b.o q1(alternate)

8/22/2019 B.O Q1(Alternate)

1/7

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 ofinappropriate 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 beenarranged 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


2/7

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 representsour 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


3/7

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 non-

threatening 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 ignoreor 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 toovercome. 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


4/7

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

everyone.

OR

Answer-

Once 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, whichcould 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


5/7

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 throughmany 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 co-

workers 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 cross-

cultural advertising and distort the communication, when translatingcampaigns 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


6/7

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 thisinto 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 bediscussing 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


7/7

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.

b.o q1(alternate)

Documents