Communication barriers

Communication

Barriers

Contents

Importance of communication

Business communication – An introduction

Communication barriers

Effect of communication barriers

Overcoming communication barriers

Planning and structuring

Difficult communication situations

Understanding others better

Cross-culture communication

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managementstudyguide.c

Why communication is important?

Communication

Exchange

thoughts

Express

oneself

Shared

feelings

Shared

under-

standing

You are

communi-

cating

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Why communicate?

To increase productivity

To reduce stress

Better understanding of what others say

Better understanding how to get your message across

En

ha

nce

re

latio

nsh

ips

Sa

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Be

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Imp

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qu

alit

y o

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d fo

ste

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va

tion

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Modes of communication

Collaborative Team meetings, consulting, group problem solving

Two-way Phone call, in-person

One-way Memo, fax, email, voice mail, letter

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Business communication

The effective way in which you get your

message over to the person(s) that you

are communicating with

The message of communication

Communication that uses words; may

be either oral or written

Verbal communication

Communication that does not use words

like audience awareness, personal

presentation, body language

Non-verbal communication

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Business communication in managerial functions

Internal audiences

• Subordinates

• Superiors

• Peers

External audiences

• Customers

• Suppliers

• Unions

• Stockholders

• Potential employees

• Government agencies

• Press

• General public

People in the

same

organization

People outside

the organization

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Business communication – The basic purposes of

the organization

InformRequest or

PersuadeBuild goodwill

Explain something or

tell readers somethingMake the readers act Create a good image

that makes people to

do business with you

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What is communication barrier?

Communication is fruitful

only if the messages sent

by the sender is

interpreted with same

meaning by the receiver

Any kind of disturbance

blocks any step of

communication, the

message will be destroyed

There are several

barriers that affects the

flow of communication

in an organization.

These barriers interrupt

the flow of

communication from

the sender to the

receiver, thus making

communication

ineffective. It is

essential for managers

to overcome these

barriers

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Possible barriers

Symbols or words that have different meanings: Some words mean different things to people

depending on background or culture. A large amount of terminology is used in the hospital and

misunderstanding is often the cause of problems

Different values within the group: Everyone has their own value system and many do not

recognize the value of others

Different perceptions of the problem: Problems exist in all groups, organizations, and businesses.

Problems differ depending on the individual’s perception of the problem

Emphasis on status: If people in power or higher superiority in the organization consistently remind

others of their station, communication will be stifled

Conflict of interest: People may be fearful of change or worried that the change will take away their

advantage or invade their territory. This fear may cause people to block communication

Feelings of personal insecurity: it is difficult for people to admit feelings of inadequacy. People will

not offer information for fear that they may appear ignorant, or they may be defensive when criticized

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Major communication barriers

Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world

around him. All generally want to receive messages which are

significant to them. But any message which is against their values is

not accepted

It is essential to control this information flow else the information is

likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result

communication is less effective

At times we just not listen, but only hear. Messages should be

ignored for effective communication

The targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the

failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet

deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or

messages are partially given, i.e., not completely transferred. Thus

sufficient time should be given for effective communication

Time pressures

Perceptual and language

differences

High load of

information

Inattentive

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Major communication barriers

Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning,

uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in

a meeting. Similarly use of high voltage speakers interferes with

communication

If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the

information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the

communicator is happy

Greater the hierarchy in an organization more is the chances of

communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level

can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have

knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other

areas

Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always

retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not

attentive. This leads to communication breakdown

Poor retention

Distraction

Emotions

Organization structure

complexity

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Communication barriers – ‘Know-hows’

• Paying attention to the type of facial

expressions you make

• Make sure your facial expressions are

appropriate based on your topic, listeners

and objective

• Ensure you are incorporating facial

expressions into your message, matching

the appropriate expression to each situation

Lack of Enthusiasm

Key actions for good communications

• Do you talk with your hands or gesture too

often?

• Do your gestures have purpose?

• When your gestures create a visual for your

listeners, they will remember more

information and will remember your

message longer

• Gestures add energy and inflection to your

voice and channel

Distracting Gestures


• When you begin to say too much . . . .

PAUSE!

