Mass Communication.docx Final

Definition Of Communication:Communication is defined as the act of transferring information from one place to another. The desired outcome or goal of any communication process understands. Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one person to anotherKeith Devis. Communication is an exchange of fact, ideas, opinions, or emotions by two or more personsW.H.Newman Communication is any behavior that results in an exchange of meaningThe American Management Association Communication is the process by which information is passed between individuals and /or organization by means of previously agreed symbolsPeter Little

The communicator first formulates a clear idea about facts, opinions or information. The idea is then translated into words, symbols or some other form of message which he expects the receiver to understand this process is known as encoding the message. The communicator selects a suitable media for the transmission of message.eg:telephone, television. The message is received by the communicatee. He understands it by coding the message. The communicatee acts upon the message as he/she has understood it. Finally, the effectiveness of communication is measured through feedback if the communication brings in the desired changes in the actions or behavior of the receiver, it is said to be successful communication.

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Figure: Process of Communication

Methods of Communication:

The following are the different methods of communication: i. Verbal- Oral and Written. ii. Non-Verbal communication. iii. Face to Face iv. Media and Modes. Prepared by: 12 2 41 0004 Page No: 2

Verbal: Oral and Written: In the word of Bartol and Martin, verbal communication is written or oral use of words to communicate. Oral as well as written communication is used extensively by all organizations. Oral communication: When communication takes with the place of spoken words, it is called oral communication. The different forms of oral communication are conversation, meetings, conferences, interviews, training sessions, speeches, etc. Advantages of oral communications: save time. more effective with group. can be informal. saves money. immediate clarification Limitation of oral communication: no legal validity. grater chances to misunderstanding. unsuitable for lengthy message. message cannot be retain for long time. Written communication: Written communication is in the form of circulars memos, telegrams, reports, minutes, manuals etc. writing is the expression of human language by means of visible signs. Before the modern electronic communication gadgets were invented, letter writing was considered as the only reliable means of communication. Written communication has some definite and distinct advantages over oral and other types of communication. Merits of written communication: Precise. Accurate. Legal document. Permanent record. Limitation of written communication: Costly. Time consuming. Quick clarification not possible. Non Verbal Communication: Bartol and martin define non verbal communication as communication by means of elements and behaviors that are not coded into words. Non verbal communication is very important because it is believed that the manner in which you say something is more important that what you say. Forms of non verbal communication: Facial expression and gestures: Oral communication involves verbal as well as non verbal elements. The non verbal elements include facial expression and gestures as well as the pitch and tone of the voice. These are describes by George Terry as body language. Some of the expressions and action that constitute body language are mentioned below: Winking and twinkling of the eyes. Frowning. Twisting the lips. Biting the nails. Wobbling the head. Prepared by: 12 2 41 0004 Page No: 3

Face To Face Communication: Face to face communication means person to person communication at one place. It is necessary to separate face to face communication from oral communication because there are occasion and situation when oral communication is not face to face. For an example conversation over a phone, radio communication, tape recording etc. there are also occasions when persons can be face to face and yet they cannot communicate due to language barrier. Advantages Facial expressions and gestures help to communicate better. It is particularly suitable for discussion. Feedback can be obtained not only by ears but also by eyes. Disadvantages It is difficult to practice in large size organization. Ineffective if the listener is not attentive. Not effective in large gathering. Media And Modes: Conversation modes Mail. Telex. Telegraph

Basic Principle of Effective Communication:Effective communication extends the concept to require that transmitted content is received and understood by someone in the way it was intended. The goals of effective communication include creating a common perception, changing behaviors and acquiring information. Effective communication helps us better understand a person or situation, enables us to resolve differences, build trust and respect, and create environments where creative ideas, problem solving, affection, and caring can flourish. As simple as communication seems, much of what we try to communicateand others try to communicate to usgets misunderstood, which can cause conflict and frustration in personal and professional relationships. Effective communication combines a set of skills including nonverbal communication, attentive listening, the ability to manage stress in the moment, and the capacity to recognize and understand ones own emotions and those of the person one is communicating with. The following are the basic principle of effective communication: Communicate for a purpose. Compose your message with care. Compose your message in order to attract attention. Remove all barriers to effective communication. Study the receiver of your message. Select your medium with your message. Provide for feedback and. Act promptly on receiving response.

