What are communication barriers?
Communication barriers are anything that prevents or misconstrues the effective delivery of a message. In other words, they are anything that makes the message you’re trying to get across confusing or difficult to understand.
There are three main types of communication barriers:
- Physical: the environmental surroundings. For example, if your office is crowded and it is hard to see coworkers, issues with technology make remote work difficult, or the closed doors of the manager discourage communication.
- Emotional: issues that arise due to feelings of doubt or anxiety. An example of this would be an intimidating supervisor making an employee feel nervous.
- Linguistic: issues that come up within written, verbal or physical cues that convey a message. Possibly from translation issues, cultural differences, use of vague jargon.
These three types of communication barriers are common in the workplace and should be looked at if issues begin to arise.
8 Examples of communication barriers in the workplace
There are numerous ways in which there can be communication barriers in the workplace which can cause confusion among coworkers. Here are eight examples of communication barriers that you can learn to identify:
1. Information Overload
Sometimes when trying to give instructions to someone, we find ourselves giving too much information. This can happen in team meetings, training sessions or discussions about a project. Having too much information in one conversation can make it difficult to keep track of what is important and certain information might be lost.
This can cause people to make mistakes as they misunderstood the instructions or missed an important step. By having too much information in one conversation can cause a communication barrier that is detrimental to your productivity.
Related: Mastering the Art of the Engaging Team Meeting
2. Industry Specific Jargon
Industry-specific jargon refers to the use of technical terminology that others might not understand. This happens when people from different industries come together to work on a project and use language specific to their industry. This creates a communication barrier as one person might be confused about the meaning or will have to constantly ask questions to clarify what is being said.
An example of this would be when an architect works with an engineer on the same project. Though a lot of what they say would be understood, either worker could use words or acronyms that would not translate between the two professions.
3. Translation Issues
It is very common to have people from varying cultural backgrounds in one workplace. These differing backgrounds often mean that certain people’s first language is not the same as yours and this can create a communication barrier. This is especially true for things like phrases or expressions that do not translate well to another language.
When people use slang or common colloquialisms when speaking, it can be very confusing for someone from a different culture to understand and there is a breakdown in communication. This communication barrier example can mean that too much time is spent on translation and not enough time is spent on actual work.
4. Differing Communication Styles
Everyone has their own way of speaking or communication style. Some people might speak slowly, pausing to find the exact words they want to use. Others might speak very quickly, whipping through a lot of information in a short amount of time.
When this happens there is a communication barrier as it can be very difficult to understand someone who has a different communication style. If people get confused when talking to each other it can cause any collaboration between the two slow down and whole projects can be negatively affected.
5. Cultural Differences
Cultural differences can cause communication barriers and misunderstandings. Some examples of this would be confusion about what is polite, facial expressions that are specific to a culture or what constitutes disrespectful touch. For instance, in some cultures, it is considered impolite to look someone directly in the eyes.
If people with different cultural assumptions about eye contact work together, there could be a misunderstanding in how they are treating each other. These can be detrimental to working relations and would have to be discussed in order to clear any confusion.
6. Impatient or Inactive Listening
Having a conversation with someone who is not listening properly can be a big communication barrier. When having a conversation, you want to have an exchange of ideas and information. If one of the people in that conversation is not paying much attention then the conversation will stop short without the flow of information.
This not only causes frustration which can lead to broken relations, it can also mean that there is less innovation among staff. Having the ability to exchange ideas with others is crucial for coming up with innovative solutions and if people on staff are not able to participate in this type of exchange it could mean decreased innovation or creative thinking.
7. Vague or Indirect Messages
What you say and how you say it are important when trying to deliver a message. When people use vague language and a passive voice, it could lead to miscommunication. For example, not using language that implies urgency when trying to get an answer from someone right away, might make the request seem not important.
This can be seen when people say things such as “If you could look into this if you have the time…” rather than “Please look into this and get back to me by end of the day…” you risk the task being put off rather than dealt with in a timely manner. This type of communication barrier can make it difficult for people to know exactly what is needed and tasks can be done in a sloppy manner.
8. Disengagement
Having an employee who is disengaged in meetings or discussions among coworkers can be a difficult communication barrier to overcome.
Some people are easily distracted by their cell phones or engage in side conversations during a presentation, meaning they are less able to receive the proper message. They might be confused about a task or project and will need clarification rather than being able to start right away.
Also, not giving people your undivided attention is a sign of disrespect which can make it hard for that person to build relationships in the office. This could lead to tension further down the line which is something you would want to avoid.
Strategies to overcome communication barriers
The following are tips that you can use to help improve your communication at work.
- Be fully present. Make sure to pay attention when others are talking and try to stay in the moment.
- Be specific in your information. When giving information, be specific about exactly what is needed for the project.
- Encourage questions. Make sure that people feel comfortable asking questions so that there are less misunderstandings.
- Wait for your turn to talk. Try not to interrupt anyone and always listen to what the person is saying. Get all the information before responding.
By using these strategies you should be able to avoid misunderstandings due to communication barriers.
Related: How to Create Effective Communication at the Workplace