• Keep your objective in mind. Think in terms

of what your listener needs to know about

what you want them to do and not what you

want to tell them

• Put thought into your words and focus your

message on significant points

Lack of Focus


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Communication barriers – ‘Know-hows’

• Create presentation slides with more

pictures and fewer words

• Identify your presentation how best it

supports your message

• Make presentation by identifying listener

expectation and needs

• Listener experience and knowledge level

• Objectives, time frame

• Number of participants

Presentation overload


• Think on your feet

• Get to point and avoid rambling

• Take a relaxing breath

• Hold your listener’s attention

• Gain control over your message

• Hear, understand and respond

• Act on what you say

Verbal static


• When speaking to more than two

individuals, connect with one individual for a

complete sentence or thought

• Take a moment to pause as you transition

your eyes from one individual to another

• Ask your listener to immediately give you

feedback when you look away from them

while you’re speaking

Lack of eye connection


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Common internal communication problems in

organizations

The most common communications problem is managements'

(leaders' and managers') assumption that because they are

aware of some piece of information, than everyone else is, too.

Usually staff are not aware unless management makes a

deliberate attempt to carefully convey information

If I know it, then everyone

must know it

Writing something down can be seen as a sign of bureaucracy

and to be avoided. As the organization grows, it needs more

communications and feedback to remain healthy, but this

communication is not valued. As a result, increasing confusion

ensues -- unless management matures and realizes the need

for increased, reliable communications

We hate bureaucracy --

we're "lean and mean."

Another frequent problem is managements' not really valuing

communications or assuming that it just happens. So they are

not aware of what they told to whom -- even when they intended

for everyone to know the information

I told everyone, or some

people, or ...?

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organizations

With today's increasingly diverse workforce, it is easy to believe

you have conveyed information to someone, but you are not

aware that they interpreted you differently than you intended.

Unfortunately, you will not be aware of this problem until a major

problem or issue arises out of the confusion

Did you hear what I meant

for you to hear?

Particularly when personnel are tired or under stress, it's easy to

do what's urgent rather than what's important. So people

misunderstand others' points or understand their intentions. This

problem usually gets discovered too late, too

Our problems are too big

to have to listen to each

other!

Communications problems can arise when inexperienced

management interprets its job to be solving problems and if

they're aren't any problems/crises, then there's nothing that

needs to be communicated

So what's to talk about?

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organizations

As organizations grow, their management tends to focus on

matters of efficiency. They often generate systems that produce

substantial amount of data -- raw information that does not seem

to really be important

There's data and there's

information

Communications problems can arise when management simply

sees no value whatsoever in communicating with subordinates,

believing subordinates should shut up and do their jobs

If I need your opinion, I'll

tell it to you

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Emotional

or

psycholo-

gical

Effects in

Semantic

Effects in

Organi-

zatioal

Effects in

Superiors

Effect of

communication

barriers

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Effects in Semantic

Symbols with

different meaning

Badly expressed

message

Faulty translation

Assumption not

clear or unclarified

Specialist’s

language

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Emotional and psychological effects

Premature

evolution

Failure to

communicate

Distrust of

Commun-

ication

Undue

reliance on

written word

Loss of

transmission

Inattention

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Organizational effects

Policy, vision,

mission of the

organization

unclear

Unclear

communication

about organization

rules and

regulations

Lack of good status

relation in

organization

Complexity in

organization

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Personal effects

Effect of barriers in superior

• Attitude of superior

• Fear of challenge of authority

• Lack of time

• Lack of awareness

Effect of barriers in sunordinates

• Unwillingness to communicate

• Lack of proper incentives

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Noise in business communication

Any information downloaded at a

noisy place is bound to get distorted

and result in a complete mess.

Noise reduces the chances of the

correct flow of information from the

sender to the receiver.

Unorganized thoughts also lead to

ineffective communication

Communications are bound to suffer

due to ineffective communication. If

any individual wants something from

his team members, he first must be

himself very clear what actually he

expects from his team.