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Figure: Principles of Effective Communication Process

Effective communication skills #1: ListeningListening is one of the most important aspects of effective communication. Successful listening means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding how the speaker feels about what theyre communicating. Effective listening can: Make the speaker feel heard and understood which can help build a stronger, deeper connection between you. Create an environment where everyone feels safe to express ideas, opinions, and feelings, or plan and problem solve in creative ways. Save time by helping clarify information, and avoid conflicts and misunderstandings. Diffuse negative emotions. When emotions are running high, if the speaker feels that he or she has been truly heard, it can help to calm them down, diffuse negative feelings, and allow for real understanding or problem solving to begin.

Effective communication skills #2: Nonverbal communicationWhen we communicate things that we care about, we do so mainly using nonverbal signals. Wordless communication, or body language, includes facial expressions, body movement and gestures, eye contact, posture, the tone of voice, and even muscle tension and breathing. Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help one connect with others, express what one really means, navigates challenging situations, and builds better relationships at home and work. Prepared by: 12 2 41 0004 Page No: 5

One can enhance effective communication by using open body languagearms uncrossed, standing with an open stance or sitting on the edge of ones seat, and maintaining eye contact with the person ones talking to. One can also use body language to emphasize or enhance your verbal message patting a friend on the back while complimenting him on his success, for example, or pounding ones fists to underline ones message.

Effective communication skills #3: Managing stressIn small doses, stress can help one to perform under pressure. However, when stress becomes constant and overwhelming, it can hamper effective communication by disrupting ones capacity to think clearly and creatively, and act appropriately. When one is stressed, one is more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. To deal with stress during communication: Recognize when you are becoming stressed. Take a moment to calm down before deciding to continue a conversation or postpone it. Bring senses to the rescue and quickly manage stress by taking a few deep breaths, clenching and relaxing muscles, or recalling a soothing, sensory-rich image, for example. Look for humor in the situation. Be willing to compromise. Agree to disagree, if necessary, and take time away so everyone can calm down.

Effective communication skills #4: Emotional awarenessEmotions play an important role in the way we communicate at home and work. Its the way you feel, more than the way you think, that motivates you to communicate or to make decisions. The way you react to emotionally-driven, nonverbal cues affects both how you understand other people and how they understand you Emotional awareness provides you the tools for understanding both yourself and other people, and the real messages they are communicating to you. But your ability to communicate depends on being connected to these feelings. Emotional awarenessconsciousness of your moment-to-moment emotional experienceand the ability to manage all of your feelings appropriately is the basis for effective communication. Emotional awareness helps: Understand and empathize with what is really troubling other people. Understand yourself, including whats really troubling you and what you really want. Stay motivated to understand and empathize with the person youre interacting with, even if you dont like them or their message. Communicate clearly and effectively, even when delivering negative messages. Build strong, trusting, and rewarding relationships, think creatively, solve problems, and resolve conflicts.

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What is Communication Failure:Communications is a Two-way process and possibly the main reason for failure is the fact we tend to focus much more on what we want to say than listening and trying to understand the communication we are receiving. Communication involves two groups, the sender and the receiver, and each has unique responsibilities to ensure effective communication. If either or both parties fail to fulfill their responsibilities, there will be a communication breakdown. Communication is about conceiving, sending, receiving, interpreting messages and confirming reception of these messages. A failure at any point in this chain is ineffective communication or Communication Failure.

Major Causes of Communication Failure: Complex Messages: The use of complex technical terms is the general cause ofthese lacks of communication. The remedy is to stick to the point and use clear and concise messages that are easy to understand.

Withholding Information: Too often we are handled like children or with kidgloves and administered the need to know basis.

Different Status: This boils down to, telling one group certain information andtelling another group something else. This comes too close to lying in my book, keep the playing field level and even, tell everyone the same thing.

Ineffective Communication Processes: Rolling right along with keeping whatis said the same; everyone in the company needs to communicate the same thing in the same way. The people that interact with your clients the most are the ones who are often told the least.

