A Report On Communication Barriers OF Business Organization

A Report On Communication Barriers OF Business Organization

Letter Of Authorized Ms Maliha Sameeni BBA Department UE, Bank Road Campus, This report is submitted to Ms. Maliha. We assure you that this report gives benefit to the readers. We hereby authorize that we have done this report of Communication Barriers in Business Organization with whole heartedly and full of honesty. We gave best relevant information. We thank our head that she gave us an opportunity to enhance our knowledge which is very useful for us in future. Your’s sincerely, Chandni Saleem (10) Komal Abdullah (21) Aqsa Omer (05) Anam Afzal(02) Date: 17-January-2012

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Summery Communication in business provides clear direction, concise instruction and unified morale for everyone to focus on a common goal. Without effective communication in business, there will be a lack of understanding, motivation and direction. Communication is significant in business, because it is the medium in which all forms of information are sent and received. When communication barriers are present, it is difficult for the receiver of information to understand the message the sender is trying to convey. Critical parts of the message get lost. By familiarizing yourself with the biggest barriers in communication, you can work toward overcoming them -- and becoming a far more effective communicator. Communication skills especially important in today's workplace. Learning effective communication habits will decrease misunderstandings and improve morale by removing communication barriers. By following the instructions:  Management by Walking Around  Conversation Skills  Listening Skills

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Types of Business Communication

There are two types of business communication in an organization: 1. Internal Communication 2. External Communication Internal Communication Communication within an organization is called “Internal Communication”. It includes all communication within an organization. It may be informal or a formal function or department providing communication in various forms to employees. Effective internal communication is a vital mean of addressing organizational concerns. Good communication may help to increase job satisfaction, safety, productivity, and profits and decrease grievances and turnover.

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Under Internal Business Communication types, there come;

Upward Communication  Downward Communication  Horizontal/Literal communication External Communication 

Communication with people outside the company is called “external communication”. Supervisors communicate with sources outside the organization, such as vendors and customers. It leads to better; Sales volume  Public credibility  Operational efficiency  Company profits It should improve 

Overall performance  Public goodwill  Corporate image Ultimately, it helps to achieve 

 

Organizational goals Customer satisfaction Page 4


Introduction “Business communication is nothing but, the communication between the people in the organization for the purpose of carrying out the business activities. It may be oral, verbal, written etc.” A business can flourish when all the targets of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization all the people (within and outside) of the organization must be able to convey their message properly. The exchange of ideas, understanding, within and outside the organization to achieve the business goals is known as business communication. While there are many skills that are necessary for success, communication skills are among the most important. Your communication skills can make or break your career. If you are good at communicating, there is a good chance that you will quickly advance in your career. On the other hand, if you are bad at communicating then it would be difficult for you to move higher in your career.

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Unlike many other skills, communications skills can be used in virtually every field. Wherever you work, you always need to communicate with others. There is no job in this world in which you don't need to communicate with other people. Whether you are a teacher, a driver, a designer, or anything else, communication is an indispensable part of what you do. The good thing about this is your effort on improving your communication skills will definitely be fruitful since you can always use those skills. Communication skills will always be relevant though you switch to new careers. Communication is essential for life in general but in business settings, it is critical. Communication is more than just a matter of speaking and hearing, especially within a business setting. Good communication, on the other hand, means that your message will be sent and that the people or organizations understand the message in its entirety. Further, they are much more likely to respond in a positive manner if the message was communicated effectively. A poorly communicated message will likely result in an unfavorable response.

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Importance of Business Communication Ernest Hemingway once said, "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." Effective communication is important in personal and professional settings. An effective communicator is more likely to get attention from his listener, because the listener knows the communicated information will be concise and beneficial to them. Client Relations Effective communication enhances client relations, which are crucial to a company's success. Employees are ambassadors of the company. If an employee effectively communicates with a client and answers her questions clearly, it can raise the client's confidence in the company. Job Satisfaction

Effective communication between an employee and his supervisor can boost an employee's job satisfaction by making Page 7


the employee feel he can make a difference. For a manager and employee to communicate effectively, the manager must be able to convey objectives, and implementing the employee's ideas. An employee who feels valued will be a more productive team member. Saving Time Time in business is crucial. Being able to choose the proper method of communication--phone, email, fax or face-face conversation--can save a company a lot of time and money. Clarity Communicating in an effective way will prevent confusion. If you think about a message before delivering it and anticipate any way it can be misconstrued, you will be able to refine your message. Chances for Promotion If you are an effective communicator, you will appear more organized and knowledgeable and increase your chances to be promoted. Others will notice. Builds Self-Confidence As you communicate effectively, you will notice your selfconfidence increases with time. You will become more available and effective in dealing with people once your confidence in yourself increases.