Speaker has to be clear and careful

during meetings about his pitch

and tone

Do not just speak, also invite

questions from the team. After any

seminar or meeting, the superior or

the incharge must send the minutes

of the meeting through email to all the

required recipients to avoid last

minute confusions and discrepancies

and ensure everyone is clear

Difference in thought process

results in poor communication

A boss and the employee can never

think on the same level. One should

remember that the listeners are also

a part of the conversation. The

listeners must give their feedback at

the end of the conversation. If you

are not clear what your boss is

expecting out of you, or what you

are actually supposed to do, ASK

Barriers effecting business communication

Effect of

communication

barriers

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Communication barriers effects in organizations

Physical Barriers System design Attitudinal barriers

• It is a natural barrier when

staff is located at different

buildings or at different

sites

• Poor or outdated

equipment, particularly the

failure of management to

introduce new technology

• Staff shortage which

frequently causes

communication difficulties

• It refers to structures or

systems in place in an

organization

• Organizational structure

which is unclear and

therefore makes it

confusing to know who to

communicate with

• Lack of supervision or

training, clarity in roles and

responsibilities which can

lead to staff being uncertain

what is expected from them

• These come as a result of

problems with staff in an

organization

• Factors as poor

management, lack of

consultation with

employees, personality

conflicts which can result in

people delaying or refusing

to communicate

• Lack of motivation,

dissatisfaction at work also

leads to failure to

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Communication barriers effects in organizations

Identification


include any breakdown or

impediment that concerns

relaying information. Such

communication may occur

between workers or within a

structural system. One

example of a barrier is a lack

of trust between a manager

and her subordinates.

Vision and Mission

Communication barriers can

impede a company from

relaying its vision and

mission. Weak language

skills, confusing the message

by using different words to

mean the same thing and

physical distractions all inhibit

the free flow of information

Customer service

Communication barriers can

devastate a company's

customer service division.

These barriers include

dismissive, rude employees,

poor customer service

ordering techniques and

failure to relay order

information to the appropriate

parties

Production

The production process may

suffer due to communication

barriers within an

organization. Barriers in

communication can create

inefficient production or even

jarring halts in work flow

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How to overcome communication barriers?

Eliminating differences

• The organization

should ensure that it

recruits right people.

• It is the responsibility

of the interviewer to

ensure that the

interviewee has

command over the

written and spoken

language.

• There should be

proper Induction

program so that the

policies of the

company are clear to

all the employees

Simple language usage

• Use of simple and

clear words should be

emphasized. Use of

ambiguous words and

jargons should be

avoided.

• The words should be

supported with

examples and retain

attention of the team. I

Eliminate distractions

• Distractions are main

communication barrier

which must be

overcome on priority

basis.

• It is essential to identify

the source of noise

and then eliminate that

source

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Listen actively

• Listen attentively and

carefully. There is a

difference between

“listening” and

“hearing”.

• Active listening means

hearing with proper

understanding of the

message that is heard.

• By asking questions

the speaker can

ensure whether his/her

message is understood

or not by the receiver

in the same terms as

intended by the

speaker

Check your emotions

• During communication

one should make

effective use of body

language.

• He/she should not

show their emotions

while communication

as the receiver might

misinterpret the

message being

delivered

Organizational structure

• There should be a

ideal span of control

within the organization

• Simpler the

organizational

structure, more

effective will be the

communication

• The levels in the

company should not be

complex and should be

optimum

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Prioritize work and give

constructive feedback

• The managers should

know how to prioritize

their work

• They should spend

quality time with their

subordinates and

should listen to their

problems and

feedbacks actively

• Avoid giving negative

feedback. The

contents of the

feedback might be

negative, but it should

be delivered

constructively

• Constructive feedback

leads to effective

communication

Medium of

communication

• The managers should

properly select the

medium of

communication

• Simple messages

should be conveyed

orally, like: face to face

interaction or

meetings.

• Use of written means

of communication

should be encouraged

for delivering complex

messages

Make flexible in

achieving the targets

• For effective

communication in an

organization the

managers should

ensure that the

individuals are meeting

their targets timely

without skipping the

formal channels of

communication.

• There should not be

much pressure on

employees to meet

their targets.

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Strategies for overcoming language barriers

Speak slowly

and clearly

Ask

questions

and

clarifications

Frequently

check if

audience are

understanding

Avoid idioms Be careful of

jargon

• Focus on

clearly

enunciating

and slowing

down your

speech.

• Even if you

are

pressured for

time, do not

rush through

your

communi-

cation

• If you are not

100% sure

you have

understood

what others

say, politely

ask for

clarification.

