Communication barriers and ways to overcome them briefly. Communication barriers and ways to overcome them

Everyone hears only what they understand. (Johann Wolfgang Goethe)

Concepts and types of communication barriers

Communication barriers- obstacles caused by natural, social and psychological factors that arise in the communication process. IN modern world in conditions of human interaction, in different areas activities, difficulties or communication barriers arise.

IN Explanatory dictionary Russian language S.I. Ozhegov says: “A barrier is an obstacle placed in the way; an obstacle, an obstacle in the way of something.”

The Psychological Dictionary gives the following interpretation of the concept “barrier”: “a mental state manifested as inadequate passivity (or activity) that prevents the performance of certain actions”; “any obstacle that prevents the body from achieving its goal.”

E. V. Zalyubovskaya gives the following definition: “A communication barrier is an absolute or relative obstacle to effective communication, subjectively experienced or actually present in communication situations, the causes of which are the motivational-operational, individual-psychological, socio-psychological characteristics of those communicating.”

There are many more definitions of the concepts “barrier” and “communication barrier” by different authors. In addition to different definitions of the concept, different authors identify different kinds communication barriers.

Classification of communication barriers

Barriers of misunderstanding

Barriers of misunderstanding are associated with ineffective verbal communication (difficulties in transmitting and understanding information). These include:

1. Semantic barriers– communication interference resulting from misunderstanding of the meaning of symbols used in communications.

When entering into information contact, we use symbols: words, gestures, intonation.

Semantics is the study of the way words are used and the meanings conveyed by words.

Semantic variations often cause misunderstandings, because in many cases the exact meaning assigned to a symbol by the interlocutor is not at all obvious.

A manager telling a subordinate that his report appears “adequate” may mean that it is complete and fit for purpose. However, the subordinate may decode the word “adequate” to mean that the report is mediocre and needs significant improvement.

Semantic barriers arise when using polysemantic words or phrases if the speaker does not explain their meaning.

Semantic barriers can create communication problems for companies operating internationally. The perception (meaning) of gestures and intonation differs especially strongly among different peoples, but even words may not be translated unambiguously.

2. Nonverbal barriers– are associated with the contradiction between the meaning inherent in spoken words and non-verbal signals accompanying the communication process.

Although verbal symbols (words) are the primary means of encoding ideas, we also use nonverbal symbols to convey messages. In direct oral communication, nonverbal transmission occurs simultaneously with verbal communication and can enhance or change the meaning of words. Exchange of glances, facial expressions, posture, intonation are all examples of nonverbal communication.

Psychologists say that verbal means of communication are based on our consciousness, and non-verbal ones, for the most part, are controlled by the subconscious. That is why verbal and non-verbal symbols often contradict each other (in psychology, there is such a concept as “they are incongruent”, i.e. they do not correspond to each other).

3. Phonetic barriers– obstacles created by the characteristics of the speaker’s speech (the presence of speech defects, slurred speech, tongue twister speech, etc.).

5. Logical barriers– communication interference that arises as a result of a discrepancy between the logical actions and conclusions of communication partners. Each person sees the communicative situation in his own way, from his own point of view. In addition, the same words in different situations can have completely different meanings.

6. Communication overload associated with the difficulty or impossibility of processing and organizing a large amount of information.

Currently, more and more professions are appearing where a person is forced to process a very large amount of incoming information. Often such people are not able to respond effectively to all information, and are forced to filter out less significant information and leave only that which they consider important. Unfortunately, the understanding of the importance of information varies from person to person and is not always correct.

Personal barriers

Personal barriers are associated with the psychological incompatibility of interlocutors and with their negative attitudes, which create interference in communication. Personal barriers include:

1. Individual differences in character, temperament, emotional states. They can become a significant obstacle to the effective exchange of information. For example, it is difficult for a melancholic person with increased anxiety to communicate with an impulsive and aggressive choleric person. It is difficult for a person with a petty and quarrelsome character to find common ground in a conversation with an altruist.

2. Ideological barriers– barriers that form when partners have different stereotypes, worldviews, value orientations̆; discrepancies in social attitudes.

Personality education largely comes down to the gradual formation of readiness to respond to something properly, in other words, to the formation of attitudes that are useful for the individual and for society. Already in early childhood, parents consciously or unconsciously form behavioral patterns, attitudes: “Don’t cry - you are a man”, “Don’t get dirty - you are a girl”, etc., so the child receives standards, attitudes “good - evil, beautiful - ugly, good - bad." And by the age when a person begins to become aware of himself, in his psyche there is already a mass of entrenched feelings, opinions, views, attitudes that influence both the assimilation of new information and the attitude towards the environment. These often unconscious attitudes act with enormous force on a person, forcing him to perceive and react to the world in the spirit of attitudes learned from childhood.

3. Negative past communication experiences with this interlocutor may cause fear of entering into communication, reluctance to experience negative emotions in the process of communication.

The essence of this barrier is reflected in the proverb: “When you get burned on milk, you blow on water.”

4. Barriers to bias include: that a person, for no apparent good reason, begins to have a negative attitude towards this or that person, which significantly complicates communication. This is usually associated with a negative perception of the appearance or behavior of the interlocutor.

5. Negative attitude barriers. Often such barriers are created by other people. You were told negative information about someone, and a negative attitude develops towards a person about whom you know little, since you have no experience of personal interaction with him.

The formation of a negative attitude is strongly influenced by such preconceived fixed views (“all people are selfish, all teachers are formalists, all sales workers are dishonest people”), and these attitudes will interfere with an objective understanding of the actions of specific people.

In a conversation, a negative attitude can be aimed at:

1) the personality of the interlocutor himself (if someone else had said the same thing, it would have been perceived completely differently);

2) on the essence of the conversation (“I can’t believe it,” “it’s unacceptable to talk like that”);

3) on the circumstances of the conversation (“now is not the time and this is not the place for such discussions”).

If there is a barrier of a negative attitude, a person, entering into communication, demonstrates closeness, wariness, expects negative manifestations from the partner, and looks for a negative veiled meaning in every phrase of the interlocutor.