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Significance

Communication is what people and animals do almost all the time. As information is sent and received, relationships are built and society progresses.

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Barriers in Business Communication Communication is the most important part of a business, perhaps even more so than the infamous bottom line. Communication is what keeps everything running and prevents problems. Understanding barriers to communication can make your team more effective.

Language A language barrier is one of the most common, especially in business. We live in global community where business takes place on a daily basis. This is the easiest type of barrier to recognize. Learning another language or immersing yourself in another culture is one of the best ways to overcome this barrier.

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Interpretation People assign specific meanings to words and phrases in their minds and can interpret things very differently. Employees should clarify each others' statements instead of glossing over the speaker's intended meaning. Lack of Knowledge Improperly structured organizations and communication processes and several other common barriers can ultimately contribute to an environment in which employees generally lack knowledge about the company, its products and their jobs. Bad Work Relationships A barrier commonly tied to this negative affect is emotions. When a workplace becomes overly affected by the emotional state of one, a few or several workers, in can significantly affect the ability of people to work together. A supervisor who routinely expresses negative emotions can overwhelm workers. Physical Physical barriers are the most blatant, as they pertain to the environment around you. The setting where communication is taking place can involve noise, location or lighting. If there is too much noise or poor lighting in a physical setting, it may be hard to carry out successful communication.

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It can also involve spatial location such as a door or wall inhibiting communication. Verbal

Verbal barriers can occur to anyone involved in a conversation, whether it is two or ten people conversing. This causes you to examine the way you talk. Characteristics such as a monotone or quiet voice, use of colloquialisms or mumbling and not speaking clearly are all verbal barriers to communication.

Poor structure to the communication Structure of a communication is an essential factor. It doesn't matter whether that audience is an audience of one or one million, if a communication is to be 'heard' amongst the advertising and marketing 'noise' of today's business environment. So a poor structure to your message or delivery is therefore a major barrier to effective communication.

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Psychological

Psychological barriers are the most difficult to identify because the nature of this kind of barrier is usually hidden. It pertains to the communicators' perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and cognitions, which can have a significant effect on communication. Also, the belief that you do not communicate well can also be considered a psychological barrier. Weak delivery It doesn't matter how important or impressive the subject of your communication is, if you deliver it without any 'punch' you will not get as many people to take your desired action as you would like. A weak delivery is like the very funny joke with the badlytold punch line. It is important to not get confused between delivery and presenter. The use of the wrong medium A public presentation, with 'obligatory' PowerPoint TM slideshow full of complex charts and data, would be the wrong Page 13


medium, its better to served by a white paper, or some similar print-based format that allowed the audience to digest. When considering which medium to use for which type of message you wish to communicate with the audience. A distracting environment There's nothing worse than trying to communicate your message to a group of people who cannot 'hear' you. Whether their inability to 'hear' you is because of:  Their mobile phone keeps ringing, or vibrating if they've set it to 'silent' instead of switching it off.  The room's air-conditioning/heating is not working and the room is hot/cold.  Your voice not being strong enough.  Too many others talking in the room at the same time. Well, there are of course a thousand possible distracting reasons why they cannot or will not attend to your business communication.

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Complex Messages

The use of complex technical terms is general cause of these lacks of communication. The remedy is to stick to the point, use clear and concise messages that are easy to understand. Withholding Information In the organization much of the information is maintained confidential based on the company policies make sure the information that is needed is readily available and easy to access. Different Status Management must keep employees well informed and encourage feedback. Ineffective Communication Processes The maintenance of the hierarchy kin the organization is very essential, but the presence of these status reduce the flow of the communication .Thus it is essential to reduce hierarchical Page 15


levels and increase communication.

