Imagine having an emergency that requires you to seal a deal instantly but then the people in charge fail to communicate on time, or they completely forget. In this case, the company doesn’t only look unserious but might also lose out on a great deal—a thing that could breed losses. Effective communication has an upper hand in determining the success of a business. It is hence vital to understand any barriers that can stand in the way. Communication barriers can include anything that prevents or disables the communicators to deliver the right message to the receiver at the right time. Ineffective communication is common in businesses and can decrease employee productivity significantly. Research has pointed out that almost 75 per cent of all business communication fails to achieve the desired result. When doing business, certain external and internal forces can impede the flow of communication as they interrupt or block communication or prevent mutual understanding. Jean Pierre Gahigi, a communications specialist notes that communication barriers are categorised into three. The first includes physical communication barriers, which he describes as environmental and natural conditions that act as an obstacle in conveying messages from sender to receiver. He says, some of the physical communication hindrances include technological problems, noise, nature of work, closed office doors, geographic distance, sitting arrangements, and so forth. According to Gahigi, emotional barriers are also obstacles that should be taken seriously. These are mental walls that keep you from openly communicating your thoughts and feelings to others. These mental limitations are created by one self, and result from emotions such as mistrust and fear. “Language communication barriers can also affect a company negatively. These refer to how a person speaks both verbally and nonverbally. If you communicate in a language that people don’t know, or use a lot of jargon or technical language, it’s obvious you won’t be conveying a message,” he says. In other instances, the specialist points to lack of trust as a factor that can impede communication altogether. In scenarios where employees don’t trust their employers, transparency and communication are lower. Without communication, most issues will be left unaddressed, thus affecting the companies’ profits in the long run, Gahigi adds. Maureen Iriza, a marketing and sales expert explains that not knowing your audience’s needs averts communication. She notes that the audience has to be engaged, if not, they will lose out on what you’re up to. All effective communication begins with knowing your audience and speaking their language – both literally and figuratively. That’s how they can interpret what you’re communicating. “Bother to identify who your audience is, ponder on what you need them to know. Consider what’s on their mind, decide the best channel for communication, and know how to best relate to your audience and motivate them to respond,” Iriza says. On this note, Iriza stresses that companies too can make use of technology to boost communication. “Technology can boost or break any organisation’s communication strategy. Employees are required to use the latest technology that fits their organisational needs to accomplish their tasks. Once that is not provided, work will obviously be affected,” she says. Experts stress the need for clarity and consistency when communicating. When messages across different channels are not consistent, especially at the workplace, trust gets hurt. When these messages don’t get delivered frequently or in a timely manner, employees miss out on important information or updates. According to a Gallup study, employee engagement increases when managers provide consistent and clear communication. Another study showed that four out of five employees surveyed wanted to hear more frequently from their bosses about how their company was doing, and more than 90 per cent of employees surveyed said they would rather hear bad news than no news. Iriza adds that if employees are not given a chance to air out their views freely, the workplace becomes uncomfortable. “Employers who invest time and energy into delivering clear lines of communication are known to build trust among employees, resulting in increase in productivity, output and morale in general. But also, employees who communicate effectively with colleagues, managers and customers are always valuable assets to an organisation.”