6. Barriers of expectation of misunderstanding: a person before communication worries whether his partner will understand him correctly. Moreover, here they often proceed from the fact that the partner must understand incorrectly. At the same time, they begin to predict the consequences of this misunderstanding and anticipate unpleasant sensations.

7. Age barriers arise between people of different generations. Older people condemn young people and resist innovations in organizations. Young people get irritated, believe that they are underestimated, their independence is limited, and their career growth is hampered. This is a manifestation of the eternal problem of “fathers and sons.”

8. Barriers of insufficient understanding of the importance of communication arise when interlocutors assess the degree of significance of contact differently. For example, one strives for an effective conversation, the other tries to avoid the conversation and not give answers to questions. For the first, this causes tension, mistrust, and resentment.

Cultural barriers

Cultural barriers– these are communication obstacles that arise as a result of cultural differences between the sender and the recipient, ignorance of national customs, traditions, norms and etiquette of communication, and the system of life values. Cultural differences manifest themselves in both verbal and nonverbal communication. These include:

1. National barriers arise between representatives of two different cultures and are manifested, for example, in punctuality, in establishing a distance between those communicating, in demeanor, in the use of various gestures, tone, and volume of voice, accepted as the norm in different countries.

2. Religious barriers are the manifestation in business communication of religious hostility, bias towards people of other religions, and the interpretation of certain human actions on the basis of religious differences.

3. Ethical barriers are the result of a discrepancy between the ethical values ​​and norms of the interlocutors. For example, one partner follows the norms of morality, morality, decency, honesty in communication, while the other shows “uncleanliness,” lies, and manipulates.

4. Aesthetic barriers - manifest themselves in a discrepancy between the interlocutors’ tastes, manners, and views on the aesthetic component.

There is no arguing about tastes: tastes are the reason for quarreling, arguing and quarreling (Gilbert Chesterton).

Organizational barriers

Organizational barriers– communication interference caused by the characteristics of any organization: the number of links and levels of management, the type of relationships between them, the distribution of rights, duties and responsibilities in the management system. Among the organizational communication barriers there are:

1. Excessive centralization in the management system, which leads to information overload of the center and poor awareness of structural units.

2. Excessive differentiation of departments, as a result of which employees become isolated in solving the problems of their own department and the exchange of information between them is sharply limited. This is fraught with narrow-mindedness and imperfect decisions. Often, excessive differentiation is the cause of conflicts between employees of different structural units, because they do not see a common goal and cannot establish effective interaction.

3. Uncertainty of responsibilities and rights, which leads to a situation where no one in the organization is responsible for anything, and communications become either too formal or conflicting.

4. Reluctance to share information. Possession of information is one of the sources of power. Those who have exclusive information have the opportunity to use it to influence other people. Often such owners do not want to share it, they store it in order to use it at the right time. Those who have complete information can convey only a small part of it, the use of which does not make it possible to make the optimal decision.

Social barriers

Social barriers– these are communication obstacles that arise due to a mismatch of social values, attitudes, and confrontation of social roles:

1. Cognitive barriers arise due to differences in knowledge about the subject of communication, different levels of professional competence; barriers caused by underdevelopment of abstract thinking, memory, and perception skills.

2. Differences in status can also be a barrier to communication. A person at a lower level of the hierarchy may perceive differences in status as threats, which interferes with and even interrupts communication (the person is afraid to express his opinion, ask a question, not wanting to look incompetent).

3. Professional barriers can arise between representatives of different professions who have a negative attitude or speak poorly of professional qualities interlocutor. In some cases, these barriers manifest themselves as emphasizing the importance of one’s own profession and understating the importance of other professions for solving certain production problems.

4. Educational barriers are barriers of informational discrepancy between the positions of the subjects of communication, arising due to differences in the social experience of partners, due to differences in educational levels.

Physical barriers

Physical barriers– objective interference arising in the material environment of communications:

1. Spatial barriers arise in the case of inconvenient placement of furniture and office equipment in rooms that interfere with effective communication; irrational distance between people during communications; the presence of many distracting details in the interior (bright paintings, photographs, decorative elements).

2. Time barriers are caused by a lack of time allocated for communication. The desire to quickly end a conversation leads to inattentive listening, curtailing feedback, and the impossibility of empathy and deep understanding of information. Time barriers can also include problems that arise during negotiations between partners living in different time zones (especially if the difference is large). In this case, even if the time of communication is not limited, the body of one of the partners often struggles with sleep, which also does not contribute to concentration on the subject of the conversation.

3. Technical barriers are caused by temporary communication difficulties associated with malfunction of technical means (computer, telephone, microphone, interference during a conference call); as well as distracting noise that temporarily drowns out the speaker’s voice.

The variety of communication barriers indicates that almost every person experiences serious difficulties in certain situations of a business conversation. There are no universal recipes for overcoming communication barriers. However, certain tips for overcoming them are presented in the literature.

Communication has long ago become an integral part of our lives. At work, while studying, in transport, at home, on the Internet - you never know where else! It takes up the lion's share of our time. And everything would have been fine if not for the communication barriers. It is they, these annoying obstacles, that prevent us from receiving pleasure and benefit from it. These barriers arise in a wide variety of situations and in almost every person. Therefore, in order to achieve success in life, you need to have a good understanding of what communication barriers are and how to overcome them.

What are the difficulties in communication?

Probably, each of you has had the feeling that the interlocutor seemed to be defending himself, erecting an invisible wall between you. This wall is the very notorious barrier. Where do they come from? Communication barriers appear in our lives for various reasons - as a rule, they are a close interweaving of the characteristics of our characters and situations. And sometimes you can’t figure out who or what is to blame.

As mentioned above, almost every person has encountered problems in various communication situations, regardless of their gender, age, social status, values ​​and attitudes. This can only mean one thing - the reasons why communication barriers arise are different, and they are present in the life of every person.

These reasons may or may not be realized by communicating people. This largely determines how quickly these people will notice that they have problems, understand what kind of problems they are and finally be able to solve them. By the way, barriers to communication may even be created by one or more interlocutors - and even this is enough to cause failures in interaction with each other.