• Avoid

assuming

you have

understood

what has

been been

said

• Check both

that you have

understood

what’s been

said and that

others have

fully

understood

you.

• Practice

reflective

listening to

check your

own under-

standing

• Business

language is

often

contextual,

and therefore

culture

specific

• This may

make your

communicati

on more

difficult to be

understood –

so avoid

them

• Watch the use

of TLAs (Three

Letter

Abbreviations)

and other

organizational

language that

may not be

understood by

others

• If you use

them, provide

in parentheses

a description

of what these

are so others

can learn

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Strategies for overcoming language barriers

Define the

basics of

business

Be specific Medium of

communicationProvide

informationBe patient

• Spend time

early in your

communi-

cation

defining

business

terms mean

to you and

others.

• Invest in

building a

shared

vocabulary

• Spell out your

expectations

and deadlines

clearly

• Make them

act to your

expectations

and check of

they

understood

the concept

clearly

• Carefully

choose the

medium of

communi-

cation you

need to make

(email, chat,

memo, phone

or video

conference)

• Check

complexity of

message and

use

appropriate

media,

otherwise your

message

would be

ineffective

• Follow phone

calls with

emails that

summarize

what is been

said.

• When

possible,

provide

presentations

agendas, etc.

in advance

so those

working in

their non-

native

language can

get familiar

with

materials

• Cross-cultural

communication

takes more

time.

• If not at all

times, certainly

initially you

cannot expect

other

communication

to occur with

the same

speed and

ease as yours

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Strategies to overcoming communication breakdown

• The way people interpret

information from others

they communicate differs

often as the personalities

and experiences of each of

these individuals.

• It gets even complicated in

email when you cannot see

their body language or hear

the tone of voice from the

other person.

So how do we

address this

challenge?

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Communication breakdown: Conflicting

communication styles

Some people are comfortable

communicating with a direct

style, while others find it

uncomfortable

Some are more comfortable

with other people being direct

with them, while still others

may find it offensive

Some people are very fast,

and they get to the point

immediately

Some are more comfortable

giving a lot of background

information before getting to

the point

The key is to realize that there is no

communication style that is better than

the other and to have patience and

compassion when interacting with a

person whose communication style is

different from your own

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Communication breakdown: Different frames of

reference

This is where different

individuals interpret the same

set of facts or the same event

is different ways

Each individual brings to the

situation a different frame of

reference

The way people interpret

situations or set of facts

depends on the background,

experiences, values, attitudes,

motives, assumptions and

expectations of each individual

Different frames of reference

are the crux of these issues

Sometimes agreeing to disagree is the

best you can do . . . No hard feelings!

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Communication breakdown: Personal barriers

The way a person interprets

a situation also depends on

emotions and values

The person may hear what

he or she wants to hear

rather than hear what was

actually said

Mental set, emotional sets,

prejudices and the way the

individual chooses to filter or

screen what is said will affect

the way a message is

understood

Poor listening skills are a

major reason many

messages are not

understood properly

Make your presentation effective with

pictures and examples . . . So there would

be more focus on the situation and

message you are passing will be

understood clearly

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Tips to help bridge the communication gap

On the listening end On the speaking end

• Have an open mind. Remember, seek

understanding rather than employing

judgment

• If communicating in person, pay

attention to body language as well as the

content of the message being conveyed.

Listen to what is not said. Pay attention

to their tone of voice

• Ask for clarification about what the

person has said before jumping into

conclusions

• Acknowledge the other person’s feelings

and try to put yourself in their shoes.

Empathy goes a long way!

• Show responsibility for how you are

interpreting things

• Be assertive and say what is on your

mind, but the key is to do it diplomatically

• Be aware of your tone of voice

• Ask if you are being understood and

clarify any misunderstandings

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Communication Planning

Communicating

the right message to

others in the right way

Monitor

effectiveness

Plan

communi-

cation

channels

Plan

communi-

cation

messages

Understand

your audiences

Understand

your objectives

Be clear about your overall

communication objective. What

do you want to communicate,

when you want to communicate

and why?. Record all the

details in your plan

Now analyze your

various kinds of

audiences. Clarify

specific objectives

for each audiences.

An easy way is to

think about

audience’s needs

Planning messages

refers to the preparing

the messages which

are required to meet

our objectives.