Lack of Trust: The most important reason for the lack of communication in thecompany is the thought that someone may say something to the wrong person or say something the wrong wayor even worse say the truth! Its always best policy to start with the truth and then you dont have to worry about covering a lie.

Excessive Ego: Sometimes in a conversation, it becomes more important to beright than to understand what the other person is saying. Instead of listening to the other persons points, we spend the time they are speaking thinking about what our response is going to be. When a conversation degenerates into an argument, it is easy to fall into using this tactic. Instead of understanding the other persons ideas, we are fully concentrated on how best to impose ours on them. The ability to divorce your ego from an argument and listen to the other person is a difficult but vital skill to effective communication. Since communication always involves at least two distinct individuals and these individuals bring their biases into any conversation, the cause of any miscommunication can be on either the sender or the receiver end. Understanding the responsibilities of each participant can help us understand the causes of communication failure and how to prevent it.

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Barriers of Communication:Many people think that communicating is easy. It is after all something we've done all our lives. There is some truth in this simplistic view. Communicating is straightforward. What makes it complex, difficult, and frustrating are the barriers we put in the way. A "communication barrier" or "a barrier to communication" is anything that interferes with the transfer of intended information from a sender to a receiver. This can include anything from static on a radio, preventing the listener from hearing the program, to a third party interfering in a conversation between two people.

Figure: Barriers of Communication

Different Types of Communication barriers in workplace:Communication is the key factor in the success of any organization. When it comes to effective communication, there are certain barriers that every organization faces. Few of the most commonly-found barriers in communication in an organization are mentioned below:

Not Listening: One of the most common barriers to communication is poorlistening skills. You may have no involvement or concern with the topic. You will then have no desire to take part in the conversation. There also may be distractions. For example working in an area that is loud and noisy. Here are a couple more reasons for lack of listening. First there might be differences in opinions regarding the topic. And this last one in which I have seen many times. Passive listening instead of taking an active role. In this case you are involved in something else at the same time.

Making Assumptions: How many times have you made a decision based onassuming something will happen. Only to find out that it didn't go as planned. We all know that we shouldn't make assumptions. But we still do it anyway. Assumptions a lot of times will be made to speed up a process or task. Assumptions are made to cut corners and save time by ignoring the path of communication. The major problem

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with making assumptions is that 9 times out of 10 it doesn't work out. Also by making assumption you will likely miss out on important information.

Body language: Non verbal signals have the potential to block effectivecommunication in the workplace. Negative body language like waving your hands, raising your arms in discuss and even shaking your head will send negative messages. It is all about interpretation. The impacts of these traits can affect workplace relationships and your willingness to take part in communicating. The best action a leader can take is to understand your own body language.

Ineffective Questions: Quite often people ask questions that lack details. Thewhole point of asking a question in the first place is to confirm what has been communicated or for clarification. Asking the right types of questions will provide effective communication in the workplace. Make sure you use open ended questions to get the proper answers you seek. This type of question includes details like who, what, where, when and how.

Information Overload: Many times effective communication in the workplace isblocked by the overwhelming amount of information. How many times have you seen the same email covering the same information just from a different sender? What ends up happening is that many employees start to ignore those emails. The problem is that some of the emails will have prominent details that were not included in the original. The best way to avoid this is to provide new emails, just don't cc and forward emails.

Emotional Distractions: One of the chief barriers to open and freecommunications is the emotional barrier. It is comprised mainly of fear, mistrust and suspicion. The roots of our emotional mistrust of others lie in our childhood and infancy when we were taught to be careful what we said to others. Outside factors like a death or illness can keep your mind out of focus. Sometimes a listener may interpret a communicator as angry. This in turn will make the listener react in a negative light. The same happens if the communicator message is interpreted to be positive. The listener will like the message and listen closely.

Conflicting Messages: Communications can be sometimes conflicting and thiswill cause the communication process to breakdown. Inconsistent body language tells the story of one thing, but the message discussed is different. This will create confusion for the receiver of the message. The resulting confusion may lead to the message being ignored.