It must be said that some barriers may be more common than others in certain people and in certain situations. They may be characteristic of a certain gender, age, profession, nationality, culture, situation. Each of these patterns is worthy of separate consideration, but we will not do this within the scope of our article.

So, what are the main types of communication barriers?

Communication barriers. These are barriers to communication associated with the exchange of information between interlocutors during communication. What are they?

Semantic barrier. It gets in your way when you and your interlocutor mean completely different things by the same concepts. Such a barrier arises almost always and everywhere, because We understand many things very differently. For example, for one girl, a good husband is one who loves her, takes care of her, earns enough money, wants a child, loves spending time with her; and for the other - the one who rarely drinks and rarely hits her. Therefore, speaking on the same topic - “how all men are the same!” – they will actually talk about different things and may encounter misunderstandings of each other. In order to destroy this barrier, it is necessary to understand well the partner and his picture of the world - the meanings that he puts into various concepts. In case of possible inaccuracies, always explain in detail what you mean and try to use words and phrases that the interlocutor understands.

Logical barrier. Essentially, it is the inability to express one's thoughts. In the speech of such a person, cause-and-effect relationships are confused and concepts are substituted. Or it may be difficult for him to find words for those complex thoughts that run through his head. If you encounter such an interlocutor, then be patient: listen to him very carefully and ask questions - this will help you get the necessary information. If you yourself are guilty of this peculiarity, then it is better to try to get rid of it. Listen to how good speakers or writers express their thoughts, read a textbook on logic, sign up for public speaking courses, or simply ask friends to give you feedback with recommendations - any of these options will help you become a more attractive interlocutor.

Phonetic barrier. This is a bad speaking technique - when it is not clear what the interlocutor is saying, and this interferes with the perception of information. If you are interested in communicating with this person, then there are several options. During formal or business communication, you will have to adapt to his manner of speaking, occasionally asking again in unclear moments. In informal or friendly communication, you can gently convey to your interlocutor that it is difficult for you to understand him due to some features of his speech. Ask him, if possible, to adapt to you and adjust them.

Modality barrier. We all receive information from the world through five senses, but one of them has priority. This is your modality. For example, people with a visual modality best assimilate information they see, but information they hear is much worse. Knowing this, try to immediately determine the modality of your interlocutor and use it: show graphs and diagrams to the visual learner, play with your voice with the auditory learner, and touch the kinesthetic learner more often and show everything “on your fingers.” Use appropriate verbs in your speech - for example, “see”, “hear” or “feel”.

Personal barrier. Each of us has a character, and some of its traits may not suit someone. But for some, these traits are so sharp that their character can be a barrier to communication. This may be due to ignorance of one's own characteristics or a lack of self-control. For example, excessive slowness or, conversely, fussiness can irritate communication partners. In case you yourself encounter such a person, try to communicate your discomfort and ask him to be slower or faster. Well, try to adequately perceive your own shortcomings, because... For some, they too can become a barrier.

Barriers to interaction. These are barriers associated with interaction with a person during communication and arising from dissatisfaction with the behavior of a communication partner. As a rule, there are significant differences in the positions of the interlocutors.

Motivational barrier. It occurs when communication partners have different motives for entering into contact. For example, you want support from a friend, and she wants you to discuss her new dress. In this case, you may encounter misunderstandings and even quarrel. To prevent this from happening, it will be useful to indicate your own motives in time: “You know, now I really need you to support me, and then we’ll discuss the dress.”

Barrier of incompetence. Often found in teamwork. You may be angry at your partner's incompetence when he starts saying stupid things that are obvious to you. This causes feelings of anger, frustration and wasted time. You have two options - either gradually push him to a deeper understanding of the issue (for example, by unobtrusively explaining something), or curtail communication. The choice is yours, and it depends on your goals.

Ethical barrier. It occurs in a situation of incompatibility between the moral positions of communication partners. The main thing is not to try to re-educate or ridicule your interlocutor. It is much more correct to curtail communication or try to find some kind of compromise, especially if you have some important common goal.

Communication style barrier. Each of us has our own unique style. It depends on temperament, character, upbringing, profession and other factors. As a rule, it takes a long time to form, and then it becomes difficult to change. Communication style includes the main motive (why are you communicating - self-affirmation, support, etc....), attitude towards others (kindness, tolerance, cruelty...), attitude towards oneself and the nature of the influence on people (pressure, manipulation, persuasion and etc...). Most often, we simply have to accept another person’s communication style, since it is difficult to change, and communication is often necessary.

Barriers to understanding and perception. These are barriers associated with perceiving and knowing each other, as well as establishing mutual understanding on this basis.

Aesthetic barrier. It occurs when we don’t like the way our interlocutor looks. There are various reasons for its occurrence, for example, if he is untidy or sloppily dressed or something in his appearance irritates us. It can be difficult not to think about it, but it is necessary, because this contact can be very important for us.

Social barrier. The reason for difficulties in communication may be the different social status of partners. However, it is important to remember here that the appearance of such a barrier is primarily associated with attitudes in the minds of the interlocutors. If they place importance on each other's social status and find it to be an obstacle, this can complicate communication. But for many situations, status is not important - for example, to discuss some of your favorite activities or support each other.

Barrier of negative emotions. Agree, it is quite difficult to communicate with an upset or angry person. Many of us tend to take these emotions personally (at least partially). Here it is necessary to remember that often the reason for the bad mood of the interlocutor lies in some other things - the situation in the family, problems at work or a personal crisis. However, if the negative emotions of the interlocutor significantly impede the conversation, it is better to postpone it for another time.

Installation barrier. Very often, communication is complicated if your partner initially does not have a very good opinion of you. In most cases, the best thing to do would be to discuss this issue and honestly ask your interlocutor about it, try to explain to him that he is mistaken. In situations where this is impossible, just try to take this fact into account and build your communication with your partner quite carefully. When some time passes and he realizes that his attitude is not supported by anything, it may disappear by itself.

The “double” barrier. It lies in the fact that we involuntarily think of our interlocutor as ourselves: we attribute to him our opinions and views and expect from him the same actions that we ourselves would do. But he is different! It is important not to forget about this and try to perceive and remember everything that distinguishes him from us.

