8 Barriers to Workplace Communication

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8 Barriers to Workplace
Communication
8 Barriers to Workplace Communication
ROCHELLE VAN RENSBURG SEP, 7 2021
COST-EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION SKILLS BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Communication is important, especially in the workplace.
Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to communicate well.
Barriers to communication within the workplace can create

misunderstandings and tension.
Below are 8 barriers to workplace communication along with
some tips for overcoming these barriers.
1. Differing communication styles and skill
Individuals have different styles of communication. While some
people understand verbal communication well, others prefer to
have their work communication in writing. This is not just a
difference of preference, but a difference in ability to
understand workplace communication.
In addition to holding different styles of communication,
individuals function at different levels of skill. When a person is
unskilled at communicating clearly, it can cause confusion. In
the worst cases, it can cause tension in the workplace.
How to overcome this barrier: learn how your employees and
coworkers communicate best. When possible, offer direction
and feedback through a variety of formats. Additionally, 몭nd
resources to train your workplace on how to communicate most
effectively.
2. Dissatisfaction or disinterest at work
When employees are unsatis몭ed or uninterested in their work,
communication suffers. For dissatis몭ed workers,
communication may become strained because of
mismanagement by their supervisors. Workers who don’t feel
like their input is valued will cease to provide input.
Disinterested workers often put minimal effort into every aspect
of their job. Although communication is important for
workplace function, a disinterested worker may drop the ball on
continuing open communication.
How to overcome this barrier: in extreme cases, this barrier can
only be changed when individuals leave the company. However,
taking time to clear up any workplace con몭ict before it
becomes a problem can prevent these workplace
communication barriers from developing.

3. Inconsistency in communication
It’s essential that management takes the time to communicate
consistently with their employees. This can be easy in a
workplace where employees can all receive the same email.
However, many workplaces rely on verbal communication to
disseminate information.
If that’s the case for your workplace, it’s important that any
important information is communicated consistently across
departments and shifts. Otherwise, some employees will be
informed while others are left in the dark.
How to overcome this barrier: setting up company-wide email
is a great way to communicate large announcements or
changes. If your workplace relies on verbally communicating
these things, consider having a checklist to make sure all
employees are informed.
Related Article: Best Ways of Communicating Safety
Messages
4. Attitude, tone of voice, and body language
What you say is only the 몭rst step in communication. How you
say it and what body language you use are also important.
Attitude, tone of voice, and body language can all communicate
messages contrary to the words you’re speaking.
This becomes a major barrier when an employee feels unheard
or demeaned in workplace communication. For example, an
individual using sarcasm and profanity to communicate can
quickly create a hostile workplace.
How to overcome this barrier: make sure you’re communicating
in a way that’s consistent with your words and the policies of
your workplace. If you cross your arms or furrow your brow
when listening, work to change your body language. If attitude
and tone of voice consistently create tension, be mindful of how
you’re saying things when communicating at work.

Also Read: How to Talk to an employee about Poor
Performance
5. Too much information at one time
When employees get too much information at once, they often
struggle to understand exactly what is expected. Although
information overload is common in the training stage,
managers can overload their workers with too much
information throughout the work process.
This can be especially di몭cult with verbal communication.
Because people often forget information transmitted orally, it’s
important to follow up longer conversations with an email
detailing key points.
How to overcome this barrier: when possible, communicate
one or two main ideas in each conversation or email. If
communication cannot be narrowed down, 몭nd ways to
communicate in multiple formats. A follow-up email to a verbal
conversation can help employees absorb important
information.
6. Poor listening skills
Workplace communication isn’t just about talking. To have
good communication in the workplace, it’s important for
managers and employees to learn how to listen.
If a manager isn’t listened to, they may feel frustrated in the
ineffectiveness of their communication. Since workplace
communication is necessary for the success of their job, poor
listening on the part of employees can create tension.
If an employee isn’t listened to, they may feel frustrated and

unhappy at work. When managers fail to listen to their
employees, they miss the insight offered by employees at every
level.
How to overcome this barrier: train employees at every level in
active listening. When individuals learn how to actively listen,
communication in the workplace improves.
7. Communication through the grapevine
Few things are worse than 몭nding out information through the
grapevine. Although many individuals trust this second-hand
information, it’s important for everyone in the workplace to get
ahead of this type of communication.
For example, if an employee is unhappy with how their manager
handled a situation, they should talk to their manager directly. If
a manager 몭nds out about this dissatisfaction because the
other employees are discussing it, it can cause major tension at
work.
Similarly, employees should not 몭nd out important information
through the grapevine. While information will always travel
through these channels, it’s important that big announcements
and changes are communicated with employees through
o몭cial announcements or email.
How to overcome this barrier: you cannot stop the grapevine
from talking, but you can control when information gets out.
Instead of waiting for information to “leak” through the

grapevine, keep employees up-to-date through o몭cial
workplace communication channels.
Additionally, it’s important to train employees to communicate
through con몭ict instead of using the grapevine to rally people to
their “side.” Prevent widespread con몭ict by dealing with
problems as they come up.
You Might Like: Nine Functional Areas of Human Resource
8. Cultural and language differences
Communicating across cultures and languages can create a
clear barrier to workplace communication. While conversations
between parties of different languages have major di몭culties,
communicating within the same language can have similar
troubles.
For example, the United States and England both speak English.
However, communication between these two cultures is still full
of differences. How language is used differs, along with
common communication etiquette. If your workplace
communicates across cultural lines, take time to understand
some basic differences between your cultures to prevent
missteps in communication.
Cultural differences can also be differences between groups in
the same country. Regional differences in language can
contribute to some confusion in the workplace. Differences in
how each generation speaks can also create confusion. This is
colorfully represented in the movie The Princess Diaries, where
the young girl says “shut up!” as an exclamation of disbelief.
Her grandmother is shocked, believing her granddaughter has
just rudely told her to be quiet.
How to overcome this barrier: when there is confusion between
parties of different cultures, take the time to understand.
Learning about cultural differences in communication can be
useful for preventing con몭ict based on misunderstandings.
Also Read: Does Online Training Work

Conclusion
There are many barriers to workplace communication. However,
taking time to understand and overcome these barriers is an
essential part of learning to work together Click here to learn
more.
Must Read: 15 Ways to Improve Your Employee Retention and
Engagement in 2022
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