Barriers to Effective Communication | Communication Skills | iHASCO

Barriers to effective communication come from three sources. There are personal barriers which come from you. These often result from a lack of preparation, knowledge or skill. To prevent personal barriers you should plan what you want to say in advance, make sure you understand the information so you can relay it with confidence and make sure that you use tools and equipment that you know how to use. For example, you should make sure that you're familiar with PowerPoint software before you begin a presentation. Then there's social barriers which come from other people. They might include the knowledge or skill level of whomever you're communicating with, their thoughts, feelings or preconceptions about you and whether there are any cultural or language differences which might cause confusion. The best way to overcome social barriers is to know your audience and use language that allows them to understand you. For example, avoid using jargon or slang. And there are environmental barriers which tend to be distractions, errors, faults or really anything outside of you and whoever you're communicating with. Potential environmental barriers include noisy offices, poor internet connections or badly printed photocopies among other things. This is why the right place and the right time are key considerations for effective communication.