Rudeness and ignorance. We all encounter people who are simply poorly mannered. Sometimes you just need to endure such treatment, especially when a person does not respond to comments. It is very important to remain polite in such a situation - sometimes this in itself stops rudeness. Remember that you have some kind of goal in communicating with such a person, and this is clearly not the desire to put him in his place.

Inability to listen. It manifests itself as a lack of interest in what you are saying, an urge to talk about yourself, or constant interruption. If in such a situation you need a bloody nose to be listened to, try to speak better. Use various ways attracting attention: intonation, facial expressions, gestures, basics of NLP.

Who is he, a person who regularly encounters communication barriers?

We told you about the main barriers that prevent people from having fruitful communication. However, have you noticed that some people constantly have some difficulties related to communication, while for others everything goes like clockwork?

Indeed, there are types of character that significantly complicate interaction with other people. As a rule, such a person behaves in a similar way in completely different situations. And then he himself complains that no one wants to communicate with him. In this case, the personality of this person acts as a barrier to communication.

What are the main features of this character? First of all, it is necessary to talk about such a feature as global mistrust. Such a person does not trust himself, nor people, nor the world in general. He is suspicious and opposed to others. As a rule, he achieves his goals at the expense of other people. At the same time, he is often torn apart by internal contradictions, which he is not very aware of. A person who is unsuccessful in communication is characterized by self-centeredness, authoritarianism and a tendency to manipulate.

He loves to be praised when he gets what he has long wanted. He has possessive traits. If his desires are not satisfied, he gets angry, but at the same time he almost never helps other people achieve their goals and does not sympathize with them. Such a person is emotionally unstable, and his mood often changes. Those around him describe him as irritable and hot-tempered, but internally cold. He often experiences negative emotions and has low levels of self-control.

This person does not understand others and their feelings well. He is insensitive to what happens to them and has low insight and observation. He is not given the opportunity to understand that something else may be important to the interlocutor or that he understands the meaning of this or that phrase differently. Often he is not able to predict and evaluate the future. He is characterized by timidity, isolation, self-doubt, alienation, passivity, and lack of initiative.

Usually such a person turns out to be intolerant, poorly educated and ignorant. At the same time, he thinks in very rigid categories and frameworks, and the surrounding reality should not go beyond them. He has a lot of stereotypes. He is envious and at the same time vain. Expects a lot from other people, prone to outbursts of jealousy.

He does not know how to give reasons for his statements, choose an adequate form for them, or establish and stop contact with others. Unsuccessful in communication, a person does not know how to give good feedback. He talks a lot and listens little, periodically makes unacceptably long pauses in his speech, likes to interrupt his interlocutors and then “slow down” (this is due to the fact that his vocabulary does not correspond to what he wants to say).

Social norms are often incomprehensible to him - he does not know how to keep his distance, and is prone to blackmail, lies, pressure and aggression. Most often in communication he uses the following strategies: defense and avoidance of communication, devaluation of the opinions of others and aggression, control over others or excessive formalism. Such a person can be described as immature, infantile, and sometimes immoral.

As a rule, this person is not very happy with his life and successes. Any failures cause anger and aggression in him, as a result of which he often tries to achieve his goals by some immoral means. He doesn't value himself or other people. He lacks the ability to truly love and form close relationships, so he usually does not have friends or loved ones.

Indeed, the psychological portrait we have drawn is terrible and reminiscent of the image of some kind of criminal or outcast. But in one sense or another, this is true. Constant difficulties in communication are a symptom that a person has something wrong within himself. But it is far from certain that he will have all the traits and features listed above. The psychological portrait written above is collective, and it includes a great many different people with common problem. Therefore, in life you can only observe some individual features and characteristics.

Difficulties in communication and life situation

However, everything depends not only on the personality and character of a person. There are situations in which almost all of us become uncomfortable. This is reflected in all our behavior, including communication with other people. In this case, the barrier is the situation that caused discomfort and its characteristics.

Finding yourself in such circumstances, all participants in communication feel uncomfortable. Some people are aware of this to a greater extent, and others to a lesser extent. At the same time, they do not just feel it - by accident or on purpose they prevent each other from satisfying their desires and achieving the goals of communication. As a result of this, everyone is worried, angry, does not understand each other, and is generally tense. Most often this happens in situations of restriction, refusal, blame and insult (which, in general, is not surprising).

On the one hand, collective memory takes its toll. Humanity in general and the inhabitants of Russia in particular have repeatedly experienced suppression, repression, war, and famine. Therefore, insults, accusations, restrictions and refusals are very clearly imprinted in the minds of people, who subsequently use them more and more often to resolve conflicts, overcome obstacles, gain power and even seek happiness. This is becoming a typical way for an entire nation to react, globally speaking.

On the other hand, having such a negative memory becomes unnecessary when we have such a rich culture of aggression. Probably, each of you will agree that in modern society a lot of attention is paid to aggression. All kinds of media are especially guilty of this - television, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, advertising companies. The culture of aggression is also becoming increasingly popular due to some features of our life: overcrowding in schools, hospitals and prisons, high unemployment, low qualifications of people working with the population, low salaries and lack of career prospects, corruption, poor quality of government and much more, about which you know firsthand. You all face this and know that these situations are always fraught with barriers to communication.

How to understand that a barrier has appeared in communication?

Of course, being inside the situation, this is not difficult to do. In the process of difficult communication, you experience discomfort, distrust of your partner, you cannot open up, show emotions, you do not know what to say - in general, such communication cannot be called easy. However, if you need to assess the presence of psychological barriers, then knowledge of how people behave in situations of difficult communication will be very useful.

Our non-verbal language acts as such an external indicator. Hostility, craving for power and dominance, insincerity and the desire to stand out are especially clearly manifested in it. As we already wrote above, our subject who is unsuccessful in communication can experience this whole gamut of feelings and desires. In what specific signs are all its negative traits manifested?

1. Firstly, this is eye contact. In the case of communication barriers, they are usually rare, low-intensity, and sometimes completely absent. Glances at the partner may be present (sometimes even prolonged), but they all occur at the moment of active communication - especially when the interlocutor expresses something unpleasant, but important. Moreover, if the interlocutor begins to look away, sensing something is wrong, our “subject” will immediately try to pretend to be a sweetheart and look into them - but this look will actually be cold and hard.

