Q1.

Describe a situation that you experienced where communication went wrong because the non-verbal behavior sent conflicting signals. Which aspect of nonverbal communication was responsible for the communication failure? How would you rectify this? Ans Communication is the process of transmission the information, ideas, emotions, skill etc., by the use of symbol, words, picture, figure, graph etc. No matter how good the communication system in an organization is, unfortunately barriers can and do often occur. This may be caused by a number of factors which can usually be summarized as being due to physical barriers, system design faults or additional barriers. Most of us desire to communicate effectively, but do not have a keen appreciation of the communication to be faced. Because of these barriers, there is ample opportunity for something to go wrong in any communication. Competent managers develop an awareness of the barriers and learn to cope with them. The principal barriers to effective communication are: noise, poor feedback, selection of inappropriate media, a wrong mental attitude, insufficient or lack of attention to work selection, delay in message transmittal, physical separation of the sender and receiver, and lack of empathy or a good relationship between the sender and receiver. Situation where Communication was a failure for me: As an Associate Manager, I was a sender for a communication and intended for this to be received by my executives. I had sent the following communication to my executives through a notice displayed on the notice board: Coming Second Saturday to complete our targets for the month a review meeting has been arranged and all should attend. If any executive is not able to attend he/she should find out the contents of the meeting from their peers without fail. But my communication went wrong and out of 10 executives, only three executives had attended the meeting at 4.00 PM who checked-in with me the time of the meeting. Following were the barriers of communication which stood in the way of my communication: The Channel I have chosen for communication by Receivers did not ensure the receipt of the message. The communication lacked the Chronological context The second Saturday being a non-working day. The communication has created a Psychological noise by not mentioning correct time of the meeting and confusion had been created. The social context also is one of the cause for the failure of the communication as I had not taken all my executives into confidence by giving any advance information or an intention of the meeting earlier. Lessons learnt in order to overcome these barriers of communication: My communication was unclear by not giving exact time of meeting. The media I have used is placing the message on the notice board, instead had I circulated to all

the receivers and obtained their signatures by asking their availability or feedback my communication would not have failed. I had chosen a wrong day (a holiday) though the task was a routine one. I could have maintained good relations with my executives for success of my communication.

Overcome the communication barriers When you send a message, you intend to communicate meaning, but the message itself doesnt contain meaning. The meaning exists in your mind and in the mind of your receiver. To understand one another, you and your receiver must share similar meanings for words, gestures, tone of voice, and other symbols. 1. Differences in perception The world constantly bombards us with information: sights, sounds, scents, and so on. Our minds organize this stream of sensation into a mental map that represents our perception or reality. In no case is the perception of a certain person the same as the world itself, and no two maps are identical. As you view the world, your mind absorbs your experiences in a unique and personal way. Because your perceptions are unique, the ideas you want to express differ from other people even when two people have experienced the same event, their mental images of that event will not be identical. As senders, we choose the details that seem important and focus our attention on the most relevant and general, a process known as selective perception. As receivers, we try to fit new details into our existing pattern. If a detail doesnt quite fit, we are inclined to distort the information rather than rearrange the pattern. 2. Incorrect filtering Filtering is screening out before a message is passed on to someone else. In business, the filters between you and your receiver are many; secretaries, assistants, receptionists, answering machines, etc. Those same gatekeepers may also translate your receivers ideas and responses before passing them on to you. To overcome filtering barriers, try to establish more than one communication channel, eliminate as many intermediaries as possible, and decrease distortion by condensing message information to the bare essentials. 3. Language problems When you choose the words for your message, you signal that you are a member of a particular culture or subculture and that you know the code. The nature of your code imposes its own barriers on your message. Barriers also exist because words can be interpreted in more than one way. Language is an arbitrary code that depends on shared definitions, but theres a limit to how completely any of us share the same meaning for a given word. To overcome language barriers, use the most

specific and accurate words possible. Always try to use words your audience will understand. Increase the accuracy of your messages by using language that describes rather than evaluates and by presenting observable facts, events, and circumstances.

4. Poor listening Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is simply a lack of attention on the receivers part. We all let our minds wander now and then, regardless of how hard we try to concentrate. People are essentially likely to drift off when they are forced to listen to information that is difficult to understand or that has little direct bearing on their own lives. Too few of us simply do not listen well! To overcome barriers, paraphrase what you have understood, try to view the situation through the eyes of other speakers and resist jumping to conclusions. Clarify meaning by asking nonthreatening questions, and listen without interrupting. 5. Differing emotional states Every message contains both a content meaning, which deals with the subject of the message, and a relationship meaning, which suggests the nature of the interaction between sender and receivers. Communication can break down when the receiver reacts negatively to either of these meanings. You may have to deal with people when they are upset or when you are. An upset person tends to ignore or distort what the other person is saying and is often unable to present feelings and ideas effectively. This is not to say that you should avoid all communication when you are emotionally involved, but you should be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies aroused emotions. To overcome emotional barriers, be aware of the feelings that arise in yourself and in others as you communicate, and attempt to control them. Most important, be alert to the greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies emotional messages. 6. Differing backgrounds Differences in background can be one of the hardest communication barriers to overcome. Age, education, gender, social status, economic position, cultural background, temperament, health, beauty, popularity, religion, political belief, even a passing mood can all separate one person from another and make understanding difficult. To overcome the barriers associated with differing backgrounds, avoid projecting your own background or culture onto others. Clarify your own and understand the background of others, spheres of knowledge, personalities and

perceptions and dont assume that certain behaviors mean the same thing to everyone.