departmental

interaction

and

Lack of Trust The most important reason for the lack of communication in the organization is due to competition, which leads to lack of trust among the various employees. Share information, communicate openly and honestly, involve others in decisions. Difference in Way of thinking The process of communication is not just speaking by understanding what the other person exactly means. The opposite person comes to know the exact meaning of the terminologies used by the speaker. Sometimes, way of thinking of two people working in the same organization can be entirely different. This difference can cause or problems in the communication process. Cultural Barriers Cultural barriers which can be there when people belonging to different cultures work together can be one of the communication barriers. At times, people may find it difficult or feel hesitant to communicate freely with people belonging to other cultures and castes. Lack of Interest Lack of interest on the part of the listener can also be Page 16


one of the serious barriers in communication. The process of business communication can be complete only if the listener is as enthusiastic in the conversation as the speaker. Lack of interest will result in not understanding concepts and this will cause further problems while working actually. Gender Barrier Though both sexes have both kinds of communicators, women are more likely to be right-brain communicators -abstract and intuitive. Men are left-brain communicators -linear and logical. Depending on your own makeup, this could be a barrier. Both have to learn how to communicate in a way that allows both sexes to receive and understand the message. Lack of Credibility If it's evident that you're speaking strictly from book knowledge, rather than personal experience, or if your audience does not see how what you are saying could possibly be true, this creates a credibility problem. Negativity Attracting an audience of even one person is the first step to making yourself heard and is greatly helped by positive language and a positive demeanor. Exhibit friendliness in wide eyes and nods and smiles where appropriate. Stay away from crossed arms and accusatory, pointing fingers. When expressing your opinions or disagreements, couch your thoughts and contentions in calm, understanding language. If Page 17


others suspect that their thoughts will be shot down, they will be far less likely to voice them in the first place. Positivity permits others to feel safe when being around you and opening up to you. Improper Way of Speaking or Explaining Some speakers have the ability of taking things for granted and they assume very early that the listener knows a lot on the subject. Some speakers are impatient and restless and they get frustrated immediately when the other person fails to understand things fast. Wrong attitude of the speaker is one of the communication barriers in different types of organizational settings. Disorganization Whether it is written or verbal communication, ensure that your thoughts are well-organized for optimal understanding. Begin with basic concepts and build upon them, the way you organize is context-dependent that your audience is able to follow your train of thought. Disorganized language causes and results in a lack of attention and a non-effective expression of your ideas. Clarity In business, employees sometimes lack motivation as a result of unclear communication about their roles in an organization. When you educate employees on how their Page 18


company plays a role in a larger commitment, those employees are more likely to feel motivated about doing their jobs well. Management Barriers Management barriers are as a result of top-bottom leadership that excludes employees or customers from day-today business functions. Employees then feel dissatisfied with this method of leadership and communication, no new ideas are generated and the communication breaks down. Workplace Stress A workplace can be a stressful environment, especially when deadlines are tight or when a large volume of customer interaction is taking place. Workers may be so focused on the task at hand that they don't heed or don't hear what is being communicated. Information Overload Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective.

Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. If a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate explains him Page 19


his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to disappointment of subordinate. Time Pressures Often in organization 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 not completely transferred. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is very bad. Complexity in Organizational Structure Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more the number of managerial levels), 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. Poor retention Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One can’t always retain what is being told specially if he is not Page 20


interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown. Inaction One of the biggest effects of communication barriers in businesses is that it causes employees to fail to deliver on requested directives. This weakness can mean the receiver is uncertain about the request. Often, it can mean the sender has failed to present the request in a way that motivates the receiver to take immediate action. Less Grasping Power The communication differences in business can also exist because of less grasping power of the listener. If the listener does not have good listening skills and basic knowledge on the subject of discussion, then completing the communication process becomes extremely difficult and timeconsuming. Role Role conflicts can create barriers to communication in organizations, particularly when they involve interactions between subordinates and superiors. Employees are often hesitant to share their honest insights, especially when those insights may be perceived as critical. Misinterpretation While misinterpretation may happen most commonly in email interactions, it can also occur over the phone or in faceto-face conversations. When interacting with others, we may jump to conclusions or misinterpret something they've said. It Page 21


is important communication is clearly and accurately understood. When in doubt, ask for clarification.sss Identification Communication barriers 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 among departments within an organization. Vision and Mission Communication barriers can impede a company from relaying its vision and mission. Overcoming these barriers requires the management team to hold company-wide meetings, infuse employee orientations with the group's mission and welcome feedback at all levels of the organizational chart. Inaccuracy Ensure that every scrap of information you deliver is correct and from a reputable source. Feigning knowledge or showing an insufficient command of a topic saps your authority and makes it difficult to build credibility with your audience. Distance Although teleconferencing has provided assistance in bridging communication gaps between business associates in different geographic locations, it is often viewed as less effective than meeting face-to-face. Part of the problem stems Page 22


from being unable to read facial expressions and body language, which can lead to misconstrued reactions. Lack of Subject Knowledge -

If a person who sends a message lacks subject knowledge then he may not be able to convey his message clearly. The receiver could misunderstand his message, and this could lead to a barrier to effective communication.

