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EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND BARRIERS
Effective Communication and Barriers:
A Personal Analysis
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Abstract
Effective communication is one of the pillars of an effective business. This communication must be fostered externally and internally, with all stakeholders. It applies to all structures in the organization. Effective communication includes both transmission of a message and feedback. Various obstacles, including poor means of communication, stress, pre-conceptions, attitude and culture, among others, can become barriers that prevent effective communication and, ultimately damage the organization. All employees and managers should learn about effective communication and barriers in order to foster the communication and prevent the barriers. In addition to understanding the theory, a personal analysis can help the workers to understand how they personally can improve their communication.
Communication is essential for the success of any business or organization. Businesses are first founded on communication; one person has an innovative idea and expresses it to others in order to arrange for the start of a business. Organizations earn a reputation, attract customers, and commit regular clients by communicating. Every aspect of an organization involves communication. Organizations communicate through their logo, their locations, their marketing strategies, advertisements and techniques, their workplace environment, their dealings with clients and other stakeholders, etc. An organization that communicates well has pleased customers and clients, pleased investors and donors, pleased workers, and pleased local authorities. This builds the reputation of the organization and brings success, in terms of profit, grow, and public relations.
Different business and organizations may have a variety of structures. Structures may be line based, with a direct line of authority coming from the executive; functional, with departmental divisions based on roles and functions; divisional, catering to product, market or geographical elements; or matrixes which combine two or more of the other structures to achieve enhanced and personalized effectiveness (Family Business Experts, 2010). All of these structures, from the simplest two or three employee businesses to the most complex, international organization, require effective communication within and between all levels of the structure. Effective communication keeps the organization on the right track, with services that meets its mission statement as well as the needs of its clients. It is also needed to ensure a standard and universal quality, and to make sure that all divisions function properly, understanding and meeting the organizations goals, objectives, policies and ethics.
What is Effective Communication?
Communication refers to an exchange of thoughts, ideas, information and feelings. Communication in the business world refers to any exchange, whether practical or theoretical, that pertains to the organization. As a result, effective communication includes a wide range of systems, policies and objectives. It also involves everyone involved in the organization, including clients and stakeholders.
Communication can be subcategorized in several ways. Effective communication involves internal communication and external communication (Kondrat, 2009). Internal communication is essential for the inner workings and efficiency of the organization, for the workers and managers to be on the same page and work together effectively. External communication constitutes the organization’s connection with society. If external communication is effective, the organization will enjoy a trusting and mutually beneficial relationship with the public. Communication can also be analyzed based on role. Managers have different priorities and roles in communication than employees do. Board members have different communicational roles than the managers. Customers and clients also play a key role in communication. These communicative roles are each unique, as they present a different perspective about the organization. Together, they form a complete picture that enables the entire organization to function better. Finally, communication can be understood in terms of its two phases: transmission and feedback (Effective Communication in the Workplace, 2006). Transmission relies on the communicator, and takes place when a message is conveyed, through one of various means. Feedback relies on the receiver, who receives the initial message and then responds to it. Thus feedback is twofold; it both becomes a unique transmission, and it remains a response to the original communication. Since organizational success depends heavily on mutual benefit, in which all engaged parties both contribute and receive, feedback is an essential form of communication. It allows the managers to know the needs and positions of its employees. It allows the employees to know the needs of their clients. It allows the company as a whole to know the needs of society.
Effective communication exists when the transmission of the message leads to clarity of understanding (Effective Communication in the Workplace, 2006). Effective communication does not always result in agreement; different stakeholders may continue to have conflicting opinions. For example, if an employee asks for a certain raise, and the manager has to communicate back to the employee that he will receive a raise, but not of the amount he requested, the employee may remain discontent. Effective communication does not mean that the employee will agree with the company’s answer. It does mean, however, that he will clearly understand the company’s position and why the company acted the way it did. Likewise, it is impossible for an organization to please all potential customers, as individual needs and desires vary too much. Effective communication with the public will lead to clear understanding between both the organization and the public of what services and products are available, and when other services requested will become available, or why they will not become available. In this way, effective communication fosters transparency, and allows the different stakeholders to continue working together, understanding each other and the organization.
On a more practical level, effective communication involves effective transmission, which is characterized by choosing the right medium of transmission, maintaining a professional standard, and including the appropriate content with an appropriate tone. All communication should be in line with the organization’s mission, identity and purposes to be effective. Furthermore, communication is only effective when feedback has been received. This feedback lets the organization know how the message was received and how the receivers of the message are reacting to it. The organization can then either clarify its message, or respond to the reactions as needed.
Barriers to Effective Communication
Various barriers in terms of transmission, reception and feedback, can render communication ineffective, preventing a workable relationship between the organization and the public, or between different members or levels within the organization.
Poorly chosen means of communication, stress, preconceived notions, previous experience, and a sense of authority can all be barriers that prevent effective communication (Bright, 2010). There are many means of communication, including email, phone calls, personal meetings, group meetings, and written correspondence. Each of these means has particular strengths and weaknesses.
Using the right means for the right message enhances effective communication; choosing the wrong means becomes a barrier. For example, sending an email about an urgent task that must take place might not be the best means of communication if the worker who needs to complete the task is frequently out in the field and only checks email periodically. The worker could receive the communication too late, leaving the task still undone, and straining relations between the worker and his manager. Calling the worker on his cell phone to make sure he received the message would be more effective. Likewise, if the company has made a mistake and double-billed a customer, or failed to send out an order on time, an email might seem too impersonal and indifferent; a personal phone call will be a much more effective way of communicating that the company cares about the customer, recognizes its mistake and will remedy it. A phone call would not be the best way to issue a warning to an employee regarding his/her behavior. In such a case, the phone call is too impersonal and too distant to ensure accurate reception of information and feedback. A personal meeting would be much more effective in order to make sure both the employee and manager have a clear understanding of the situation.