2. Secondly, this is a pose. Having felt difficulties in communication, people often take either unnatural, angular and tense postures, or, on the contrary, inadequately relaxed, sometimes even slack. Very often the body position is closed (crossed arms, legs, body turns away from the interlocutor) or “elevated” (the desire to sit higher, look down at the interlocutor).

3. Thirdly, gestures. As a rule, they are sharp and intense, which is also unnatural. There is a clearly expressed desire to hide your hands (for example, in your pockets or behind your back), clench your hands into fists, “grab” or take up more space for yourself through posture and gestures. This may be interspersed with private touching of oneself and another.

4. Fourthly, facial expressions. The face often expresses tension. The facial expressions are strange - for example, the mouth can smile, but the eyes remain motionless. In general, the face is characterized by expressions that demonstrate distrust and hostility towards the interlocutor, as well as contempt and anger.

Of course, a person experiencing communication difficulties does not always behave this way. These are only the most typical and striking markers, and from them one can conclude not only that there are barriers to interaction, but also about the interlocutors themselves - about their attitude towards each other and about their goals and guidelines in communication.

How to overcome communication difficulties?

So, we moved on to the most interesting part - how to step over psychological barriers. Difficulties in communication are not an easy thing, but they can be overcome. "How?" - you ask. And we will tell you about some ways and techniques to overcome communication barriers.

Watch your appearance. This doesn't mean you always have to look like a movie star on the red carpet. On the contrary, in many situations it will be pretentious and unnatural. Your appearance should be attractive. This is facilitated by neatness, neatness and the ability to wear things that really suit you.

The manner of communication should be appropriate to the situation and people. Agree, it would be a bad move if at a disco you communicate with everyone with restraint and sternly, but at negotiations - cheerfully and without distance. Consider the characteristics of your interlocutor: his age, gender, upbringing, character and views. For example, you should not wear a short skirt to meet a Muslim.

Try to put yourself in the shoes of your communication partner and try to understand his point of view. As you probably already understand, we are all different from each other. The same things have completely different meanings for us, and we understand them just as differently. This is where most of the barriers come from. The most correct way to solve such problems is to allow the other to be different and different from you, and also try to understand his position, even if you do not agree with it.

Train empathy and sensitivity. This, accordingly, is the ability to empathize with other people and feel what is happening to them down to the smallest changes in their condition. These two traits are the key to success in communication.

Don't expect from your partners what they can't give you. This way you only cause resentment in yourself and guilt in others for what was not given to you. Try to want real things from your partners that match their characteristics, and tell them about your expectations.

Don’t try to fully meet your partner’s expectations yourself. Firstly, it is boring, and secondly, it is very difficult, and it is impossible to exist like this for a long time. It’s better to be as natural as possible, but taking into account the interlocutor and social norms.

Watch your words. Your messages should be logically connected, contain information that is interesting to the interlocutor, and be based on something common - for example, a general understanding of the meaning of words or some kind of minimal common memory. Your speech should be understandable to the interlocutor both in the literal sense and in the sense of being consistent with his or her horizons.

Be open and honest about your thoughts, feelings and expectations. If you are asked for something, and you are already sure of your refusal, it is better to voice it immediately. This way, neither you nor the interlocutor will waste time and resources.

The “look from the outside” technique. Sometimes, in order to understand something (for example, to realize what exactly is interfering with your communication with your partner), you need to look at the situation from the outside, describe it in abstract words without introducing your emotions and personal characteristics.

Respect your partner. Even if he annoys you incredibly, try to be creative and find something that will make you respect him. It could be some little thing, for example, his manner of emphasizing individual words with intonation. Or something more serious - for example, a very rude person who spends half of his income on charity. You can find something good and worthy of respect in any person, and if you can’t do this, then you should think about it – do you really need this communication?

Unfortunately, there is no such thing in life that you can communicate without barriers only with pleasant people. As a rule, we all somehow find ourselves in situations where these difficulties arise. The task facing you at this moment is to feel the barrier, determine its type and apply the method that most effectively eliminates it. Be calm, confident, tolerant of the weaknesses of others and try not to get into conflict situations!

The same phrase can be said and perceived in different ways. A question uttered in a raised voice will be defined by the interlocutor as angry. If you say the same phrase in a half-whisper, people will see it as flirting. Therefore, sometimes the decisive role in communication is played not by the words themselves, but by accompanying factors.

1. Perceptual barrier

Perceptual barrier - barrier of perception. The mood in which we are spoken to directly affects the effectiveness of communication.

Problem

The indifferent tone and disinterest conveyed by you form a skeptical attitude in the interlocutor about the success of the conversation and discourage him from having a conversation with you. The same goes for people who explain their point of view without respect or with hard-to-conceal or not-at-all hostility.

Solution

Start the conversation on a positive note and try to maintain it throughout the conversation. Use appropriate gestures, smile, and remember to make eye contact with your interlocutor.

2. Behavioral barrier

The opinion of others about us directly affects the level of assimilation of our words and the likelihood of effective dialogue. Based on his attitude towards you, the interlocutor may abstract himself from the topic of the conversation or partially ignore the information.

Problem

A pompous tone is the cause of hostility on the part of the interlocutor. If all information is passed through the lens of condescension, it harms communication and spoils the impression of the speaker. Low self-esteem may also cause a barrier.

Solution

Treat your interlocutor as your equal. Be sure to praise the person for a job well done, even if you think you could have done it better yourself. Don't forget about eye contact and a smile.

3. Language barrier

A language barrier arises not only between speakers of different languages, but also between people with different levels of competence in any field.

Problem

If the interlocutor uses unfamiliar words in his speech, you are unlikely to be able to understand him. Using jargon when talking to interns will not ensure understanding on their part and will instill in them uncertainty about their own suitability. If you explain the solution to a problem to a child the same way you would tell an adult, this will also lead to a sad result: the child will not be able to solve a similar problem again, his ability to think and get to the truth gradually will suffer.

