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Communication Barriers in Organizations

Divya Bichu
Good communication within an organization is very important for its growth, however, there are various barriers that can prevent the same.
It is the workplace where you spend maximum time of your day, and have people from different backgrounds, cultures, etc. Certain protocols have to be followed while communicating with your colleagues. Hence, communication is not easy at the workplace. An organization works as a team, and effective communication among the team members ensures it's success.

Barriers
To overcome communication barriers in organizations, it's important to know them in the first place. The following are a few main barriers.

Distance Barrier

When offices are located at different locations, employees find it difficult to communicate with each other. Different mediums of communication may be used, which may lead to incorrect or incomplete communication.

Language Barrier

It is very important to use proper language and to see that it is properly communicated to the recipient.
Some employees make use of jargon which may sound foreign to most recipients, acting as another communication barrier.

Selective Communication and Conflicts

Sometimes, the reporter gives the recipient incomplete information, and sometimes the recipient hears incorrect information, both leading to communication failure.
Sometimes, the communicator and recipient share some personal bitterness too, and it definitely affects the interaction. This disturbs the workplace and is another major hurdle in the welfare of the organization. Hence, it is considered as one of the major barriers of communication.

Cultural Barriers

Some people are rigid when it comes to interacting with other people from a different culture or community. They are comfortable and do not quite like to get out of their shell. They prefer being with people of the same culture as theirs. This is a reason why culture acts as one of the noteworthy barriers to effective communication in the workplace.

Correct Use of a Medium

Substituting face to face communication with electronic communication to protect oneself from the fall-out of people's emotions, will eventually hit back. A face to face interaction increases trust and faith in the organization. It is okay to use electronic communication when it is really required, but using it to avoid physical interaction is not ethical.

Defensive Behavior

Defensive behavior shows lack of self-confidence, fear of rejection, and the desire to be perfect in everyone's eye.
It is difficult for such people to accept their mistakes and correct them at the same time, hence causing a communication barrier in organizations.

Lack of Feedback

A communication cycle is not complete if there is no feedback from the recipient. It is important to know what the recipient has absorbed from the interaction, and that the ideas put across have been perceived correctly for effective execution of the same.
Lack of feedback defeats the very purpose of effective communication, hence, leading to another barrier in communication.
Once these barriers are considered, it's easy to find ways and means to overcome them. Barriers of communication definitely affect the organization as a whole but they also affect you at a personal level. As overcoming them not only helps the organization overcome roadblocks on their way to success, but it also improves your communication and people skills.