Question

Part 1 Review the barriers to communication (filtering, emotions, information overload, differing perceptions). Provide at least one strategy for counteracting or overcoming each one of these barriers. Part 2 Identifying Your Barriers List two recent situations in which you experienced one or more of the barriers to a communication described in the chapter (filtering, emotions, poor listening, information overload, differing perceptions). Analyzing Your Barriers Next, explain in detail how these barriers disrupted the communication process in each situation. Overcoming Your Barriers Finally, list some specific ways that you could overcome or avoid these barriers to communication in similar situations in the future.

Answer 1

Filtering problem to effective communication could be overcome by providing incentives to individuals who deliver complete and accurate information and informing them the benefits of giving information without indulging in filtering.

Problem of selective perception could be solved by training employees to first listen to the whole scenario and then make analysis giving them much time to arrive at a particular decision.

Information overload could eliminate by building the internal ability of an individual to select those which are relevant and then act accordingly.

Emotional disconnects can be eliminated by putting aside your emotions and becoming practical to the current situation.

Two events where I have faced such barriers to communication are as follows:

• When two employees having past disputes, discussing on a particular project tend to look at each other views negatively and always try to descend them in near future. Here comes the emotional disconnect between them. This can be eliminated by concentrating on the present situation which might be beneficial for both of them if they work with mutual understanding while forgetting the past.
• An employee talking on phone with his supplier who gave him important dates for the delivery of goods while there is another message from his boss on the email which he considered more important at that time. Al these lead to information overload and he could not give attention to the supplier information which was also important. This type of problem could b eliminated by first completing the conversation with those you are currently talking or telling them to wait for few minutes till you are attending other important message.