Physical Barriers: Physical barriers in the workplace include:

Marked out territories, empires and fiefdoms into which strangers are not allowed. Closed office doors, barrier screens, separate areas for people of different status Large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from others. Research shows that one of the most important factors in building cohesive teams is proximity. As long as people still have a personal space that they can call their own, nearness to others aids communication because it helps us get to know one another.

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person is saying. The ambiance in which you are having a conversation also plays an important part in the quality of a conversation. If the place is too noisy, or two crowded, you may not be able to clearly listen to the speaker. For example, if you are having a conversation with someone along the roadside, the honks and noise of the passing vehicles can make it difficult for you to concentrate on what you are saying, apart from interfering in effective listening. Similarly, if you are talking to someone in scorching heat, then the physical discomfort can easily cause you to be disinterested in the conversation.

Distance: Distance also plays an important part in determining the course of aconversation. For example, if the staff in an organization is made to sit in different buildings or different floors, they might have to substitute face to face communication with phone calls or emails. This prevents the employees to have effective communication with each other. For example, if a manager and his subordinate are seated at different buildings of an organization, then the manager may have to give out instructions over the phone or over the email, which can sometimes lead to a lack of effective communication.

Ignorance of Medium: Communication also includes using signs and symbols toconvey a feeling or a thought. However, if there is a lack of ignorance about the medium in which sender is sending the message, the conversation can be hampered. For example, the use of signs to communicate can be seen in games like soccer and hockey, where players do not want the opposing team to know about their plans and may converse through codes and signs. However, if a member of a team is not acquainted with these signs, it can lead to a lack of communication.

Physical Disability: Physical disability can also prove to be a barrier for effectivecommunication. People with physical disabilities generally are at a disadvantage when it comes to gaining employment. People with disability have been marginalized through ages, and this can cause them to have a low self-esteem and social anxiety. It can cause a physically challenged person to have face difficulties in self-disclosure and can hamper his interpersonal skills. This might be the most common type of barrier that blocks the communication process. Anything that can physically distract you is part of this barrier. Some examples like temperatures, phones, or even the building itself can be a distraction.

Perception: There has always been one consistent with communication in theworkplace. That one consistent is called perceptional barriers. The main problem with perception is that we all look at the world differently. One way to avoid perceptional barriers is to remember there are other views points and opinions. Also keep your mind open to new ideas and approaches from these view points. You never know when theres a good idea on the horizon.

Cultural Barriers: Dealing with different cultures can sometimes be difficult tonavigate. Many times it's a difference in approach or a process of doing things. All cultures have different beliefs and customs. They often can clash and build up walls that negatively affect the communicating process.

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Language barriers: Language that describes what we want to say in our termsmay present barriers to others who are not familiar with our expressions, buzz-words and jargon. When we couch our communication in such language, it is a way of excluding others. In a global market place the greatest compliment we can pay another person is to talk in their language.

Workplace Stress: Dealing with stress in this day and age is a 24/7 activity. Itshouldn't be a surprise of its strong affect on the communication in the workplace. The results of stress on employees can range from change in attitudes, lack of focus and even calling out. These issues can lead to missing deadlines, decreased productivity and weakened communication between employees. Understanding the ins and outs of stress management in the workplace can provide you ways to handle workplace stress.

Interpersonal barriers: There are six levels at which people can distancethemselves from one another: Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is both refusals to be in touch and time alone. Rituals are meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real contact. Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial activities. Working activities are those tasks which follow the rules and procedures of contact but no more. Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning and losing. They include "rackets" and "stamps". Closeness is the aim of interpersonal contact where there is a high level of honesty and acceptance of yourself and others.

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How To Overcome communication barriers:The only way one can improve effective organizational communication is by changing ones thoughts and feelings with ones colleague. In this way, we dont just break down communication barriers, but also build relationships that work successfully for long. There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all. The message intended by the sender is not understood by the receiver in the same terms and sense and thus communication breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so as to ensure smooth and effective communication. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is recruiting right individuals on the job. Its the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required employees (e.g.: Voice and Accent training).

Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized.Use of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided.

Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communicationbarrier which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the source of noise and then eliminate that source.

Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference betweenlistening and hearing. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the speaker.

Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of bodylanguage. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information being delivered is not good.

Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not becomplex. The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the communication.

Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize theirwork. They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively.

Give Constructive Feedback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents ofthe feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate.

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Proper Media Selection: The managers should properly select the medium ofcommunication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be encouraged for delivering complex messages. For significant messages reminders can be given by using written means of communication such as: Memos, Notices etc.

Flexibility in meeting the targets: For effective communication in anorganization the managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely without skipping the formal channels of communication. There should not be much pressure on employees to meet their targets. If every individual in an organization takes personal responsibility to make sure he works in complete effectiveness with his or her co-worker, no matter how many barriers come in the way, a responsible employee will always know how to overcome them.

Effective Communication in Health Care:Health communication may be defined as the dissemination of understandable and usable information that concerns itself with health. It is a fundamental ingredient in virtually every form of medicine and health. Health communication is a dynamic process that at any point in time has a status that may or may not be appropriate for specific population groups it is meant to inform. However, measuring the status of health communication for a given population is a complex and ill-defined process.

Communication barriers in Health Care:Effective communication with patients is critical to the safety and quality of care. Barriers to this communication include differences in language, cultural differences, and low health literacy. Evidence-based practices that reduce these barriers must be integrated into, rather than just added to, health care work processes. Different types of Communication barriers in Health Care are stated as below: Language Barriers: The growing diversity of our nation brings more healthcare providers and corporations into contact with patients with different languages. Effective communication is at risk in such cases. The language differences itself are the leading obstacle to effective communication.

Language Barriers in Health Care Settings - Medical Care: This wasjust the tip of the iceberg, related to the communication problems in healthcare. There are not only barriers to effective communication when it comes to doctor-patient relationship, but there are communication problems in nursing. There are varieties of dialects related to each of the language spoken. There are many different languages spoken by patients visiting the hospital like Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalong, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, etc. Thus, creating more communication problems in healthcare. These different languages highlight the importance of communication in a hospital setup.

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These language barriers create problems for the physician to understand the problem of the patient. This means the doctor can misinterpret the patient and diagnose him incorrectly. The doctor needs to rely on the proxy interpreters or ad hoc interpreters like friends, family, untrained support staff members, or even strangers waiting in the waiting rooms. But these ad hoc or proxy interpreters are not as reliable as professional interpreters. This is because most of the time, they lack the knowledge of medical terminology. Also, if the person misinterprets or explains the symptoms incorrectly, it will lead to misdiagnosis and wrong treatment.

Figure: Language barriers Language Barriers in Health Care Settings Nursing: There are manyhealthcare workers in America, who come from all over the world, trying to earn a living or learn medicine with the best healthcare setups in the country. These members of medical staff may not be fluent in English, and have problems communicating with patients. Many nursing staff are from other countries with poor English skills. These nurses may not be able to understand the patient clearly and are not able to help the patient in an appropriate way. This leads to a sharp drop in patient satisfaction, and loss of a client by the hospital. These nursing staff may misinterpret the doctor's orders and give the patient wrong medications. The nursing staff may give the patient a solution to drink, meant to be put in the ears or worse misinterpret the parents of a child with fracture and have them accused for child abuse. A doctor with poor language skills may not be able to explain the patient clearly about their condition or treatment method. This will cause confusion and panic in the minds of an already stressed out patient.

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Cultural Barriers: Cultural differences may become an obstruction to effectivecommunication. The cultural perceptions of health, sickness, and medical care of patients and families may differ with that of the clinicians or organization. A person's perception of the world and his or her comprehension of a word or sentence are affected by culture. Understanding a culture is not synonymous with proficiency of the language. Further, a shared culture does not translate into a shared language. Speaking the same language and being born in the same location does not automatically mean sharing all the elements of a particular culture. Another potential barrier to effective communication and care is the cultural nuances in verbal and nonverbal communication. Health Literacy Barriers: People with poor literacy skills are especially challenged by most health information. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that there is a huge disparity between how people receive and comprehend health information. Language and cultural barriers are linked with low health literacy. Low health literacy is also observed in patients who are adept in English and who are a part of the collective American culture. There is a high risk this group's low health literacy may go unnoticed. When the patient and the health provider are of the same culture and language, a lack of questions is assumed to mean understanding. However, when a medical error is detected, doctors discover their patients are functionally illiterate.

