make a great employee, but others in the company have turned him down. Now you must write a letter rejecting the candidate: he must communicate your company’s message, regardless of his personal feelings, a task that some communicators find difficult.
To overcome the barriers of complex messages, keep them clear and easy to understand. Use strong organization, guide readers by telling them what to expect, use concrete and specific language, and stay in the loop. Be sure to ask for feedback so you can clarify and improve your message.
3. Message contest. Communicators are often faced with messages that compete for attention. If you’re on the phone while scanning a report, both messages are likely to be wasted. Even your own messaging may have to contend with a variety of interruptions: the phone rings every five minutes, people butt in, meetings are called, and crises arise. In short, your messages rarely have the benefit of recipients’ full attention.
To overcome competitive barriers, avoid making demands on a recipient who doesn’t have time to pay close attention to your message. Make written messages visually appealing and easy to understand, and try to deliver them when your recipient has time to read them. Spoken messages are most effective when you can speak directly to your recipient (rather than through intermediaries or answering machines). Also, be sure to set aside enough time for any important messages you receive. Business messages rarely have the benefit of audiences’ full and undivided attention.
4. Different state. Low-status employees may be overly cautious when messaging managers and may only talk about topics they think the manager cares about. Similarly, people of higher status may distort messages by refusing to discuss anything that tends to undermine their authority in the organization. In addition, belonging to a particular department or being responsible for a particular task can narrow your point of view so that it differs from the attitudes, values, and expectations of people who belong to other departments or are responsible for other tasks.
To overcome status barriers, keep managers and colleagues well informed. Encourage lower-ranking employees to keep you informed by being fair and respectful of their opinions. When you have information that you’re afraid your boss won’t like, be brave and pass it on anyway. Status barriers can be overcome with a willingness to give and receive bad news.
5. Lack of Trust Building trust is a difficult problem. Other members of the organization do not know if they will respond in a supportive or responsible manner, so trusting them can be risky. However, without trust, free and open communication is effectively blocked, threatening the stability of the organization. Being clear in your communication is not enough.
To overcome the barriers of trust, be visible and accessible. Do not isolate yourself behind assistants or secretaries. Share key information with colleagues and employees, communicate honestly, and include employees in decision-making. For communication to be successful, organizations must create an atmosphere of fairness and trust.
6. Inadequate communication structures. Organizational communication is effected through formal restrictions on who can 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 the ability to communicate and 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 get distorted as they move through the levels of the organization.
To overcome structural barriers, offer opportunities to communicate up, down, and horizontally (using techniques such as employee surveys, open door policies, newsletters, memos, and task groups). Try to reduce hierarchical levels, increase coordination between departments and encourage two-way communication.
7. Wrong choice of medium. If you choose an inappropriate means of communication, your message may be distorted and the intended meaning blocked. You can select the most appropriate medium by matching your choice to the nature of the message and the group or individual who will receive it. Face-to-face communication is the richest medium because it is personal, provides immediate feedback, conveys information from verbal and nonverbal cues, and conveys the emotion behind the message. Telephones and other interactive electronic media are not that rich; Although they allow for immediate feedback, they do not provide nonverbal visual cues, such as facial expressions, eye contact, and body movements. Written media can be personalized through targeted memos, letters, and reports, but they lack the immediate feedback and nonverbal visual and vocal cues that contribute to the meaning of the message. The smaller media are generally impersonal written messages, such as newsletters, flyers, and standard reports. Not only do they lack the ability to convey non-verbal cues and give feedback, but they also remove any personal focus.
To overcome media barriers, choose the richest media for a complex, non-routine message. Use rich media to extend and humanize your presence throughout the organization, to communicate personal and caring interest to employees, and to engage employees in organizational goals. Use more efficient means to communicate simple and routine messages. You can send information such as statistics, facts, figures and conclusions through a note, memo or written report
8. Closed communication climate. The communication climate is influenced by the management style, and a directive and authoritarian style blocks the free and open exchange of information that characterizes good communication.
To overcome weather barriers, spend more time listening than giving orders.
9. Unethical communication. An organization cannot create illegal or unethical messages and remain credible or successful in the long run. Relationships inside and outside the organization depend on trust and fairness.
To overcome ethical barriers, make sure your messages include all the information that should be there. Make sure the information is appropriate and relevant to the situation. And make sure your message is completely truthful, not misleading in any way.
10. Inefficient communication. Producing worthless messages wastes time and resources, and contributes to the aforementioned information overload.
Reduce the number of messages by thinking twice before sending one. Then speed up the process, first by preparing messages correctly the first time, and second by standardizing the format and material where appropriate. Be clear about the writing assignments you accept, as well as the ones you assign.
11. Physical distractions. Communication barriers are often physical: poor connections, poor acoustics, unreadable copy. Although noise or this type seems trivial, it can completely block an otherwise effective message. Your receiver can also be distracted by an uncomfortable chair, poor lighting, or some other irritating condition. In some cases, the barrier may be related to the health of the recipient. A hearing or visual impairment or even a headache can interfere with receiving a message. These disturbances usually do not block communication completely, but they can reduce the receiver’s concentration.
To overcome physical distractions, try to prepare well-written documents that are clear, concise, and comprehensive. When preparing oral presentations, try to find an environment that allows the audience to clearly see and hear the speaker.