Solution

Simplify your speech to the level of the interlocutor, without showing the condescension characteristic of people with high self-esteem.

4. Emotional barrier

An emotional barrier arises from insecurity, anger, sadness, or even excessive joy. Problems at home can impact work communications, and vice versa.

Problem

When experiencing emotional stress, we ourselves do not notice that we are missing some information and how our ability to analyze and reason suffers. When we are out of sorts, we become irritable towards the words of the interlocutor, and excessive joy during a work dialogue can lead to the approval of a frankly bad idea.

Solution

Rise above yours and don't let them influence your interactions with other people. When in a state of emotional stress, try to conduct a neutral conversation with your interlocutor.

5. Cultural barrier

When communication occurs between representatives of different cultures, the likelihood of a cultural barrier occurring is high. But cultural differences are manifested not only in communication with foreigners or representatives of other faiths.

Problem

Incorrect communication with a person of a different nationality or religion may offend his beliefs. Stories about Friday night parties can ruin the mood of a person for whom alcohol is contraindicated. Trying to explain to an older person the meaning of a popular YouTube video may be met with misunderstanding.

Solution

Try to study the interlocutor in advance and conduct the conversation as tactfully as possible. If there is a high risk of blurting out something wrong, try to explain to your interlocutor face to face that you are not too familiar with his culture.

6. Gender barrier

The reason for misunderstanding may be differences in communication and thinking. Women tend to think intuitively, while men tend to think logically. Thus, women like to talk about people and emotions, while men focus on something physical and measurable. These stereotypes, of course, do not apply to everyone.

Problem

What is acceptable with a man may be unethical with a woman. A male boss may be skeptical of women's professional skills, allowing stereotypes to interfere with communication. This way, he risks not only offending his interlocutors, but also misassessing the work situation.

This effect also works in the opposite direction: the attitude towards the words of a charming woman may be unfairly inflated.

Solution

Do not divide your interlocutors by gender. Treat all genders as equals.

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….2

Chapter 1. Theoretical substantiation of the problem of the emergence of communication barriers in business communication

1.1 Basic characteristics of business communication ……………………………….. 3

1.2 Specifics of business communication …………………………………………………4

1.3 Structure of business communication …………………………………………………..7

1.4 Types of communication barriers in business communication ……………………… 9

Chapter 2. Ways to overcome communication barriers in business communication

2.1 Interpersonal conflict as a consequence of communication barriers and ways to overcome it ……………………………………………………………….11

2.2 Review and characteristics of methods

overcoming barriers in business communication …………………………………….15

2.3 Skills and abilities required for successful business communication ………17

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..24

Literature…………………………………………………………………………………...25

Introduction

The concept of communication has quite a lot of definitions; each science defines communication in its own way in the context of its postulates. In a broader sense, communication is the exchange of information between people. Without exchanging information, they cannot interact, work together, formulate problems and solve them. That is, one of the definitions of communication is communication.

This work examines communication barriers in the context of business communication. Narrowing the field of research is necessary to make it more complete, since a sufficiently small amount of work will not allow us to fully present the object of research (communication barriers).

The relevance of this work is explained by the very nature of the subject under consideration. Communication barriers are not a problem that can only be solved once; they always arise. Therefore, to successfully conduct business and function as a subject of production, you need to master all the methods to overcome them.

The object of the study is communication barriers, and the subject is ways to overcome them.

The purpose of this work is to identify communication barriers in business communication and describe ways to overcome them.

The tasks of the work include:

1. Clarify the content of the problem under study in the context of business communication.

2. Justify the features of communication barriers

3. Identify ways to overcome these barriers.

The structure of the work traditionally includes two chapters, as well as an introduction and conclusion. The first provides a theoretical justification for the reasons for the emergence of communication barriers due to the nature of business communication, and lists their types.

The second chapter is devoted directly to methods of overcoming barriers and the resulting interpersonal conflict, and also describes the skills and abilities necessary for successful business communication as a conflict prevention.

At the end there is a list of used literature.

The scientific material of the work is the works of Russian and foreign researchers, as well as, to a large extent, teachers of the Department of Communication Technologies of the Institute of Journalism of BSU.

Chapter 1. Communication barriers and features of business communication

1.1 Basic characteristics of business communication

We are all constantly in communication situations. The huge number of contacts that a person enters into every day requires him to fulfill a number of conditions and rules that allow him to communicate while maintaining personal dignity and distance from other people.

Nowadays, there is a constant expansion of contacts at all levels, which means greater social mobility.

Business communication is a complex, multifaceted process of developing contacts between people in the professional sphere. Its participants act in official capacities and are focused on achieving goals and specific tasks. Specific feature of the named process is regulation, i.e. subordination to established restrictions, which are determined by national and cultural traditions, professional ethical principles.

General requirement A friendly and helpful attitude towards all work colleagues and partners is considered, regardless of personal likes and dislikes.

The regulation of business interaction is also expressed in attention to speech. It is mandatory to observe speech etiquette - norms of linguistic behavior developed by society, standard ready-made “formulas” that allow you to organize etiquette situations of greeting, request, gratitude, etc. These stable structures are selected taking into account social, age, and psychological characteristics. It is obvious that correct speech plays an important role in business communication.

Correct speech is a manner of speaking, consisting of the correct tone, articulation, pronunciation, volume and accurate choice of words. Speech is the central element of a person’s image, since it is perceived in conjunction with the manner of dressing, and in a telephone conversation it is the only channel through which one can instill in the interlocutor an idea of ​​oneself. The voice and expressions used are another component of a person's image as a professional.

Communication as interaction presupposes that people establish contact with each other, exchange certain information in order to build joint activities and cooperation.

Official contacts should be built on a partnership basis, based on mutual requests and needs, and on the interests of the business. Undoubtedly, such cooperation increases labor and creative activity and is an important factor in the production process and business.

