BARRIERS TO

COMMUNICATION
Interference in the message sent &
received
 Intrapersonal

 Interpersonal

 Organizational
 Wrong assumptions
 Varied Perceptions
 Differing Background
 Wrong Inferences
 Impervious Categories
 Categorical Thinking
 When a sender and a receiver do not
have adequate knowledge on each
other’s background.

 i.e: doctor- patient

 Perceiving a situation in many
different ways

 Solution: To take a step back and take

a wider perspective of the whole
situation
 Not everyone has the same
background or knowledge as we do.

 People vary in their educational level,

culture, language, sex, financial
status, environment etc.
 To avoid this barrier make an effort to
understand where the listener can find
difficult to comprehend the message.
 Assuming something without
knowing the whole truth.
 Can lead to gossip and rumours
 Inference should always be supported
with facts and evidences.
 To react positively to information that
aligns with our views and attitudes
 When things do not agree with our
views, habits, attitudes, we tend to
react negatively or disbelief
 Rejection, distortion and avoidance
are three common undesirable and
negative reactions
 People who feel that they know
everything about a particular subject,
and therefore refuse to accept any
further information on that topic.
 Limited vocabulary
 Incongruity of verbal and nonverbal
messages
 Emotional outburst
 Communication selectivity
 Cultural variations
 Poor listening skills
 Noise in the channel
 Lack of vocabulary will affect they
way you convey a message.
 This will affect how you express
ourselves and be misinterpreted by
the listener.
 Non- Verbal communication enhances
the verbal communication.
 Action speaks louder than words
 If, non-verbal communication does
not align with your verbal
communication, it will create
confusion and lead to barrier.
 Excessive emotional involvement is
harmful to communication.

 Messages can be misinterpreted,

ignored or overreacted to by people
displaying such behaviour.
 If you are a receiver in any
communication and you listen/pay
attention to only part of the
messages, you are imposing a
barrier.
 Here receiver is at fault and not the
sender.
 Business practices, social customs
and etiquettes of a particular country
should be taken into consideration
when communication with people
across the globe.
 i.e: when meeting a female
counterpart from Muslim countries.
 We should not HEAR but LISTEN when
we are the receiver in a
communication process.

 Listening requires careful attention

and accurate decoding of the
message.
 Unwanted signal which acts as a
hindrance in the flow of
communication.

 i.e: disturbance in telephone lines,

illegible handwriting, noisy place,
etc..
 Too many transfer stations

 Fear of superiors

 Negative tendencies

 Use of inappropriate media

 Information overload
 Transfer stations are points at which
communication is passed.
 The more transfer stations they are,
the higher the likelihood for the
message to be distorted or lost.
 i.e: Chinese whisper
 We should have less transfer
stations.
 In a rigid organization, subordinates
would be fearful of their superiors
and would not talk frankly.

 To have an open environment, we will

be able to avoid barriers as people
will communicate freely and be an
active participant in a organization.
 Can arise due to improper
management of groups in an
organization.
 It can be formal or informal
 Some of common media that can be used in
an organization for communication are:
 Graphs and charts, email, telephone,
presentations, teleconferencing, video-
conferencing etc.
 Some factors to consider while choosing a
medium:
 Time
 Cost
 Type of message
 Intended audience
 To avoid information overload
 Screening of information
 Major points to be highlighted
 Information should be directed only
to those who are affected by it.
 Example:
 Calender of events for students
should not include teacher’s
schedule.
 Open environment
 Keep receiver in mind.
 Avoid too many transfer stations
 Do not communicate when
emotionally disturbed
 Be aware of cultural diversity
 Use appropriate non-verbal cues
 Select suitable medium
 Analyze feedback
 THANK
YOU=)