 Communication Barriers

Learning Goals  5. I will be able to explain obstacles/barriers to effective communication  6. I will be able to suggest ways to overcome these barriers  7. I will be able to describe some techniques used to improve communication skills (active listening, constructive feedback, technology)  8. I will be able to explain the communication process.

Game - Telephone  1 st – write down a sentence on a small piece of paper and hand it to me.  2 nd – I will give one person the sentence and you need to whisper it to the person sitting next to you until the whole class has heard the sentence.  3 rd – the last person says the sentence out loud and see if it has changed or is the same.  ****RULES****  Sentences MUST be classroom appropriate!!!!!!!  You can only say the sentence ONCE so try and be as clear as possible.

Why do you think the message was changed?

Barriers to Communication  Physical barriers- yelling across the hall, communicating from different locations  Perceptual barriers- we all see the world differently  Emotional barriers- withholding thoughts and feelings  Cultural barriers- group behaviors  Language barriers- not everyone is familiar with all languages or jargon  Inappropriate Communication Channels – using the appropriate type of communication for a given situation.

How do you think we can overcome these barriers?

Ways to overcome these barriers  Physical barriers- try to use face-to-face communication frequently  Perceptual barriers- recognize we have different values and try to recognize where the person is speaking from  Emotional barriers- try to build trust

 Cultural barriers- recognize differences in meaning, pacing, volume and gesture, space, and touch  Language barriers- learn more about different cultures, relax, try to find a place where there are not many additional stimuli to take away from the exchange of messages - ask what people need in order to communicate most effectively - Ask for feedback

Can You Follow Directions Activity

Steps to Improve Communication  Active Listening  Constructive Feedback  Use of Communication Channels  Interactive Management  Proxemics and Space Design  Technology Utilization

Active Listening  Active Listening – the process helping someone say exactly what he or she means by fully listening to what is being said, controlling your emotions, and withholding premature evaluations or interpretations.  Rules to being an active listener  1. listen for the message content – try to hear exactly what is being said  2. listen for feelings – try to determine how the sender feels about what is being said  3. respond to feelings – let the sender know that their feelings are being recognized.  4. Note all cues – pay attention to non-verbal messages  5. paraphrase or restate – state back to the sender what you think you are hearing.

Raymond Video on Active Listening 

10 steps for good listening – You Need This!!!! 1. STOP TALKING!!!! 2. Make the other person feel comfortable 3. Show that you want to listen 4. Remove potential distractions 5. Empathize with the other person 6. Don’t respond too quickly, be patient 7. Don’t get mad, hold your temper 8. Don’t argue too much 9. Ask questions 10. STOP TALKING!!!!

Constructive Feedback  Feedback – the process of telling someone else how you feel about something that person said or did.  Giving constructive feedback is a skill managers need to learn. You want to be able to give feedback without making your employees feel like they did something wrong.  Tips: Give feedback directly after the situation happens.  Make sure feedback is specific. Use good, clear and recent examples to make your points. Should include steps to improve.  Give feedback when the receiver seems willing to accept it.  Give feedback in small amounts. You don’t want your employee to feel overwhelmed

Use of Communication Channels  Channel richness – the capacity of a communication channel to effectively carry information. Did the game telephone have a rich communication channel?  Low Richness – impersonal, one way, fast. E.g. postings, e- bulletins, reports  Middle Richness (in order of richness) – Memos, Lettesr, s, voice mail, telephone, video conferences  High Richness – personal, two way, slow – face to face meetings and conversations.

Interactive Management  Managers spend time outside of their office to meet and talk with workers at all levels.  Managers can have open office times, when employees can come by to discuss topics. For example, teachers office hours. After school until 4 o’clock you can go and see your teacher to ask questions.

Proxemics and Space Design  Body language and personal space (Proxemics)  The distance between two people conveys different messages. What is it saying if you are really close to someone?  Space Design – spacing of chairs, desks, walls communicate different messages. E.g. Our desks are in groups, what does that say? How is it different if they were in lines? Facing the wall instead of the front?

Technology Utilization Use technology appropriately and efficiently. Some managers read up to 300 s daily. Tips - Get rid of useless messages and get off distribution lists - Read s only once and respond immediately - Avoid sending group messages and avoid responding Reply to All - Sent short messages in the subject line, avoid long messages.

Communication Process  Communication Defintion – the process of sending and receiving symbols with meanings attached.  The people involved are the;  Senders – the people that encode (create) the message into information  Receivers – the people that decode (interpret) the messages meaning and send back feedback  Everything in the middle that interferes with communication is considered noise (a barrier).  See diagram on page 443 of text book.

Effective vs Efficient  Effective Communication – occurs when the message is fully understood. The intended and interpreted message are the same.  Efficient Communication – occurs at a minimum cost. Few resources are expended.  E.g. in class: The message I deliver to the whole class is there is a test on Friday and the whole class receives the message. Is this effective or efficient?

 The problem with efficient communication is that it sometimes is not effective. E.g. I say we have a test on Friday but only half the class is listening, therefore, I have no fully sent out my message.

Learning Goals Review  5. I will be able to explain obstacles/barriers to effective communication  6. I will be able to suggest ways to overcome these barriers  7. I will be able to describe some techniques used to improve communication skills (active listening, constructive feedback, technology)  8. I will be able to explain the communication process.