Communication Barriers in the Workplace

Communication is the process in which people share information and ideas with each other and create shared meanings.

“Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended to transmit. Many of the problems that occur in an organization are: the direct result of people failing to communicate and processes that leads to confusion and can cause good plans to fail” (Clark, 2015).

Communication can be blocked if individual differences are not understood. There are 3 ways in which this happens; a person can not see, hear or receive the message, a person can not make sense of the message, a person misunderstands the message (Core Themes in Health and Social Care, page 6, Beryl Stretch). These can all make communication ineffective and often impossible but can all be overcome with a different method or communication aids. ‘A barrier gesture is any action, behaviour or physical arrangement (such as room layout) that discourages the other person from feeling comfortable, thereby reducing their ability to communicate positively and effectively’

Even though we all communicate on a daily basis, communication can be a difficult task in certain situations. Communication is based on the sender and the receiver. In order to have effective communication, the senders have to effectively communicate the message to the receiver. The receiver must interpret the message and communicate back and understanding, whether it is verbal or written.

In the healthcare profession, communication should be fair and indiscriminative at all times. However in some occasions, there can be what is considered barriers to communication. A barrier is the word used to describe a “prevents communication or progress” . When considering communication limitations in the dental environment, it is significant to recognise differences between people and establish ways in which information can be simplified and clarified to improve the patient’s ability to retrieve the information.

Communication is a form of passing information from one person to the next and from one place to another by acknowledging the sender’s intent, comprehending the context of the message, and acting upon it to be able to create a shared understanding!

This essay will focus primarily on three main issues that can undermine effective communication namely cultural diversity, emotions and language (Robbins et al. 2011 p.331). The importance of feedback in an organisation to improve communication would also be reviewed (Iyer & Israel 2012 p. 55). Through feedback received, communication unveils opportunities to improve the individual and general performances of the organisation (Daneci-Patrau 2011 p. 496). Communication in an organisation comprises of many dimensions spanning formal and informal means of internal communication and external communications (Iyer & Israel 2012 p. 52). Communication is an ongoing process in which feelings, ideas, values and perceptions are transferred

The systematic description on the nature of the processes of communication in several areas including businesses and organizations is known as communication theory. Organizations and businesses are required to understand the concept of communication theory because the achievement of organizational and business goals is dependent on effective communication. Communication theory focuses on examining the process of transmitting information from the sender to the receiver. Furthermore, communication theory analyzed the various means for transfer of information from one medium to the other. As people across the globe have been working with several communication theories, these theories provide an abstract understanding of the process of communication.

Communication is the delivery of information between multiple groups, it is very necessary to have effective communications in the workplace because everything people do at work results from communication. Work efficiency and productivity is the key to success in the workplace, they can enhance the understanding between employer and employee, and high efficiency and productivity come from effective communication.

One of the most common workplace issues that most companies deal with at some point in their business development is communication. Communication is one of the most important skills needed to be successful in the business world, but it also can be one of the most difficult things a company has to go through and learn how to do in both an effective and efficient way. Each employee has a different personality and way of doing certain things, so in turn, each employee also has his or her own way of communicating. To be an effective manager, one has to realize each employee’s way of communication and try to use that to benefit conversations and meetings in the future. As John Kikoski stated in his publishing on effective communication, “Managers devote more time to communicating on the job than any other activity. Approximately 75 percent of a manager’s day is spent communicating—listening, speaking, reading, and writing” (1993). Keeping the lines of communication open are very important to keep a business successful and to also keep the employees happy and satisfied with their jobs.

A patient was recently brought into the Good Neighbor free clinic by his family after suffering a cardiac arrest. Though he had received extensive care at the hospital, the patient was asked to meet with his primary care physician for follow-up care. However, due to his financial status, the free clinic was the family’s only resort for accessing the necessary care. This is one example of the many barriers people may encounter when trying to access healthcare services. Throughout my medical experience, I have come to understand the importance of overcoming these barriers in order for patients to achieve the quality of care they deserve. As a physician, I hope to be at the forefront of addressing these barriers and bridging these gaps in healthcare.

When the word communication is heard the meaning of exchanging information and ideas verbally is what comes to mind. However, communication involves speaking, writing, visual electronic (telephone, electronic mail) and non-verbal (body language) avenues. Communication is the core focus of any business, today, businesses use many ways to communicate internally to maintain, improve and strengthen productivity, and externally to sell, advertise and gain new business from their constituents. The sender bears primary responsibility for the success of the communication, they need to make sure of the accuracy of the content and communicate in a way that will be the most likely to achieve the desired

Communication is a procedure of sending or accepting information. By understanding the means in the communication steps, it prompts successful communication. For instance, at my organization effective communication is critical when dealing with the employees and employer’s concerns. Passing information keeps everybody up to date the company and builds morale and motivation to perform well. It also improves connections and understanding amongst managers and employees inside and outside the company.

Communication means sharing meaning. With no sharing, there is no communication. To communicate successfully in a team or with others, at work or in the community, we have to understand the communication environment and the barriers which prevent messages being sent and received successfully.A communication barrier is anything that prevents us from receiving and understanding the messages others use to convey their information, ideas and thoughts. There are five of these types of barriers to effective communication, including: Attitudinal Barriers, Behavioral Barriers, Cultural Barriers, Language Barriers andEnvironment Barriers.A common cause of communication breakdown in a workplace situation is people holding different attitudes, values and discrimination. Valuing people who are different allows us to draw on a broader range of insights, ideas, experience and knowledge. The behaviors like bias, generalizations and stereotyping can cause communication barriers. Empathy is important for overcoming barriers to communication based on culture.Language barriers occur when people do not speak the same language, or do not have the same level of ability in a language. There are many environmental factors affecting the effective communication process.

The reason I think compliments are so important today, is that there is such an availability of negativism and hyper-critical attitudes that permeate our daily lives. Compliments can also serve to melt the ice between you and an antagonist. Compliments encourage others who are struggling. Studies have shown that when it comes to helping someone reach their goal, positive feedback is most effective for novices. Experts are primarily concerned about evaluating their rate of progress, and negative feedback helps motivate them to want to go further and faster.