Next time when you hear the phrase “communication is key, don’t just laugh it off, assuming that it’s some deep, cheesy relationship advice. The fact of the matter is, that being able to communicate effectively is an essential life skill, even more so if you are looking to get employed. Believe it or not- effective communication is one of the most in-demand soft skills for hiring managers. As easy as it sounds, not everyone is born with good interpersonal skills. This is a skill that demands continuous learning and practice.
Good workplace communication is a vital tool to enhance productivity and maintain strong working relationships at all levels of a company. Over 80% of Americans share the view that employee communication is a prime factor in building trust with their employers. It is very likely for barriers to clear communication to come up in the workplace. These communication barriers at work can distort messages and result in a lot of confusion and misunderstandings for the workforce.
To minimize the effect of communication barriers, it is important to acknowledge them and figure out ways to avoid them. In this article, we discuss the 6 most common types of communication barriers in the workplace and how they influence your performance.
1. Technology
Although digital technology has made communication a lot easier and faster, the emergence of remote work has painted a clearer picture of the issues that come with it. Social distancing has completely limited workplace communication to digital tools and online communication technologies. Working remotely has made workers dependent on technology to communicate with peers and colleagues and has resulted in an influx of communication problems.
This is because as advanced as today’s telecommunication is, it is still highly unreliable, and something as small as an unstable Wi-Fi connection can set you back a day’s worth of work and deadlines. Not to mention that the lack of face-to-face interaction leaves a lot more room for miscommunication. Emails and text messages can often misinterpreted. People’s tone, body language, and expressions might be misconstrued on online forums. Such barriers at work result in a lack of coordination within the organization, leading to less efficiency and sub-par customer service.
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2. Information Overload
Dumping an overwhelming amount of information on employees can be very damaging to employees’ well-being, motivation level, and success at work. Giving someone unnecessary details can confuse them and distract them from the real message. The information provided to the workers should neither too little nor too much. Instead, the senior managers should focus on the clarity of communication. To help deliver a clear message, the managers should stick to the point and later ensure that the message has been understood.
3. Differences in Perceptions
Everyone has their values and ideas; therefore, it is natural for your employees to have opinions different from yours. Disagreements might take place because of the different levels of understanding and experience. Although all viewpoints have to be respected, such varied perceptions can obstruct efficient communication within a group. This greatly delays decision making and might even result in tensions between colleagues. The best way to deal with such a situation is by finding a middle ground that in the best interest of the firm.
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4. Lack of Attention
This is another very common type of communication barrier. Lack of attention, especially problematic when you are given important information and instructions regarding your work. Now if a person is busy daydreaming or engrossed in his phone, he will not retain anything from the conversation. So once the conversation ends, he will be in utter confusion and, as a result, will not be able to carry out his responsibility competently. This proves that effective communication requires excellent listening skills. Efficient listening skills allow a person to understand the meaning of the conversation beyond what explicitly said; rather it enables you to draw inferences from the conversation. In conclusion, one should try to avoid all distractions, and stay focused on what is going on.
5. Disengagement
Successful communication has the power to engage all parties present, by building an atmosphere of open and transparent communication. Often due to a lack of personalization, employees are made to sit through long and dry conversations that doesn’t relevant to their nature of work. According to a study, employee engagement increases when managers provide consistent and concise communication.
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6. Demographic Differences
Another barrier to communication occurs when people having different demographic characteristics involved in communication. This could include differences in culture, age, language, etc. This creates a problem, as different cultures have different ways of doing things. Similarly, a language barrier might take place either because the person does not understand the language or because he cannot comprehend the accent. To avoid hassles and misunderstandings, the managers must make sure that communications delivered in a simple, direct, and clear manner for the other party to understand.
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