OR
AnswerOnce I had gone for an interview for air hostess trainer, that time I had not much experience for this kind of job and my communication was not that good. Apart from that the room was overcrowded and so many disturbances and noise was there. Later I realize there are some barriers because of which I did not performed up to the mark. After analyzing my experience there are some points I found which could be barrier for healthy communication and analysis of which are needed before coming up with ways to eliminate or minimize them. These barriers may be classified as follows

Barriers to Communication 1.Environmental Barriers - This is the same as physical noise, which could be in the form of distracting sounds, an overcrowded room, poor facilities and acoustics, all of which may hinder the ability to listen to and understand the message. 2. Individual Barriers - A major barrier to interpersonal communication is a tendency to judge, evaluates, approve or disapprove of the views of

another person. This happens particularly in situations where we have strong feelings about something. In such cases, we tend to block out the communication and form our own viewpoints. 3. Organizational Barriers - In organizations that are too hierarchical, that is, where there are multiple layers, messages may have to pass through many levels before they finally reach the receiver. Each level may add to, modify or completely change the message, so much so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver. In other words, there is likely to be loss of meaning and the message may not reach the receiver in the same way as it was intended by the sender. Another type of organizational barrier is a departmental barrier. This means that each department in an organization functions in isolation and there is no co-ordination or communication between them.

4. Channel Barriers - In the earlier section, it was pointed out that communication can fail due to any of the different elements going wrong. Wrong choice of channel is one of the main barriers to communication. Using a wrong medium of advertising, or conveying message orally when a written letter would be more appropriate, are examples. The written channel is more appropriate when the communication is more formal or for keeping things on record, while emotional messages such as feelings about coworkers are better conveyed orally. 5. Linguistic and Cultural Barriers When the sender of the message uses a language that the receiver does not understand , the communication will not succeed. Either the sender may be using a different or foreign language, or the language used may be too highly technical for the receiver to understand. Linguistic barriers may also occur in crosscultural advertising and distort the communication, when translating campaigns or slogans literally from one language to another. For example, Pepsis slogan Come Alive with Pepsi, when translated into Chinese, read Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave! Cultural differences refer to differences in values and perceptions, which may affect the interpretation of the message by the receiver. For example, a joke

about women may be taken in the wrong sense if the receiver belongs to a culture where women are highly respected. 6. Semantic Barriers - The word semantics refers to the meaning of words and the way in which they are used. For example, different words may have different meanings in different cultures. Failure to take this into consideration could lead to serious blunders. Example : Saying The new product launch went like a bomb in British English would mean that the new product launch was a success. On the other hand, saying The product launch bombed in American English would mean that the new product was a disaster. 7. Non-verbal Barriers - This refers to the non-verbal communication that goes with a particular message. Non-verbal communication includes tone of voice, body language such as gestures and facial expressions, etc. We will be discussing this in great length in alter unit. If the tone of voice and body language are negative, the communication will fail, however positive the spoken and written message. For example, if you happen to meet a long lost friend and say I am delighted to meet you, but in a sad tone of voice, the exact opposite message will be conveyed! Therefore, it is important to avoid giving conflicting signals, through the use of non-verbal communication.

Overcoming the Barriers to Communication Certain steps can be taken, both at the organizational level, as well as at the individual level, to effectively deal with the barriers to communication, in order to try to minimize them, if not eliminate them entirely Organizational Action 1. Encourage Feedback - Organizations should try to improve the communication system by getting feedback from the messages already sent. Feedback can tell the managers whether the message has reached the receiver in the intended way or not. 2. Create a Climate of Openness

A climate of trust and openness can go a long way in removing organizational barriers to communication. All subordinates or junior employees should be allowed to air their opinions and differences without fear of being penalized. 3. Use Multiple Channels of Communication Organizations should encourage the use of multiple channels of communication, in order to make sure that messages reach the intended receivers without fail. This means using a combination of both oral and written channels, as well as formal (official) and informal (unofficial) channels of communication. The types of channels will be discussed in detail later, in a separate unit. Individual Action 1. Active Listening - This means listening to the meaning of the speakers words, rather than Listening without hearing, or passive listening. Passive listening is a barrier to communication, whereas real communication takes place when we listen actively, with understanding. Listening is a skill which can be developed through proper training. 2. Careful wording of messages - Messages should be worded clearly and without ambiguity, to make sure that the message that is received is the same as the message that is sent. 3. Selection of Appropriate Channels Individuals should be competent enough to choose the right communication channel, depending on the situation. Channels of communication and the criteria for selection of channels will be discussed in detail in a later chapter.