5 Practical Barriers Of Communication And How To Solve Them?

Communication is an extremely important skill to have both in everyday life and in the workplace. Communicating with people on both a formal and an informal level is often necessary but there can be barriers in communication that can make it difficult. These barriers come from different sources such as:

• Using modern technology to convey messages

Technology has undoubtedly changed our lives forever and the use of text messages, voicemail, email, Twitter, Ping, Facebook etc means that we often communicate via technology rather than face-to-face. This can be fantastic for our busy lives but messages are often misinterpreted when sent in the written form and it does not give the receiver of the message the opportunity to clarify all aspects. This can be solved by encouraging face-to-face communication.

• Poor communication skills

This is mainly seen in the written form as many people are not able to use proper grammar or spelling. This can make a message confusing to understand and communication is lost. It can be solved by utilizing 'Spell Check' on computers and proof reading all work to ensure it is easily understood.

• Multitasking

Multitasking has become a main component to our busy 21st century lives but trying to do too much at once can mean that nothing is done properly and any form of communication can be difficult. It is not uncommon for people to attempt to text and send and an email while Tweeting and message and talking to a friend. This can be solved by simply taking our time and concentrating on one thing at a time.

• There may be communication barriers between men and women, particularly if there is any attraction between them. Some people may feel uncomfortable talking about personal subjects with the opposite sex or simply be of a shy or nervous disposition which makes them feel awkward. One way to combat this problem is to encourage team building exercises whereby people can become friends and hopefully feel more comfortable with each other. Avoiding gender stereotypes should break down the barrier between men and women and should aid the communication problem.