Overcome the language barrier in Health care:The only solution for communication barriers in healthcare setups is appointment of professional interpreters. One needs to focus and train nurses in communication techniques. This will help bring down the number of misdiagnosis and misinterpretations. If the hospital cannot afford an interpreter, they can try and tie up with hospitals that have them. In case of emergency, these hospitals may send over their interpreters to help them out. This was all about types of communication problems in healthcare setups. In a few hospitals around the world, communication specialists are pioneering new ways to overcome the communication barriers between patients and care providers--- barriers at the root of reduced patient safety, extended length of hospital stay, unnecessary exacerbation of pain, hospital caused injuries, avoidable deaths, and many other undesirable outcomes.

How To Develop positive working environment by effective communication in an organization:A lack of communication also can create a negative work environment, as employees feel underappreciated or left in the dark. Providing ongoing positive communications in the workplace can help keep employees motivated and working at their best.

Results: When your business lands a new contract, has a successful quarter or endsthe year on a high note, let employees know. Giving workers reports on the progress of the company lets them know their work has meaning and their jobs are secure. Even if the company is experiencing difficulties, let workers know the situation to Prepared by: 12 2 41 0004 Page No: 15

quash rumors and minimize exaggerations of any problems and show them you're confident enough about the situation to discuss it openly.

Awards: Employee-of-the-week contests, most-improved awards, sales contests andother worker recognition programs let employees know you notice and appreciate their work. Announcing these recognitions in front of the entire company further boosts morale.

Figure: Appraisal at workplace Personal Note: In addition to general awards and announcements, have managerssend written notes to their subordinates, letting them know their boss is aware of and appreciates their service. A hand-written note or card, rather than an e-mail or text, sends a message that a superior thought enough of the employee to take the time to make praise personal.

Newsletters: Company newsletters, as simple as a one-page, weekly update, keepemployees informed and give you the opportunity to recognize individual employees or departments in front of their peers.

News Releases: Send news of employee successes, including awards, promotions,anniversaries or certifications to their hometown newspapers. This recognition increases worker pride in the company, as they are more publicly associated with your business' success. It also improves loyalty, resulting from your public acknowledgment of your pride in the worker.

Reviews: Employees may be more likely to stay with your business if they feel theyhave a chance to grow and move up the ladder. Give employees a written job description. List their duties and communicate to them, in writing, what criteria are used in the annual review. Give new employees a review after 90 days and all employees an annual evaluation. Working at a company with no feedback for many years can lead employees to "coast" in their positions.

Surveys: Give employees a chance to contribute to the success of the company byasking for their opinions. Provide a suggestion box or administer surveys with specific questions, as well as an opportunity for workers to make suggestions. In the course of a business day, or while doing company-related projects, there will be issues that arise.

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In some cases, issues can be avoided or dealt with efficiently through comprehensive planning prior to executing a project. Other situations require workplace problem solving skills from management and staff in order to avert a crisis. Being able to recognize examples of workplace problem solving will help you to better prepare to deal with work-related issues.

Brainstorming: Workplace sometimes benefit from new ideas and this can call forbrainstorming. Management and staff come together in a room and start writing down the first ideas that come to their minds. Then the group expands on what it perceives as being the best ideas until the foundation of a solution is created. Brainstorming is an excellent way to get input from a variety of staff members and managers that can give your company the options it needs to create a workable solution.

Delegation: Each member of a work group has his own set of responsibilities.Those responsibilities are based on that staff member's experience and educational background. Part of workplace problem-solving is respecting the delegation of responsibility and allowing each employee and manager to contribute his bit of information to the overall problem. Respecting delegated responsibility also helps the work group to become more efficient as a team and will increase overall team productivity.

Committees: Committees can be permanent or temporary portions of work groupsthat are responsible for solving specific workplace issues. For example, if the logistics department is experiencing challenges with a particular shipping company, then a committee can be created to look into the issue and develop a solution. It is common for committees to be made up of employees who have the specific skills needed to get the job done. For instance, the committee to solve the shipping problem could be made up of the shipping manager, the shipping representative that deals with the problem company and the representative that deals with the more reliable shipping company that is used in order to give a model of how a successful relationship with a shipping company operates.