There are so many

channels which can be

used – email, tele-

conference, newsletter,

posters etc. Think and

use these channels

appropriately

Getting feedback from audiences is

important. Check whether they

have understood the messages.

By getting timely feedback, you can

tune your communications in future

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The Communication Cycle

AIM

COMPOSE/

ENCODE

TRANSMIT/

DELIVER

RECEIVE

FEEDBACK

ANALYZE/

DECODE/

LEARN

CHANGE/

IMPROVE

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Monroe’s motivated sequence

Get the attention of

your audience.

Entertain them by

humor, telling stories

and make them to sit

up and take notice.

Get

attention

Establish

the need

Tell to audience

about the present

problem. The

statement should

make the audience

realize the current

happenings and

what needs to be

changed

Satisfy

the need

Explain to the

audience about

the solution

which you have

and how to

address the

problem. This is

an important part

of your presenta-

tion

Visualize

the future

Help them see

what the results

could be if they act

the way you want

them to. Make sure

your vision is

believable and

realistic. Action/

actuali-

zation

Finally, leave your

audience with their

solution for the

problem. Don’t

overwhelm them

with too much

information or

expectations

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The 7Cs of communication

When writing or speaking, be clear with your message. The purpose

of communicating messages to your audience should be solved. If you

are unclear in communication, your audience will also be unclear

CLEAR

While communicating to your audience, make sure that you stick to the

point and your message should be brief. Your audience will not be

prepared to hear lengthy speech when it can be communicated briefly

CONCISE

Your message should be solid and concrete. The target audience

should get a clear picture of what you are speaking. There should be

clear focus on the subject

CONCRETE

This refers to the error-free communication. When your

communication is correct it fits your audienceCORRECT

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The 7Cs of communication

Your communication should be logical and coherent. All the points

should be relevant to the main topic. There should be logical and

consistent flow of the text

COHERENT

Your message to the audience should be complete. The target

audience should have full idea of what has been informed to them and

if possible, take action

COMPLETE

Courteous communication means friendly, open and honest. There is

no insult to anyone or passive-agreessive tones.COURTEOUS

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Creating a value proposition

The “value proposition” statement clearly mentions

the benefits of using our product/services. These

statements should be very specific and should not be

general or vague.

Your value proposition should focus clearly on what your

audience need. This concept is useful in marketing.

Whatever you are 'selling' and to whom, a value proposition

is useful, if not essential, tool. Whether your 'customers' are

external customers, employees, co-workers or even your

family, the idea is to help them see the specific value your

offer brings to them.

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Using Stories to inspire

There are six main types of story that you can use in the workplace:

• We all know that we have been fascinated by

stories quite often

• Stories can definitely change your views, the way

we think and feel

• Leaders sometime use stories to motivate people

and to communicate easily to the audience

• Many top CEOs today use stories to illustrate

points and sell their ideas

“Who I Am” stories

“Why I Am” stories

Teaching stories

Vision stories

“Values in action” stories

"I Know What You're Thinking" Stories

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Questioning techniques

Asking the right question is the heart of effective communi-

cation and information exchange. If you ask the wrong

question, you will in return get a wrong answer. By asking

right question you can build stronger relationships, manage

people more effectively and help others to learn too.

There are 2 techniques of questioning

Open questions

Open questions get longer answers. They usually begin

with what, why, how. Open questions are useful for

developing an open conversation, getting more details,

getting other person’s opinion

Closed questions

A closed question usually receives a single word or very

short answer. For e.g., “Yes” or “No” type of answer fall

under this category. Closed questions are good for testing

your understanding, making any decision, frame setting

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Role Playing – Preparing for difficult

conversations and situations

Role playing happens when two or more

people act out roles in a particular scenario.

It's most useful for helping you prepare for

unfamiliar or difficult situations.

You can also use it to spark brainstorming

sessions, improve communication

between team members, and see

problems or situations from different

perspectives

How to use role playing?

• Identify the situation.

• Add details.

• Assign roles.

• Act out the scenario.

• Discuss what you have learned

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If your critic is still firm, then you might need some more time to get good

response. Try to appreciate his feedback and this presents you as

someone genuinely trying to do the best job possible – and places the

focus on future interactions.

