Barriers to Effective Business Communication and Ways to Overcome Them
Business in America has become increasingly global. At the same time, more jobs have shifted away from routine production positions to knowledge work where employees must have access to large amounts of information - often at a moment's notice. In order to access this information, employees must spend a greater part of their work day communicating with other employees, suppliers and customers.
The percentage of time that an employee spends communicating with others while at work is said to increase with level of responsibility that the employee has within the organization. Most employees spend an estimated 75% of their work day communicating through meetings, telephone calls, e-mail or et cetera.
With such a large amount of business involving communication, the need for good communication skills become apparent. However, studies have shown that many people do not possess the needed communication skills to be successful in today's global business arena. This is a serious problem when one considers that ineffective business communication can cause an organization to lose money, as well as damage the organization's reputation and lead to potential lawsuits.
The purpose of this report is to (1) pinpoint the weaknesses that inherent in today's communication styles and how they impede effective business communication, (2) identify a number of solutions to developing good communication skills, and (3) recommend key strategies for effective communication in today's business.
THE PROBLEM
Poor communication within an organization can be damaging to the profitability and productivity of the organization. This lack of effective communication skills can lead to "negative outcomes, including errors, productivity declines, distrust, lower morale, confusion, absenteeism, and general dissatisfaction." (AlMulla, 2008). If these problems are left alone and communication does not improve, the organization may experience a loss of customers as well as a higher than usual employee turnover.
In order to remedy this situation, the barriers to effective communication must be identified in order to eliminate them. Basic observation of the situation will help to pinpoint what barriers to effective communication are present in one's organization.
These may include:
Improper or misunderstood use of language -
If two people do not possess the same level of language skills or unknowingly assign different meanings to the sames words, this can cause a barrier to effective communication by causing the message that is being sent to differ from the message that is being received. Causes of this barrier may be the use of technical jargon or complicated sentence structure. It may also include the overuse of metaphors (especially when communicating with a non-native English speaker).
Misreading non-verbal cues -
Non-verbal communication including body language, facial expressions, posture and voice inflections constitute 93% of communication. If these non-verbal cues are misinterpreted or missing (as in the case of written communication), this can cause a message differ from what the sender intended.
Perceptual biases -
Biases toward the person sending (or receiving) a message may cause the message to be misunderstood. Biases may also be present if the sender or receiver has negative feelings toward the subject being discussed. For example, when a salesperson must promote a product that they do not truly believe to be beneficial. Perceptual biases based on the person and/or subject can cause a message to be false or insincere and will inadvertently cause a breakdown in communication.
Cultural differences -
If the sender and receiver come from two different cultures, there may be an invisible barrier to overcome. This barrier may be caused by differing perceptions in how business should be conducted, what is considered personal space, and/or the understanding of the language being spoken.
Inappropriate use of means of communication -
The misuse of communication formats may cause a barrier in communication. For example, if a manager must fire an employee and chooses to send them an e-mail instead of speaking to them face to face; or when a director calls a meeting of department heads when a memo would have been sufficient.
Poor listening skills -
This is perhaps the most common and problematic barrier to effective communication. Poor listening skills include not fully listening to the message and preparing your response before the entire message has been delivered, among others.
Lack of feedback -
Communication, especially in business, needs to be two-way. If the receiver does not provide feedback to the sender, there may be a breakdown in communication. The message may have not been received, as in the case of a letter or e-mail, or it may not have been understood (The Importance of Effective Communication).
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
The aforementioned communication barriers can be overcome by developing one's communication skills and by being alert to the situations where your typical communication techniques may have to very slightly in order to accommodate the needs of a particular client, supplier, or co-worker. These variations may be needed when communicating internationally or with non-native English speakers, as well as with persons that may need differing levels of information regarding a particular subject, product or service.
Even so, some basic skills or techniques will help to overcome barriers to communication in the majority of situations. This report will outline at several of these techniques before narrowing it down the three most important skills that will be discussed in the following section.
They include:
Avoid negative communication -
Terms that avoid giving a direct answer such as: "I'm not sure" and "as far as I can tell" should be avoided. Also, avoid using phrases that use words such as: never, no, do not. Attempt to rephrase negative items into positive sentences. For example, instead of saying "we do not accept returns without the receipt", say "I would be glad to assist you in the return of ________; however, in order to properly process your return, a receipt is necessary."
Use professional language -
Avoid slang terms, as well as the overuse of metaphors. Instead, use clear cut professional sentences that easy to understand.
Be aware of your non-verbal cues -
Use proper posture, dress appropriately and avoid excessive use of gestures. Also, pay attention to cultural norms when it comes to greetings, handshakes, and personal space when communicating.
Choose the appropriate format for your messages -
Plan your message, including what you want to achieve, who needs to receive the message and try to anticipate how the receiver will respond. Will they be receptive? Are strong emotions expected? Considering these details will help you decide what format will best acheive your goals.
Listen actively -
Engage yourself while listening to a message. Take notes if it will help you remember, establish eye contact and avoid allowing your mind to wander while listening.
Provide proper feedback -
Let the sender know that you have or have not understood the message that they are trying to convey. Ask questions for clarification and discuss details that may have been misunderstood. Confirm dates, names and important events if you will need to follow up on them.
Avoid stereotypes -
Listen with an open mind without being judgemental or assuming that you know the answer before the question has been asked. Do not assume that you know how someone will act based on their nationality or race (Lucas, 2005)
RECOMMENDED KEY STRATEGIES
After examining the most common barriers to communication along with several techniques that will help to overcome them, the following three strategies are recommended for overcoming communication barriers.
Practice your communication skills -
By practicing your communication skills in the areas of writing, speaking and listening, you will develop experience in being an active communicator. While you are practicing, pay attention to the nuances in your own communication patterns and seek to improve them.
Attend seminars and read training material designed to develop good communication skills -
Become a student of great communicators and seek to emulate their skills. By developing good communication skills, you become an asset to your current employer while developing your potential to grow in your career.
Develop quality listening skills -
Studies show that only approximately 25% of the population have excellent listening skills, yet they are some of the most needed skills in communication.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AlMulla, Y. (2008). Effective Communication at Workplace Powerpoint Presentation.
Lucas, R. W. (2005). Customer Service Skills for Success. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
The Importance of Effective Communication. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2009, from Northeastern College of Business Administration: http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/interper/commun.ht m