TITLE: Unit 03 Barriers to communication
Communication barriers 1
Overview 3
Communication barriers 4
Types of communication barriers 5
Sender barriers and receiver barriers 7
Attitudes and values 8
Valuing differences 10
Environmental barriers 13
Managing environmental factors 13
Summary 14
Overview
Communication barriers can interfere with or block the message you are trying to send. This topic will help you to: recognise the barriers to communication which prevent messages being sent and received successfully develop communication skills to overcome these barriers.
Inside this topic
Communication breakdown
Types of communication barriers
Sender barriers and receiver barriers
Attitudes and values
Dealing with change
Valuing differences
Bias generalisations and stereotyping
Cultural awareness
Environmental barriers
Communication barriers
Activity 1: Communication breakdown
Look at the illustration below. Why do you think there has been a breakdown in communication? What barriers can you see?
Figure 1
Comment
The breakdown occurred because Fran, the manager, assumed too much about Bill. She thinks he is a good worker but hasn’t told him. She assumes he knows her views without having told him. She didn’t listen when he said he was busy. So, the sender of a message must think about the feelings of the receiver.
But the person receiving the message has a responsibility, too. Communication isn’t successful until there is feedback. Bill should be honest with Fran and let her know how he feels. Bill didn’t give feedback to let her know his feelings. Bill doesn’t know that Fran, his manager, values his work. Both Fran and Bill contributed to the communication barriers.
Types of communication barriers
There are many different factors that can create barriers to effective communication.
Language barriers
Language barriers occur when people do not speak the same language, or do not have the