The methods used to reduce or overcome any communication barriers always depend on what is causing the problem.
Ways of reducing communication barriers
Some of the proven ways of reducing and removing communication barriers include:
- Use clear language. Make sure that the language is appropriate to the receiver – use simple rather than complex words, avoid complex technical terms that may not be understood by people without technical know-how, eliminate jargon, etc.
- Shorten channel of communication. Keep the channel of communication as short as possible. Apparently, the more people a message is passed through, the greater the risk of the message being changed before it arrives to the receiver.
- Insist on feedback. Always ask for feedback as this shows that the message has been received and understood.
- Use appropriate medium. The sender must always pay attention to using the most appropriate medium for different kinds of message.
- Minimize noise. Any physical barriers between the sender and the receiver should be removed. If two people are having a conversation in a noisy environment, then they should move to another quiet place.
- Build trust. Business managers must strive to build a culture of trust and respect between all of their employees.
Guidelines of overcoming communication barriers
The guidelines for overcoming communication barriers include:
- Adopt an audience-centered approach keeping your audience in mind at all times when communicating. By writing and speaking from your audience’s point of view, you can help them understand and accept your message.
- Foster an open communication climate. Employees confess their mistakes, disagree with the boss and express opinions in an open communication climate.
- Commit to ethical communication always including all relevant information to be true in every sense nor deceptive in any way.
- Create efficient messages and reduce the number of messages.
- Minimize physical distractions.
- Control emotions before they block the communication process and improve your business communication skills.
Steps to minimize impact of communication barriers
There are six steps that can be taken to minimize the impact of communication barriers including:
- Ensure the message is clear and precise, but adequately detailed where needed.
- Keep the communication channel short.
- Make sure that channels of communication are clear to all involved.
- Build in feedback to the communication process so that problems with receipt or understanding of the message can be checked quickly.
- Establish trust between senders and receivers – this could be most easily achieved in a business where the culture is to accept all staff as being important and as having useful contributions to make.
- Ensure that physical conditions are appropriate for messages to be heard or received in other ways.
If business communication is to be effective, then business managers need to minimize any negative impact that communication barriers might have on the business organization.