1.2 Specifics of business communication

If we proceed from this understanding of the “business” situation, we can see that it involves a fairly wide range of situations, as in professional communication, and everyday life. However, it turns out to be consonant with the modern understanding of business communication. Business communication usually refers to the process of verbal interaction between two or more persons, “in which there is an exchange of activities, information and experience that involve achieving a certain result, solving a specific problem or realizing a certain goal. This definition is quite broad, since it includes such activities as training (common goals and achieving a certain result), labor relations (colleague/colleague), interviews, public speaking, exam, consultation, etc. All of the above situations can be characterized structurally and substantively by a number of signs of business style. Moreover, recently, due to the development information technologies and expanding the boundaries of the communication space, as well as the growing role of business in public life of any country, business style constantly and willingly expands the scope of its functioning.

Thus, communication as a set of speech acts can be aimed at solving a specific problem or achieving the desired result, based on the common interests and goals of the communicants. This kind of communication forms the basis of business relationships both in business and in everyday life, and is called business communication.

Business communication exists in two forms: written (business correspondence and documentation) and oral (business speech). The latter is the basis of communication in business communication (Soloviev, 2010).

However, business communication can be interpreted in a narrower sense - as an activity that involves the achievement of certain interests and goals in the professional sphere.

Business communication is always advisable. This means that the use of linguistic means in business speech is clearly subordinated to the personal position on a specific problem and the achievement of a positive result in solving a specific problem.

Business communication, both in its written (business correspondence and documentation) and oral (business speech) forms, is distinguished by a high degree of conventionality, that is, strict adherence to a number of generally accepted norms and rules, both in terms of speech, and then we are talking about speech etiquette, and general behavioral ( Business Etiquette). This leads to the presence of constant formulations that are repeated in the same situation, for example, when opening meetings, establishing contacts in the negotiation process, etc., which are characteristic feature this type of speech activity.

Business communication always occurs in a certain context and turns out to be dependent on it. The specific situation, including the number of participants, the nature of the goals set, the levels of interaction with recipients, gives it characteristic features, allowing us to identify several forms of its manifestation. These include: business conversation, business meeting, business public speaking, or presentation.

The expedient and uncomplicated use of language for communication purposes ensures the quality of “good” speech: accuracy, purity, logic, expressiveness, richness, appropriateness.

Accuracy is the correspondence between the semantic content of speech and the information that underlies it. The accuracy of speech is associated with the accuracy of word use, with correct use polysemantic words, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms. The most important condition for accuracy of speech is compliance with lexical norms.

Speech is accurate if the speaker selects those words and constructions that more accurately than others convey shades of meaning that are essential specifically for a given utterance.

Communication barriers– various factors, the presence of which in the act of communication modifies the message transmitted by the communicator or limits the communicant’s ability to decipher it, as a result of which effective exchange of information is not ensured.

Today in the scientific literature there are two main points of view on the problem of communication barriers. According to the first, all the variety of factors that reduce the effectiveness of the communication process are called barriers (noise, interference) of communication. In accordance with the second point of view, barriers and filters of communication are distinguished. Barriers are factors that impede and even make it impossible to carry out a given communicative act; filters are factors that, without interfering with a given act of communication, modify it, thereby reducing its effectiveness. What both points of view have in common is the understanding of communication barriers as the cause of inadequate decoding of messages and the inability to establish full feedback.

Different researchers identify different types of barriers, sometimes building quite impressive classifications. In our opinion, the most adequate and, importantly, logically simple is the following:

1. barriers caused by environmental factors;

2. channel barriers;

3. “human” barriers to communication, which in turn can be divided into psychophysiological and sociocultural.

TO barriers caused by environmental factors, include characteristics of the external physical environment that create uncomfortable conditions for the transmission and perception of information, in particular acoustic interference, distracting environments, temperature and weather conditions, etc. Each of these factors can affect the effectiveness of communication due to its influence on the individual psychophysiological characteristics of communicants.

First time problem channel barriers in the interpretation of “noise” was raised by K. Shannon in his mathematical theory of communication and meant disturbances that were not part of the message transmitted by the source. In modern communication science, this concept has a broader meaning and includes everything that distorts (interrupts) the transmitted signal and, as a result, affects the message as a whole. Manifestations of this type of barrier are numerous: pulsed noise from lightning discharges, electrical disturbances, crosstalk, and finally, a power outage that causes a fax to stop working, or a discharged cell phone battery that leads to the impossibility of further communication over a given channel.

Channel barriers include not only failures in the operation of the channel or means of communication, but also its inherent limitations. So, for example, when using television communication, such a barrier is the mosaic nature of the presentation of information inherent in this communication medium, which forms the appropriate way of understanding the world; when using written communication, its inherent linearity contributes to increased logical thinking and a focus on the consistent development of ready-made content.

Of particular interest to researchers is a type of channel barrier called Gaussian noise. It arises as a result of the random superposition of a large number of independent disturbances. Random movements of electrons arise in electrical conductors, available in all communication devices. They lead to the appearance of random Gaussian noise, which, firstly, cannot be eliminated; secondly, it limits the accuracy of the transmitted and received signal (i.e., it ensures a guaranteed difference between the transmitted and received signals); thirdly, it sets a limit on the capacity of communication channels. Thus, Gaussian noise is a limitation imposed by nature.

Finally, we can highlight communication channel barriers caused by the human factor: incorrect use of communication technology (lack of skills in working with the appropriate technology, error in the email address, etc.); inadequate choice technical means to convey a message (for example, an attempt to convey a message over the telephone, the perception of which requires the use of audiovisual means, etc.).

Thus, channel barriers include barriers that arise in the channel or means of transmitting information.

At first glance, it may seem that in the world of modern information technologies, all communication barriers have been completely overcome. In reality, new technologies provide only new means of communication that are more compact, faster, more reliable, and transmit more information. However, the quality of communication carried out with their help is still determined by the people themselves. Most communication barriers are man-made.

“Human” communication barriers can be divided into psychophysiological and sociocultural.

Psychophysiological barriers. One of the most important features human communication – its implementation through various sensory systems: hearing, vision, skin-tactile senses, chemoreception (smell, taste), thermoception (sense of heat and cold). Therefore, barriers may arise due to any physiological disorders: articulation disorders (stuttering, burr), phoniatric disorders (related to the vocal apparatus - aphonia, dysphonia), deafness, complete or partial loss vision, loss of skin sensitivity, etc.

