What are the different types of barriers to effective communication?

Barriers to effective communication can be faced in three different ways in an organization. These barriers could be between one department and the other, between the manager or supervisor and his subordinates and between individuals working at the same level in the organization.

The barriers to communication have been broadly divided into three categories :

(i) Physical Barriers: Environment hindrances can, to a big extent, reduce or even prevent the sending and receiving of messages. Such hurdles may be caused by distance, distracting sounds, breakdown of media or elimination of a channel.

(ii) Personal Barriers: They psychological make up of human beings differs. Such differences among individuals can also account for barriers in communications.

Semantic Barriers: Language idiosyncrasies can create problems in the flow and proper understanding of communications. Multiple meanings of words, different connotations and interpretation of language and words in the light of an individual’s experiences can easily lead to break-down of communication.