Evaluations: Monitoring employee and department progress versus company goalsis an ongoing workplace problem-solving process to maintain productivity. Evaluations are used by managers and executives to compare actual performance against the goals laid out in the company business plan, or in a specific marketing plan. The analysis of those results is used to determine what issues need to be addressed, and then a plan is created to address the issues. For example, if actual sales revenue is falling behind company projections for the year, then an evaluation of the sales process will reveal shortcomings in sales methods that need to be corrected in order to get revenue production back on track. Communication problems in the workplace can cost your company productivity and money. Without efficient communication, your company is unable to exchange information essential to daily operations and create a communication network to carry new product data. Understanding examples of workplace communication issues can help you to create policies that will address problems and create an efficient communication network in the office.

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Language Barriers: A diverse workplace has several benefits to a business, suchas a variety of solutions to company issues and insight into international markets during expansion. But the language barrier that can sometimes occur in a diverse workplace, or any workplace, may become a communication problem. There might be language barriers between people of different ethnic backgrounds, people of different ages and people with different levels of industry experience. Any language barrier is going to slow communication or create misunderstandings that make communication ineffective.

Personal Issues: Effective communication in a workplace is based on professionalcorrespondence designed to assist in the daily operation of the company or the continued growth of the organization. When employees allow personal issues to affect company communication, a communication problem develops that could take a long time to track down and resolve. People who refuse to communicate based on a personal disagreement are damaging the company's ability to do business and slowing the growth of the organization.

Lack of Feedback: One-way communication can become an ineffective way toexchange information throughout the company. Employees and managerial staff should provide feedback at all times to improve the quality of information disseminated and the manner in which the information is delivered. For example, if a department tends to send out information in a format confusing to other people in the company, then that department needs to be informed of its communication problems immediately or else the information coming from that group will always pose a communication challenge.

New Hires: When new employees are brought into the organization, they need toreceive a comprehensive introduction into the proper ways to communicate throughout the organization. Companies that do not include communication training in their new-hire orientation programs will be forced to struggle with new hires that are forced to learn proper communication procedures by a process of hit and miss.

Open discussion & solution: Gather employees and openly discuss the communication barriers that have arisen. All parties involved should understand the goal is to resolve the communication issues to improve the work environment. Explore the reasons why communication barriers have been built. Determine possible solutions for removing the communication barriers. Focus on what is wanted, rather than what is not wanted. This keeps the conversation positive. Agree on the solution that seems the most likely to work, a solution that everyone in the room feels comfortable with. If one or two people don't feel comfortable with the solution chosen, they should discuss their concerns with management privately. Evaluate the progress made after a reasonable amount of time. If the communication barriers persist, hold another meeting to discuss what went wrong, and how to move forward.

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Conclusion:Overcoming communication barriers at work is not possible if one does not know what is causing them. To avoid further problems of miscommunication, one should understand the importance of communication in the workplace and strive to achieve it. Only then can one hope to eradicate the problems in the workplace and achieve a healthy and successful working environment. Effective business communication or workplace communication is a necessity in this competitive corporate world. A good dialog among the employees can alone make sure the success of quick and proper learning process. With good communication, team members will be able to take right decisions in favor of the company and increase its profitability considerably.

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References:Raymond V. Lesikar, Marie E. Flatley, Kathryn Rentz, Business Communication (Making Connections in a Digital World), (McGraw-Hill Companies 11th Edition).

http://www.skillsyouneed.co.uk/IPS/What_is_Communication.html http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_barriers_in_communication http://www.wannareadyou.com/types-of-barriers-to-communication.html http://ezinearticles.com/?Determining-What-Causes-CommunicationFailure&id=1909493 http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Barriers-Communication-CausesCommunication-Failure-Businesses/166347 http://www.managementstudyguide.com/communication_barriers.htm http://www.rsc-nescotland.ac.uk/ie/Who%20Am%20I%203/Who%20Am%20I%203-590.htm http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm http://www.ehow.com/how_6581784_improve-communication-skillsorganization.html

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