Effective Communication:Barriers to Quality Communication in the Workplace
...es (voice), light waves (fiber optic cable, normal sight), and electricity (cable television, Category 5 data cable). Feedback is the term used to describe the receiver’s response to the message delivered by the source. Feedback is an important part of the communication process, as it helps to clarify, for the source, whether or not the receiver comprehends what the source expected them to. A frequently used example of helpful feedback would be a Question-and-Answer session at the end of a speech. Facial expressions portrayed by the receiver would be another example of feedback, which the source can immediately use to alter their communication channel or message, in order to help the receiver properly understand a message. According to Human Communication “communication occurs in a context, a set of circumstances or a situation” (16). Basically, the context refers to the setting where the communication is taking place, and who is involved in the communication. For instance, communication can occur between two friends in a person’s home, a speaker and an audience in an auditorium, or a small group in an office. There are four major categories which communication context can be categorized into. The first is Intrapersonal communication, or communication with oneself. An example of intrapersonal communication would be, thinking to yourself about whether or not to buy a new car, weighing the pros and cons, and making a decision, without ever communicating with another individual. The second category is Interpersonal communication. This type of communication consists mainly of two people communicating together. Both individuals act as the source and the receiver through out the conversation. An example of interpersonal communication would be two old friends meeting for lunch and discussing what is new in their lives. Public communication can be explained as, a person communicating to a group of people who then give feedback to the communicator. A professor giving a lecture to a group of students, and the students then asking questions, is an example of public communication. Mass communication refers to communications from a source to a large group of people who do not, or cannot, give feedback to the speaker. A news anchor on television, reporting the evening news, is an illustration of mass communication. The television audience does not have the opportunity to give feedback to the reporter. A different type of communication occurs during a verbal conversation called nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication refers to, among other things, the hand gestures, facial expressions, and body language we use when communicating with one another. Although no actual speaking occurs, nonverbal communication often says as much as verbal communication, and sometimes more. For example, an individual’s body language serves as a good indicator of how that person is truly feeling about a situation, or topic of discussion. Although this person might inform you of their interest in what you are discussing with them, their nonverbal cues tell you otherwise. I can think of many different situations that I would consider to be good examples of a barrier to effective communication in my place of employment. Many more examples of ineffective communication exist, but the following are, in my opinion, some of the most commonly occurring examples in the workplace. People who simply do not engage in enough communication, is the first example of barriers to effective communication. I have known a few individuals who seemed to be too indolent to communicate effectively; they were simply lazy when it came to their communication skills. Some are afraid to speak to large groups of people. As a result, any new ideas or thought that these people might have, go unnoticed, or are not understood correctly by the group, as a result of that person’s ineffective communication skills. People are diverse. We have all grown up and experienced life in different ways. People’s attitudes and personalities are formed and changed according to these different experiences. Therefore, it stands to reason that an individual’s communication methods and techniques will vary to these different experiences accordingly. Some people are a little “rough around the edges,” constantly interrupting and displaying poor communication skills. This might upset others who are polite and mannerly in their communication. For example, an individual could be offering ...