Question

Give a model of a formal communication system that the company can follow. Identify the barriers in this model, how can they be removed?

Answer 1

The company will have to follow both vertical and horizontal communication models. Vertical communication will take place between superiors and subordinates, e.g. between sales manager to sales supervisor to insurance agents, etc. Horizontal communication takes place between different departments like between territory manager with another territory manager.

Barriers to effective communication:

The company can face some of the following barriers to effective communication:

(i) Semantic Barriers

(a) Badly expressed message

(b) Symbols with different meanings

(c) Faulty translations

(d) Unclassified assumptions

(e) Technical jargon

(f) Body language and gesture decoding

(ii) Psychological Barriers

(a) premature evaluation

(b) Lack of attention

(c) Loss by transmission and poor retention

(d) Distrust

(iii) Organisational Barriers

(a) Organisational policy

(b) Rules and regulations

(c) Status

(d) Complexities in organisational structure

(e) Organisational facilities

(iv) Personal Barriers

(a) Fear of challenge to authority

(b) Lack of confidence of superior in subordinates

(c) Unwillingness to communicate

(d) Lack of proper incentives.

Measures to overcome the barriers

(i) Clarity in the thoughts of the sender is a must for effective communication.

(ii) The sender should try to make the message meaningful and understandable.

(iii) The message should be precise and to the point

(iv) The sender should always take the feedback from the receiver.