List of Barriers to Communication

Communication is an act or instance of transmitting or the information communicated through a verbal or written message . By definition, this doesn't sound like a difficult act to perform. After all, it's basically just an exchange of words. However, there are certain barriers that can prevent effective communication from taking place, which can lead to a variety of problems both personally and professionally if not broken down and resolved.

Physical Distractions

According to Bernard L. Erven of Ohio State University, physical distractions are one of the main barriers people face when attempting to communicate with one another. These can include everything from a ringing telephone to a meeting place that may be too hot or cold; anything that physically distracts your attention from the conversation you are having falls in this category.

Language Barriers

According to Eric Garner, Managing Director of ManageTrainLearn, a management training company, language barriers can affect your ability to communicate. In this case, the language barrier is not necessarily the language spoken but also the slang used and the interpretations derived from them.

Mr. Garner uses the Cold War as a prime example. The leader of the Soviet Union made the comment, "We will bury you!" The Americans interpreted this to mean total annihilation with nuclear warfare. However the Soviet leader meant it as an economic threat and, as Mr. Garner points out, should have said, "We will overtake you." This is just one example how easily words can be misunderstood and misconstrued, causing a huge communication barrier.

Emotional Barriers

Eric Garner states that emotions play a role in communication barriers. These are typically formed during childhood, remaining with you through adulthood. When you are consistently being taught how to rein in your emotions, not to speak unless spoken to or that it is taboo to express your true feelings to someone, this will surely affect your ability to communicate as an adult.

According to Mr. Garner, these early childhood lessons can hinder your ability to form meaningful relationships due to an inability to communicate effectively.

Lack of Listening Skills

According to Berrnard L. Erven, the average speaker says about 125 words a minute, while the average listener can hear between 400 and 600 words per minute. This means the listener has a large amount of free time in between the words being spoken during which he can interrupt his speaker, become distracted and tune his speaker out or develop a judgment before his speaker is through talking. All of these are signs of poor listening skills.

Instead, Mr Erven suggests making eye contact with your speaker, repeating key points and asking questions throughout the conversation; all of these things will help you become a better listener, a trait necessary for effective communication to exist and take place.