Situations of stress also prevent effective communication. Even if the means of communication was selected well, the person’s psychological state can render them incapable of perceiving and responding to the message well. If, for example, an employee has overcharged a customer, or broken an expensive product that was to be mailed out, and is upset and stressed about it, communicating the company’s policies regarding broken objects and responsibilities to him/her in that moment will not constitute effective communication. The stress will prevent the employee from receiving the information in an objective manner and reaching a clear understanding. Waiting until the employee has calmed down and can be more objective will lead to more effective communication. Likewise, the message must match the situation. If a country is at war, and the people are heavily stressed by the reality of war, or are focused on the casualties and finding out whether they have lost their loved ones, communicating a light hearted and unimportant message that would otherwise be attractive, can be received as inhuman, out of touch, etc.
Preconceived notions block effective communication because the receiver has decided what message will be sent before the communicator even begins. This can easily be the case of an employee who has violated a company policy or failed in an assignment and hears that his manager is coming to see him. The employee assumes that the manager is coming to reprimand him for his action, criticize his working methods, remind him of company standards, etc. In such a situation, the employee will easily take things personally and perhaps miss the main and objective message of the communication, which could be very different from his expectations. For communication to be effective, the preconceived notions must be touched on in a delicate matter in order to overcome them and help the employee be open to the message really being transmitted. Past experience can act similarly to preconceived notions, in the sense that the receiver already has set expectations that can blind him/her to the message being transmitted. The past experience, especially if it had a negative impact, must be addressed and overcome for communication to proceed forward effectively. If a customer had a bad experience, for example, the organization cannot just approach the customer as if he/she were a new customer or a pleased customer. The organization must first address what went wrong with the preceding transaction, what has been done to fix it, etc.
A misplaced or exaggerated sense of authority can also block effective communication. If an employee feels inferior to the manager, or fears the manager’s authority, all communication will be tainted. Suggestions might be taken as commands, leading the employee to pressure himself/herself in areas that the manager did not intend to be focus points. The employee might also fail to provide sincere and objective feedback, due to his fear of authority. Rather, he will tailor his feedback to try to please the manager, not realizing that what will help the manager and organization the most is an objective report of both the positive and the negative.
The barriers mentioned until this point all deal with the means, methods, and strategies of communication. Other barriers could exist inherently and apply across the board, regardless of the particular communication attempt. Attitude, culture, language, and lack of trust can all be barriers to effective communication (Jain, 2008). Attitudes of superiority, aggression, or defensiveness on the part of either the transmitter or the receiver is a barrier to effective communication, as it prevents objectivity, and often turns off the other person. Language can be a practical barrier if the other person does not understand the language, accent, or terminology being used. Culture can also be a barrier, as different cultures perceive things differently and communicate differently. Prejudice can heighten the obstacles formed by cultural and language difficulties as well.
Personal Analysis
In the past, I worked for some time as a shift manager for a restaurant diner. I realized that communication was important. I also learned some of the barriers through experience, trying to serve, for example, customers who spoke a different language or customers who felt superior. I had to learn how to control my own emotions in such situations to avoid complicating issues further, and to remember that even if I thought I was ‘right’, I was representing the diner and had to communicate the identity and mission of the diner at all times. Due to the environment, personal communication was the form I relied on most. All of the employees I oversaw worked in that shift, so most communication happened at work. Occasionally I would send them an email after hours regarding the calendar, schedule, company policies, events, etc. Mostly, however, communication happened on the restaurant floor. I learned both then and through studying communication that my main weakness lay in a narrow understanding of my role in communicating. I focused heavily on external communication, with customers and with the public. I polished my communication and dealings with the regular customers, and made it a point to be very welcoming to new customers. I tried to make sure that I greeted all customers at some point during their meal, to make sure they were well cared for and pleased with the services. I carefully oversaw the upkeep of the floor while I was there; I made sure cleanliness, order, and advertising materials were used effectively to communicate the identity and quality of the diner in all possible manners. I neglected, however, to foster proper internal communication. I communicated with the employees – the cooks and kitchen workers, busers and waiters – over practical matters, assigning duties, etc. I did not, however, take much time to communicate with them the priorities of the diner, or to get their feedback regarding how they perceived business to be going, what they found to be most effective or least effective. I realize now that I could have not only maintained the standards, but helped the diner to raise them had I focused more on internal communication as well as external.
For the future, I intend to apply what I have learned by, first of all, correcting my previous mistake and, in my next job, fostering all areas of effective communication. I also believe I will be better off now that I am more aware with the specific barriers of communication. I can look out for them and prevent them. I plan on fostering more feedback, setting up regular meetings with the employees to hear their perspectives in an organized fashion, improve my listening skills, and be attentive to the conceptions and expectations others may have and correspond accordingly.
Conclusion
Communication plays a significant role in helping an organization reach success. All organizations function based on relationships – relationships between the investors and organization, the public and the organization, the employees and the clients, the managers and the employees, etc. Communication makes the relationships work effectively and together accomplish the goals of the company. Considering the important effect it can have, taking time to learn about effective communication and its barriers is worth it. Even a basic understanding of communication can help a manager or employee significantly improve their personal communication and, as a result, help improve the overall reputation and success of the entire organization.
References
Bright, Paul. (2010). Obstacles to effective communication. E-How. Retrieved from
Effective Communication in the Workplace. (2006). BOMI International. Retrieved from
Family Business Experts. (2010) Organization Structures. Retrieved from
Jain, Rupal. (2008). The barriers to effective communication. Ezine. Retrieved from
Kondrat, Alla. (2009). Effective communication in the workplace. Suite 101.com. Retrieved from