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Conclusion Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. It is a process by which people exchange information and ideas between one another using a common structure of language through words, signs, symbols, body language and behavior. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender are interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affect 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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Remove Communication Barriers in Organizations

(Remove communication barriers to create a positive work environment.)

Communication styles in organizations have changed dramatically over the last century. Management no longer dictates all work practices, sales initiatives or productivity ideas. Instead, management involves employees in decision-making and openly solicits ideas, making effective communication skills especially important in today's workplace. Learning effective communication habits will decrease misunderstandings and improve morale by removing communication barriers. According to Reference for Business, communication must be "open, timely, complete and accurate" for an organization to run efficiently and profitably. Management by Walking Around 1 Interact with employees at all levels of the business. Management can better understand the day-to-day activities of the business if they interact directly with employees. Page 25


2 Talk to employees individually to understand their jobs. Invite them to express safety concerns, ideas to improve productivity, or other concerns. 3 Listen actively to employee concerns and take notes. 4 Respond truthfully to concerns. Employees do not expect you to immediately have all the answers, but they do expect you to listen to their concerns and work with them to resolve those concerns. 5 Discuss the resolution to the concern while following up with the employee. Ask the employee if she understands the resolution or has any suggestions to improve it. If the employee understands the resolution, she will most likely be a proponent of the change and encourage other employees to embrace it. Conversation Skills 1 Speak in specific language. The use of highly technical words, jargon and misused words impedes business communication. Understanding who your audience is will help eliminate communication barriers. 2 Ask questions. Use clarifying questions to ensure the message receiver understands what you are saying. Open-ended Page 26


questions will allow a dialogue to occur and force the listener to engage in a two-way conversation. 3 Watch people's body language. If a person's body language is sending a message that is inconsistent with his spoken word, start a dialogue. Tell him what you have observed and ask if his point of view on the conversation is accurate. Do not make assumptions based on body language alone -- not everyone carries himself the same way. Listening Skills 1 Remove distractions. Silence phones, shut the door and stop reading email. Today's workplace forces people to multitask. If you do not eliminate distractions while talking, the meaning of the message may be misunderstood. 2 Maintain eye contact with the person you are talking with. This technique assists the listener in understanding the message and focusing on the conversation. 3 Listen actively. Do not form rebuttals and do not interrupt the speaker. Allowing someone to finish her thoughts and relay her entire message will keep the conversation on track. 4 Paraphrase the conversation to verify that the conversation was understood. This allows the person sending the message to Page 27


hear your interpretation of what he just said. If what you heard is inconsistent with the message he intended to send, the misunderstanding can be resolved. 5 Ask questions. If you are on the receiving end of a message, ask questions to clarify the meaning. Clarifying the meaning of a conversation through questioning will remove barriers to communication. Ask for clarification of jargon or technical terms.

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Links  http://www.hodu.com/barriers.shtml  http://www.community4me.com/barriers.html  http://www.ehow.com/facts_5459480_types-barrierscommunication.html  http://www.ehow.com/info_7918519_barriers-communicationorganization.html  http://www.ehow.com/how_8252878_remove-communicationbarriers-organizations.html  http://www.ehow.com/info_8157417_barriers-effectivecommunication-system.html  http://smallbusiness.chron.com/barriers-effective-businesscommunication-2886.html  http://smallbusiness.chron.com/main-barriers-communication3051.html  http://smallbusiness.chron.com/communication-barriers-impactorganizations-13767.html  http://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-communication-barriersaffect-organizations-14389.html  http://smallbusiness.chron.com/barriers-communication-detractorganizational-effectiveness-693.html  http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_importance_of_busines s_communication&altQ=What_is_the_importance_of_bussiness_ communication  http://www.ehow.com/facts_7271518_barrierscommunication.html

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 http://www.ehow.com/info_8148936_barriers-successfulcommunication.html  http://www.leehopkins.com/barriers-to-businesscommunication.html  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_communication  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/communication-barriers-inbusiness.html  http://www.oppapers.com/subjects/conclusion-communicationbarriers-page2.html

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A Report On Communication Barriers OF Business Organization

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