Psychological communication barriers by their nature can be a product of both impersonal mechanisms of socio-psychological interaction and mutual influence of people, and the influence of the individual characteristics of communication partners. Examples of the former are stereotypes of perception of a communication partner. Performing the function of a means of psychological protection of a person from overload with emotional information, the stereotype also acts as a socio-psychophysiological barrier to the adequate perception of a communication partner as a unique individual. An example of the second is individual, primarily characterological, personality traits. For example, communication between an introvert and an extrovert, between a choleric person and a phlegmatic person is difficult precisely because of the discrepancy between the characteristics of their higher nervous activity.

In addition to those listed, the most common forms of psychological barriers include nervous tension, some mental states (apathy, depression) and mental personality traits (withdrawal, impressionability, shyness).

A distinctive feature of psychophysiological barriers is that they perform a dual function. On the one hand, these barriers create obstacles to effective communication, but on the other hand, they help to increase the level of psychological security of the individual, his independence and individuality. Due to their functional ambivalence, the problem of overcoming such barriers is also ambiguous. Thus, the elimination of psychological barriers that interfere with effective communication should be accompanied by the introduction of appropriate psychological compensatory mechanisms that ensure a person’s control of his mental state and the communication situation.

Sociocultural barriers. People are not tin soldiers, devoid of individuality. They are representatives of one or another nation, ethnic group, class, social group, religious denomination, professional community, etc. All this gives rise to their sociocultural differences, due to belonging to one or another linguistic, ethnic, cultural, professional and other community or series communities at the same time. These affiliation factors can significantly impede communication.

Communication barriers are primarily caused by social factors , determined by people’s belonging to different social groups. If interacting subjects have similar social characteristics and, therefore, similar social experience (they belong to the same community, country, nationality, gender, age, profession, etc.), this greatly facilitates their mutual understanding in the communication process. On the contrary, if they have different social characteristics and different social experiences, their mutual understanding can be significantly complicated.

One of the main reasons for understanding/misunderstanding lies in the phenomenon of group consciousness - an integral characteristic of any more or less organized community. It exists independently of the consciousnesses of individual individuals, has a coercive force towards them and forces a person to follow the norms, principles and rules of behavior of his group.

Forming in a certain social environment, a person is simultaneously formed in a certain cultural environment. National, social, professional, religious and other groups tend to create their own culture, different from others, their own sign systems, stereotypes of thinking and standards of behavior that become especially obvious when encountering other cultures. These discrepancies give rise to cultural communication barriers, the most obvious are linguistic and semantic. They arise due to differences in language: people can communicate in different languages; they can speak the same language, but not understand each other due to different lexicons - rich for some and limited for others, because of the mismatch of thesauruses - the semantic content of spoken words. The languages ​​of not only peoples differ, but also those of different social groups.

It is obvious that communication is possible only if the communicants know a common code (a system of signs, including language). However, just the commonality of codes is not enough for adequate communication: even speakers of the same language may not understand each other. There is also a need for a commonality of meanings given to these signs by communicants.

Two conclusions follow from this. Firstly, complete understanding between communicants is impossible due to the individuality of consciousness of each of them. Moreover, complete understanding, hypothetically possible with complete coincidence of the cultural potentials of the communicants, completely devalues ​​any exchange of information between them and makes communication itself meaningless. However, in reality, such a coincidence of potentials does not happen, but there is always a larger or smaller zone of their intersection, which provides the possibility of communication, is its a necessary condition. Secondly, complete misunderstanding caused by the lack of points of intersection of the cultural potentials of communicants also turns out to be impossible, since due to the universality of certain aspects of human experience, such points (universal symbolic units) always exist. This makes it possible to find mutual language representatives of different cultures. Thus, situations of absolute understanding and absolute misunderstanding are equally impossible; any act of communication is located between them, approaching one or the other.

All reasoning leads us to the conclusion: for successful communication, it is not enough to master only the language code. It is also necessary to master the sociocultural code of the community in whose language communication is carried out, the knowledge and ideas stored in its collective thesaurus. The specificity of the components of thesauri of various sociocultural communities erects barriers in situations of contact between their representatives, the removal of which is possible through the introduction of specific fragments of the recipient’s culture into the message. However, even if there are coincidences of certain units of thesauri, the structure of the culturally determined ideas behind them, and, accordingly, their assessment in a particular culture, may turn out to be different. The same signifier can be associated in different cultures with different signifieds and give rise to different associations.

The problem of cultural barriers to communication is also a problem interpretations of the same message, understood as deciphering the meaning behind the obvious meaning, revealing deeper meanings contained in the literal meaning. Interpretation is a conscious or unconscious attempt to bridge the distance between the cultures of communicants. Attempts of this kind are not always successful, since they run into cultural stereotypes that set strict parameters for the “correct” or “incorrect” interpretation of the message. If in the humanities there has recently been a tendency to abandon the search for the only correct meaning of a text (it is believed that every text has many meanings and sets a large number of possibilities for its interpretation), then in everyday consciousness any interpretation that goes beyond cultural stereotypes is perceived as incorrect and therefore harshly condemned or ignored. Thus, the perception of a message that is sanctioned by one culture turns out to be unacceptable for another if it goes beyond the “field” of its interpretations. At the same time, one’s own assessments of the correctness of interpretations seem to be the only possible ones. This means that the significance of those cultures in which assessments are of the opposite nature is called into question.

Practical conclusions can be formulated as follows:

1. One should never insist that the only correct ideas are those that have developed in a given culture; it is necessary to introduce them to representatives of other cultures, explaining the reasons for their occurrence.

2. It is important to have as complete an understanding as possible of the psychology and culture of the people with whom communication is carried out; It is in underestimating this that the reasons for most communication failures lie.

3. Messages must be viewed from the point of view of their recipients, focusing on the interests, feelings, and priorities of the recipients.

4. It is necessary to use various means of message delivery. Thus, within the framework of specialized (marketing) or mass communication, a message can be sent in different versions, at different times, in different text formats.

5. The message should be framed as deliberately redundant - this redundancy will help overcome the influence of barriers.

6. It is necessary to monitor feedback during the communication process and compare your actions with the recipient’s response.