Creating and Delivering Messages that Matter
Written by SECUR

Communication Barriers

Language Barriers
Clearly, if you don't speak the language you'll have trouble communicating. But even among people who share the same language; slang and jargon can interfere with meaning.

Perceptual Barriers
How your audiences perceives you and your agenda can create significant obstacles to effective communication. If possible, explore their perceptions (both positive and negative) beforehand.

Cultural Barriers
These can include everything from how you greet someone to how you handle a disagreement. The most commonly used factor, which is usually forgotten, is how you converse with another; small talk. As globalization gains speed, intercultural communication will become increasingly pivotal to your success.

Analyze your Audience

Expectations
What kind of languages do most people use? Is it formal or informal? Is it direct or roundabout? Should you differ from the norm? Why or why not?

Education
The education level of the audience should drive the level of vocabulary, and the complexity of the message.

Profession
Some professions (e.g., webmasters, uploaders, technicians) are rife with jargon and acronyms. How should this impact your message?

Be Concise
Jerry Seinfeld once said, "I will spend an hour editing an eight word sentence into five." While Jerry might be going a bit too far, it pays to be clear and concise. But don't be concise at the expense of completeness; include all information that your audience may need (it'll save you time down the road).

Avoid Slang
Unless you are absolutely sure that your audience will understand and appreciate it, do not use slang. This risk of unintentionally alienating yourself from your audience is too high.

Avoid Bias
Intentionally or unintentionally, words and can communicate biases that can interfere with your message. To my knowledge, three kinds of bias are common. Gender Bias, which consists of words that suggest stereotypical attitudes towards specific gender. Age Bias, which refers to words that suggest stereotypical attitudes toward people of specific ages. Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality Bias, can also suggest stereotypical attitudes toward specific races, ethnicities, and nationalities. Leaving aside prejudice (which is clearly wrong) the problems in this area are usually unintentional and stem from unarticulated assumptions about a person's attitudes, opinions, and experiences.

Lastly, Don't Make Grammar Goofs
Grammatical errors will distract your reader from your writing and undermine your credibility.
Benign Reviewed by Benign on . Creating and Delivering Messages that Matter Creating and Delivering Messages that Matter Written by SECUR Communication Barriers Language Barriers Clearly, if you don't speak the language you'll have trouble communicating. But even among people who share the same language; slang and jargon can interfere with meaning. Perceptual Barriers How your audiences perceives you and your agenda can create significant obstacles to effective communication. If possible, explore their perceptions (both positive and negative) beforehand. Rating: 5