OB assignment on: Effective workplace communication and measures

Introduction

This report is being prepared to address CEO on the barriers of effective workplace communication and measures to overcome these barriers. The discussion is divided into two parts namely barriers to communication and next is providing solution for these barriers. Barriers to effective workplace communication includes poor listening skills, non-verbal signals, physical barriers, emotions, lack of subject knowledge, language, overdose of information etc. which are discussed below. Measures to overcome these barriers are use of simple language, active listening, reduction of noise level, simple organizational structure, emotional state, giving constructive feedback, avoiding information overload, proper media selection and flexibility in meeting targets which are explained as under. The discussion highlighting vital factors causing barrier to communication and its measures is then followed by a conclusion.

Communication
            Communication is the art of imparting information through exchange of thoughts and messages by speech, writing, behavior or signals. It is the process of conveying message to an individual or group of people. When the receiver understands the message conveyed by sender the communication becomes effective (Rosengren 2000).

Barriers to Communication

Communication is an important part of our lives. It becomes more significant when at workplace. This is because of the important role which communication plays in determining success or failure of an organization. However, communication if not done effectively can cause barriers in achieving organizational goals. Few of those barriers are discussed below.

Poor listening skills can result from passive listening or due to lack of control over speaker’s speed. Other reasons may be lack of involvement with the topic, limited vocabulary of listener, disagreement with the speaker, distraction from the environment or failure to recognize signals of the speaker (Hogan and Stubbs 2003).
            Non-Verbal signals affects communication to a great extent as only 7-11 % of communication is carried by words and the rest through non-verbal signals like body language, posture, facial expressions, tone of voice etc. The verbal message if not matched properly with non-verbal signals can distort communication.
Physical barriers include the working areas and background noise of the environment.  It relates to the disturbance which may interfere in the process of communication.
            Emotions could be a barrier if the person is engrossed in it. The person in an emotional state may face problem in listening and understanding. He/she may not be able to pay attention and messages between departments can be misunderstood thus causing delay and replication of efforts (Hogan and Stubbs 2003).
            Lack of subject knowledge creates misunderstanding in a communication.  If sender doesn’t have subject knowledge then he/she may not be able to convey message properly thus creating confusion at the receiver’s end. Thus lack of subject knowledge may create communication error.
            Language may be a barrier in effective communication if the sender and listener in an organization don’t understand same language. Even for people speaking same language regional differences may create confusions. Other language barriers may include difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accent, use of jargons or unfamiliar terms thus creating barrier in making communication effective (Keyton 2011).
            Overdose of information is conveying too much information in a short span of time creating ambiguity and confusion in receiver’s mind. Due to this overdose of information the receiver wouldn’t be in a state to understand and analyze the information properly.

Measures to overcome communication barriers

Effective and smooth communication is essential to cope up with barriers which cause hindrance in communication. Here discussed are few ways to overcome communication barriers.

            Use of simple language means using of clear words and terminology which can be easily understood by everyone. Industry specific jargons and double meaning words should be avoided so as to keep communication hassle free. Employees in an organization can avoid many complicated situations just by keeping their language simple (Molen 2006).

            Active listening means listening carefully. It means hearing the message of speaker with proper understanding. By way of paraphrasing a person can correct anything that he/ she didn’t understand. It helps the receiver in avoiding misunderstandings. Communication errors in an organization can be fully avoided if active listening is being practiced properly by the employees.
            Reduction of noise level means identifying the source from where noise comes and then eliminating it in order to get rid of disturbance caused by it. Communication gets distracted by the noise coming from surroundings thus prevents the speaker and listener to understand each other. Removing of noise can lead to effective communication (Molen 2006).
            Simple organizational structure means keeping the span of control within an organization simple with optimum number of hierarchical levels. Simple structure in an organization would have less of complications in terms of management and control. Thus Communication will be more effective in such organizations.
            Emotional state implies the state of mind in which a person is while communicating. He/ she should use body language in co-ordination with speech. The emotions should never be visible in the communication as it might affect the receiver’s interpretation. The customer / client may take the information otherwise if not conveyed with proper gestures (Molen 2006).
            Giving constructive feedback means providing feedback in a manner that employee takes it positively. This would lead to effective communication. The management should avoid giving negative feedback and even if it is negative it should be given constructively.
Avoiding information overload means providing information on basis of priority. The manager should know priority of his work so that he/ she can guide employees with the necessary information as and when required instead of overloading them with instructions.
            Proper media selection means selection of media as per the need of communication. Face to face interaction can be done for simple messages and for complex messages written means of communication can be adopted. Memos and notices can be used for giving reminders (Molen 2006).
Conclusion

From the above discussion it can be concluded that communication being the important facet of life is required in all the spheres whether it be personal or professional. Talking about professional front communication is the backbone of an organization. Without proper communication all the activities would be sheer wastage of time leaving customers and employees frustrated. With the help of effective communication organization can save misunderstanding, work delays and replication of work while creating harmony and co-operation between various departments.

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