Move on

politely

It will be better to open a real discussion of the critique. The usage of

certain phrases like "from my perspective", or, "I can see how you might

get that idea, but I probably haven't properly explained that." establishes

key element of the conversation. Now you are viewing things from his

perspective and now you'll give him the opportunity to return the favor

Open up

both

perspec-

tive

Simply and calmly repeat your critic's complaints back to him. Making

steady eye contact and in a non-aggressive tone, say: "So, what you're

saying is.," The goal here is to take the focus away from any personality

clash, and place it squarely on substantive issues

Repeat the

points

Dealing with unfair criticism

Try to manage the situation by remaining calm. Couple of deep, quite

breaths will help you to settle down. Expressing anger or emotions will

only add fuel to the fire

Remain

calm

It is a fact that everyone reacts so strongly to unjust criticism. One can manage

these type of situation by remaining calm, clarifying the situation etc. You can also

mention the misunderstanding which is the root cause for the situation

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Conflict resolution

Conflict in a workplace is a strong barrier for

team work. Conflict breaks cooperation and

the whole organization’s mission is threate-

ned. The good news is that by resolving

conflict successfully, you can solve many of

the problems that it has brought to the

surface, as well as getting benefits that you

might not at first expect:

Increased understanding

Increased group cohesion

Improved self-knowledge

In the 1970s Kenneth Thomas and Ralph

Kilmann identified five main styles of dealing

with conflict that vary in their degrees of

cooperativeness and assertiveness

Competitive Collaborative

Compromising Accommodating

Avoiding

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Conflict styles

Competitive

The people who have ‘competitive’ style are firm and know what they want.

They normally operate from a position of power. This style is applicable

when there is any urgency and decision needs to be taken immediately

Collaborative

The ‘collaborative’ style people try to meet the requirements of all the

people involved. These people can be highly assertive but unlike the

competitor, they cooperate effectively and acknowledge that everyone is

important. This style is useful when you bring various options/opinions to

find a solution

Compromising

These people find a solution to a problem which will at least satisfy

everyone to some extent. Compromise is useful when the cost of conflict is

higher than the cost of losing ground, when equal strength opponents are

at a standstill and when there is a deadline looming

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Conflict styles

Accommodating

These people try to meet the needs of others at the expense of the

person’s own needs. This style is useful in situations where peace is more

valuable than winning and issues matter more to the other party.

Avoiding

These people avoid the conflict entirely. It can be appropriate when victory

is impossible, when the controversy is trivial, or when someone else is in a

better position to solve the problem. However in many situations this is a

weak and ineffective approach to take

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Causes of conflict

According to psychologists Art Bell and Brett Hart, there are eight common causes of conflict in the workplace

• Conflicting resources

• Conflicting styles

• Conflicting perceptions

• Conflicting goals

• Conflicting pressures

• Conflicting roles

• Different personal values

• Unpredictable policies

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Dealing with unhappy customers/clients

Even we have dealt with so many

clients/customers like this and it’s

never easy to compromise them.

Let us now explore how to

deal with these angry

customers/ clients

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Adjust your mindset

Listen actively

Repeat their concerns

Be empathic and apologize

Find a solution

Take action and follow-up

Use feedback

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Adjust your mindset

Whenever you receive any complaint from customers or

if your client is unhappy, your first priority is to put

yourself into a customer service mindset

Listen actively

This is the most important step in the whole process.

Listen to what the customer/client is saying – he wants to

be heard to air his grievances

Repeat their concerns

After your customer/clients explains why he is unhappy,

repeat his concerns so that you are sure that you are

addressing the right issue

Be empathic and apologize

Once you hear the complaints from the customers or

clients, apologize and after you understand your

customer’s concern, be empathic.

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Find a solution

After hearing the problem, you have to find a solution to

make your clients happy. There are 2 ways of doing this.

If you know what makes your customers happy then

explain them how you are going to do that. If they are

still unhappy then give them the power to resolve things.

Take action and follow-up

Once you've both agreed on a solution, you need to take

action immediately. Explain every step that you're going

to take to fix the problem to your client

Use feedback

This is the last step and also important one in the whole

process. This final process helps us to make sure that

the mistake does not happen once again.

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Communicating in a crisis

Whenever there is any crisis we try to get everything in normal mode. We try to protect both

our organization and ourselves. Communication does not stop when official communication

channels are shut down.

