Community Learning Development Resource 201 – 04
COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS
SUMMARY
The basic problem in communication between individuals is that the content of the message, which the sender believes is being transmitted is different from the one that the receiver thinks they have received.
Poor communication: communication breakdown may be found within the transmitter and the receiver – for example – as individuals, in their:
- Lack of shared understanding of the situation
- Lack of shared knowledge base – e.g., a shared language or jargon
- Different sets of values – what is believed to be important
- Assumptions about each other
- Emotional state at the time
- State of readiness and awareness
- Different needs.
Barriers and constraints:
- Because messages are transmitted via five sensory channels, usually within an environment full of message ‘noise’ and between people who are generally engaged in mental activity, there is a lot of interference and barriers to be overcome.
- People hear best what they want to hear – usually what is important to them and fits their values and readiness
- There is not an infinite capacity for receiving and taking in messages and for absorbing and retaining information
- There is not an infinite capacity for transmitting information and ideas coherently and sensibly
- Messages are often used to bring about changes – e.g., learning and as such challenge existing knowledge, understanding and values etc., in the receiver – it conflicts with what is acceptable and therefore needs to be transmitted with skill to be effective.
Good communication occurs when :
- The message received by the receiver is what the transmitter intended – this can only be confirmed by the receiver feeding back what has been perceived
- The transmitter understands how the receiver has interpreted the message and will behave as a consequence
- Individuals understand and trust one another
- Individuals disclose and share their values and feelings rather than present a facade
- Feedback is given – letting the other person in the communication relationship know how you are perceiving and experiencing them
Categories of Communication barriers and constraints
Examples of barriers to communication |
|
| Environmental barriers: |
outside noise; uncomfortable temperatures; distracting movement; nasty smells; poor lighting. Barrier – line of sight, distance, direction of transmission, focus of transmission (individual / small group / whole group) |
| Social/cultural barriers: | cultural or religious differences; social class differences; politics or beliefs; second language difficulties; ethnicity; gender; inequality
|
| Attitudinal barriers: | disinterest; lack of motivation; over-expectation; personality clash; preconceptions mismatch; wrong assumptions; jumping to conclusions; arrogance or superiority; lack of sensitivity; apathy; dogma; lack of confidence or belief in oneself |
| Disability barriers: | dyslexia; sight, voice or hearing impairment; learning difficulties; physical disability; illiteracy; innumeracy. |
| Learner related barriers: | lack of readiness; lack of preparation; inadequate prior learning or experience; poor listening skills; poor learning skills – literacy, etc. |
| Worker related barriers: | lack of knowledge, preparation or skills; inappropriate teaching methods; jargon; monotonous voice; apathy; poor listening skills.
Non-verbal signals interfering- body language, hand emphasis, movement, body shape, facial expression Poor quality and choice of the media – the methods and means – poor resources |
Interpretation of Messages
- Individuals perceive the same messages differently – they may see and hear them (etc.) differently
- They will interpret them differently according to their current thinking and feelings – both state of mind and previous learning and experiences affect how messages are interpreted
Feedback
- This is vitally important, as it is the only way we have of knowing of whether a message we send has been successfully and accurately received and interpreted
- In learning situations we need to know if the messages are in place before we move on
- We may rely upon non-verbal feedback in many circumstances – the puzzled facial expression, the hand raised to ask for more detail or clarification
- We need to create time for verbal questioning – we need to use informal assessment methods to check for interpretation of messages and understanding
REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION PROMPTS
- Why is face-to-face conversation usually the most reliable method of communication within capacity building work?
- Why might one’s capacity to listen be more significant in life and work, than one’s capacity to talk?
- What principles and practical ideas help to ensure that communication within capacity building work, is non-discriminatory and non-oppressive?
Summary – guidelines for effective communication in capacity building work
(1) Start any communication with people by assessing their readiness
and ability to participate effectively.
(2) Plan and manage communication by being prepared to use a
variety of methods of communication, choosing them to work with
what you want to communicate and to relate to the needs of who
you want to communicate with – have concerns for the mode,
pacing, chunking and sequencing your communication.
(3) Ensure that the environment and conditions support
communication method and style – use more than one sensory route
where you can.
(4) Ensure that any language used is appropriate and any necessary
jargon is adequately explained and is as clear and unambiguous in
how it is received and understood, as you can make it.
(5) Don’t be afraid to repeat messages to reinforce or recap learning
points – look out for non-verbal prompts and clues from people that
tell you to repeat or reinforce and to check for their comfort and
understanding.
(6) Try to develop a comfortable and effective interpersonal style with
empathy for people, and get to know them as individuals to support
the development of effective communication with them.
(7) Try to develop good voice projection and control, use emphasis and
variety to support your messages – try to be natural.
(8) Communicate with equality and do not use or allow sexist, racist,
etc., language or messages.
(9) Encourage individual participation in communication and ensure
that all people have opportunities to respond and give feedback –
remember communication is a two-way process.
(10) Encourage communication within any group, between individuals,
trying to get people to feel comfortable to communicate and
interact.
(11) Seek to encourage and support people to develop and improve their
communication skills as part of building their capacity. Try to
build their confidence as effective communicators.
(12) Don’t even think that effective communication in capacity building
work can be a didactic one-way process – from the expert to the
learner. Successful communication has feedback loops and listening
as key processes.