Barriers To

Communication
Javaria Siddique
Winter 2015

Information is Socially
Constructed
Information is always created, shared
and interpreted by people
Contexts influence meaning
The messenger and receiver always
accompany a message

The effective soft skills/ people skills/ social

skills/ life skills/ interpersonal skills

To ensure that the meaning

intended by the speaker/writer does
not change when the
listener/speaker interprets it
Outcome: To establish a mutual
understanding between the people
involved

The Noise (Barriers)

Semantic Barriers
Emotional/ Psychological Barriers
Physical Barriers
Wrong Channel/Medium
Organizational Barriers
Personal Barriers
Poor Listening Skills
Lack of Feedback

Semantic Barriers
Muddled messages
I will see you tomorrow at 7:30 am
I will see you tomorrow around 7:30am
Language (Specialists language)
Symbols (words, pictures, with different meanings
1. What is the value of computer education these days?
2. What is the value of this mobile phone?
3. I value our friendship

Emotional/ Psychological
Barriers
Bias and Stereotyping (typifying/ over
simplifying person/events/message based
on preconceptions)
e.g. Asians are good at math.
The elderly have health issues and behave like
children.

Premature Evaluation
Distrust

Personal Barriers
(Organization)
As a Superior:
Fear of challenge to ones authority
Lack of time
Lack of knowledge
As a Subordinate:
Lack of incentive
Unwillingness/ hesitancy to communicate
Fear of authority

Physical Barriers
Interruptions and distractions due to
the environment

Organization Barriers
Policies and Regulations
Status relation

Lack of Feedback
Asking for repetition
Non verbal gestures
(Agreement/disagreement)
Paraphrasing
Counter Argument

Poor Listening Skills

Hearing vs. Listening

physical vs. a mental process
receiving sound vs. perceiving it.
active vs. passive process.

A person can hear something without listening to it; listening

involves comprehending and retaining the message

Types of Listening
Passive Listening
Selective Listening
Active Listening

Active Listening Skills

ACTIVE

LISTENING STRATEGIES
Displaying
Emotional
Intelligence
(Primary
Empathy +
Advanced
Empathy)

Knowledge
of the
Content

Critical
Thinkin
g

The HURIER Model

Hearing
(paying careful
attention to what
is being said)

Understanding
(comprehending
the messages
being sent)

Remembering
(being able to
recall the message
being sent)

Effective Listening
Responding
(replying to the
sender, letting
him /her know
you are paying
attention)

Evaluating
(not immediately
passing judgment
on the message
being sent)

Interpreting
(not reading anything
into the message the
sender is communicating)

Non Verbal Signs of

Listening
Smile/ Nod (Gestures)
Eye Contact
Posture
Mirroring

Verbal Signs of Listening

Positive Reinforcement
Remembering
Questioning/ Reflection/
Clarification
Summarization

Guidelines for Effective

Listening
Listen Cautiously
Keep an open mind
Concentrate on the message
Determine the purpose of the message
Paraphrase/ Summarize
Minimize note- taking
Create images
Do not talk or interrupt
Analyze the total message
Provide feedback

Purpose
Listening with your ears to
auditory communication.
Watch with your eyes for visual
communication.
Sense with your intuition the
real meaning of the
communication. Is their a
difference with what they say
and mean?

The Keys to Effective Listening

Keys to Effective
Listening

1. Capitalize on
thought speed

The Bad Listener

Tends to daydream

The Good Listener

Stays with the

speaker, mentally
summarizes the
speaker, weighs
evidence, and listens
between the lines
Listens for central
or overall ideas

2. Listen for ideas

Listens for facts

3. Find an area of
interest
4. Judge content,
not
delivery

Tunes out dry

Listens for any
speakers or subjects useful information
Tunes out dry
Assesses content by
monotone speakers listening to entire
message before
making judgments

5. Hold your fire

Gets too emotional

or worked up by
something said by
the speaker and
enters into an

Withholds judgment
until
comprehension is
complete

The Keys to Effective Listening

(cont)
Keys to Effective
The Bad Listener
The Good Listener
Listening

6. Work at listening

Does not expend

energy on listening

Gives the speaker

full attention

7. Resist
Distractions

Is easily distracted

Fights distractions
and concentrates
on the speaker

8. Hear what is
said

Shuts our or denies

unfavorable
information

9. Challenge
yourself

Resists listening to
presentations of
difficult subject
manner
Does not take notes
or pay attention to
visual aids

Listens to both
favorable and
unfavorable
information
Treats complex
presentations as
exercises for the
mind
Takes notes as
required and uses
visual aids to
enhance
understanding of
the presentation

10. Use handouts,

overheads, or other
visual aids