Communication can be full of rumor, innuendo, inconsistencies etc. The most important point

is that the trust of the employees and clients can be undermined and it can even damage the

long-term relationship

This is where the best thing to do in a crisis can be to communicate the facts and issues

surrounding them clearly, quickly and consistently.

In any case DON’T SHUT DOWN YOUR COMMUNICATION

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Handling criticism

Whenever we get criticized, we get anger.

Nobody is happy with negative feedback. Some

of us go out of the way to avoid negative

feedback. But, when we come with open mind,

we take criticism as a learning tool which helps

us to grow and become more effective. No one is

perfect, and criticism can contain valuable

feedback that can help you to see your

weaknesses, and perform better next time.

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Contents










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The Johari window

The Johari Window is a communication model that can be

used to improve understanding between individuals within

a team or in a group setting. Based on disclosure, self-

disclosure and feedback, the Johari Window can also be

used to improve a group's relationship with other groups

There are 2 key ideas behind developing this

tool. They are:

• The individuals can trust others by disclosing information

about themselves

• That they can learn about themselves and come to terms

with personal issues with the help of feedback from others

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Explaining the Johari window

Open area Blind area

Hidden area Unknown area

Self-discovery

Shared

discovery

Feedback

Self-disclosure

Known by self Unknown by self

Known by

others

Unknown by

others

Tell

Ask

Open area: What is known by

the person about him/herself

and is also known by others

Blind area: What is unknown

by the person about him/

herself but which others know

Hidden area:

What the

person knows

about him/

herself that

others do not

Unknown area:

What the person

knows about

him/ herself that

others do not

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Concept attainment

Concept attainment is a group learning technique

which helps to understand important concepts and

ideas. This tool is used in the following areas

Customer support team – customer get a truly consistent,

good service, whoever they talk to.

Customer service team – only important issues are

escalated to the senior management

Sales team – team members consistently "deliver the brand"

as well as specific products to customers

With Wine tasters – Defining "taste vocabulary" so that

team members describe and grade wine consistently

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The Betari box

When we have positive feeling, we

motivate others, we smile, we

empower. But at the same time when

we have negative feeling the opposite

happens. These behaviors affect us

and also people around us. They turn

those negative behaviors back on us

and the conflict gets worse

My attitude

My behavior

Your attitude

Your behavior

Affects Affects

Affects Affects

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Contents










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Collaborative effort

Today’s workplace is rapidly becoming vast and

it becomes difficult to communicate to the

people who speak another language and who

rely on different means to reach a common goal

"We didn't all come over on

the same ship, but we're all in

the same boat.“

- Bernard Baruch

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Cross-cultural communication – The new norm

• The latest technology and internet have made us to promote

our business to new location and culture.

• It becomes easier for us to work with another person who is

remote location.

• As communication has become electronic, it has become easier

for a person to work with another person who is in another

country.

• Now, you can work with the most knowledgeable person in the

entire world.

• In this new world, good cross-cultural communication is a must

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Understanding cultural diversity

Due to different cultural contexts,

communication becomes more

challenging in the workplace.

Even when employees in different

locations speak the same

languages, there are some

cultural differences that should be

considered to make the

communication more clearer.

It has become mandatory to know

the culture and sub-culture

because understanding of cultural

diversity is the key for effective

cross-cultural communication

Without necessarily studying

individual cultures and languages

in detail, we must all learn how to

better communicate with

individuals and groups whose first

language, or language of choice,

does not match our own.

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Developing awareness of individual cultures

In today’s business world knowing basic about culture and language which is spoken in that

country is important.

For instance, kissing a business associate is not considered an appropriate business practice in

the U.S., but in Paris, one peck on each cheek is an acceptable greeting. And, the handshake

that is widely accepted in the U.S. is not recognized in all other cultures.

Now the companies are offering training programs to employees in different cultures where the

company conducts business.. It is important that employees communicating across cultures

practice patience and work to increase their knowledge and understanding of these cultures

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Getting help whenever required

In case of language barriers, the best idea will

be to employ a reliable and experienced

translator.

Since English is not first language for many

countries the usage of English language will

be mixed with non-standard phrases or

culture-specific phrases.

The translator can help everyone involved to

recognize cultural and communication differences

and ensure that all parties, regardless of

geographic location and background, come

together and stay together through successful

project completion.

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The 7 dimensions of culture

Universalism

vs.

particularism

Individualism

vs.

communitarianism

Specific

vs.

diffuse

Neutral

vs.

emotional

Achievement

vs.

ascription

Sequential

time

vs.

Synchronous

time

Internal direction

vs.

Outer direction

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Case Study

Communication Barriers - Case Study

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(for example, appropriate hygiene and

handwashing, time/temperature, and

cleaning and sanitizing). But with high

turnover of employees, training has

become difficult and some new employees

are put right into the job without training.

Eventually, most employees get some kind

of food safety training. The owners of the

restaurant are supportive of Mishra in his

food safety efforts because they know if

they do not follow food safety measures

that will affect their business.

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One day Mishra comes to work and is rather upset even before he steps into the restaurant.

Things haven’t been going well at home and he was lucky to rummage through some of the

dirty laundry and find a relatively clean outfit to wear for work. He admits he needs a haircut

and a good hand scrubbing, especially after working on his car last evening. When he walks

into the kitchen he notices several trays of uncooked meat sitting out in the kitchen area. It

appears these have been sitting at room temperature for quite some time. Mishra is frustrated

and doesn’t know what to do. He feels like he is beating his head against a brick wall when it

comes to getting employees to practice food safety. Mishra has taken many efforts to get

employees to be safe in how they handle food. He has huge signs posted all over the kitchen

with these words: KEEP HOT FOOD HOT AND COLD FOOD COLD and WASH YOUR

HANDS ALWAYS AND OFTEN. All employees are given a thermometer when they start so that

they can temp food. Hand sinks, soap, and paper towels are available for employees so that

they are encouraged to wash their hands frequently.

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Questions

• What are the communication challenges and barriers

Mishra faces?

• What solutions might Mishra consider in addressing each

of these challenges and barriers?

• What Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be

helpful for Mishra to implement and enforce?

• What are some ways Mishra might use effective

communication as a motivator for employees to follow

safe food handling practices?

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Notes to supplement answers

• Language barriers: not all employees speak English as their first language

making verbal communication a challenge at times.

• Generational (age) barriers: having employees in various age categories can

pose a unique set of challenges. While the younger generation is used to

texting and using shortened messaging, their vocabulary may not be

consistent with that of older employees. Work values and attitudes may also

affect communication between younger and older employees.

• Cultural and ethnic barriers: Cultural differences in food safety practices may

be a challenge for Mishra to overcome.

• Non verbal challenges: Mishra’s body language (appearance) is telling others

he does not care about personal appearance and cleanliness.

• Emotional barriers: Emotional barriers can interfere with effective

communication. Mishra comes into work after a rough start at home. These

negative emotions are affecting how he communicates with the employees.

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Notes to supplement answers

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) serve as the written documentation of

best practices and serves as the framework for organizational policy and

structure. SOPs identify the who, what, why, when, and how of foodservice

practices for employees. Part of the supervisor’s role is to assure SOPs are in

place, communicated to employees, and followed. For this case, two helpful

SOPs would be:

New Employee Orientation SOP: Due to time constraints of “busy days” and

high turnover, Mishra currently finds orienting new employees to be a challenge.

Although it may take time at the beginning, the pay off may be great and save

time in the long run.

Employee Health and Personal Hygiene SOP: Although SOPs are generally

intended for employees, it is important to note that as role models,

supervisors/managers should generally adhere to operational SOPs. Mishra’s

own lack of adherence to personal hygiene standards indirectly tells employees

that appearance and hygiene are not important. Mishra’s own personal hygiene

and appearance should serve as an example to employees – clean, unwrinkled

clothing, clean hands, free from grease and dirt with neatly trimmed hair are a

must for Mishra to be a motivator for his employees to have good appearance

and hygiene. At present, his non verbal communication is telling them personal

hygiene and appearance is not important.

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Conclusion

Communication comes in many different

forms. It can be either written, verbal, non-

verbal and communication can also come

in the form of technology.

Regardless to how you may look at it, you

as the message sender will need to send

your message in a clear and positive

manner in order to be effective in this

competitive world of communication

Copyright © 2008 - 2012


Date post:	12-Jul-2015
Category:	Education
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Communication barriers

Education