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LECTURE 6

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Brief introduction

It's not always easy and often takes a lot ofdetermination. But making an effort to removethe obstacles - tangible and intangible - thatstand in our way, can be the key to building

relationships that really work. Many people think that communicating is easy. It is after all something we've done all our lives. There is some truth in this simplistic view.

Communicating is straightforward.What makes it complex, difficult, and frustratingare the barriers we put in the way:

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1. Physical barriers

Physical barriers in the workplace include:

marked out territories, empires and fiefdoms intowhich strangers are not allowed

closed office doors, barrier screens, separateareas for people of different status

large working areas or working in one unit that is

physically separate from others.

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2. Perceptual barriers

The problem with communicating with others isthat we all see the world differently. If we didn't,we would have no need to communicate:

something like extrasensory perception wouldtake its place.

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3. Emotional barriers

It is comprised mainly of fear, mistrust andsuspicion. The roots of our emotional mistrust ofothers lie in our childhood and infancy when we

were taught to be careful what we said to others.As a result many people hold back fromcommunicating their thoughts and feelings toothers.

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4. Cultural barriers

When we join a group and wish to remain in it,sooner or later we need to adopt the behaviour

patterns of the group. These are the behavioursthat the group accept as signs of belonging.

The group rewards such behaviour through actsof recognition, approval and inclusion. In groups

which are happy to accept you, and where you

are happy to conform, there is a mutuality of

interest and a high level of win-win contact.

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Lack of cultural sensitivity

Culture comes in many shapes and sizes. It

includes areas such as politics, history, faith,

mentality, behaviour and lifestyle.

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If businesses want to succeed internationally,cultural sensitivity must be at the heart of

everything they do; from their personal

interaction and relationships with clients to theproducts/services they develop.

All international communication is influenced bycultural differences. Even the choice of medium

used to communicate may have culturalovertones.

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For example, it has been noted that advancedindustrialized nations rely heavily on electronictechnology and emphasize written messagesover oral or face-to-face communication.Certainly the United States, Canada andGermany exemplify this trend.

But Japan, which has access to the latesttechnologies, still relies more on face-to-facecommunications than on the written mode.

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High-context cultures (Mediterranean, Slav,Central European, Latin American, African,

Arab, Asian, American-Indian) leave much of themessage unspecified - to be understood through

context, nonverbal cues, and between-the-linesinterpretation of what is actually said.

By contrast, low-context cultures (most of theGermanic and English-speaking countries)expect messages to be explicit and specific. Theformer are looking for meaning andunderstanding in what is not said - in bodylanguage, in silences and pauses, and inrelationships and empathy.

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Sequential or synchronic

Some cultures think of time sequentially - as alinear commodity to "spend," "save," or "waste."Other cultures view time synchronically - as a

constant flow to be experienced in the moment,and as a force that cannot be contained orcontrolled.

Whether time is perceived as a commodity or aconstant determines the meaning and value of

being "on time." Think of the misunderstandingsthat can occur when one culture views arrivinglate for a meeting as bad planning or a sign ofdisrespect.

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Synchronic culture

In synchronic cultures (including South America,southern Europe and Asia) the flow of time isviewed as a sort of circle - with the past, present,and future all inter-related.

Synchronistic cultures have an entirely differentperspective. The past becomes a context inwhich to understand the present and prepare forthe future.

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According to researchers only some culturessupported expressing those feelings openly.Emotional reactions were found to be leastacceptable in Japan, Indonesia, the U.K.,Norway and the Netherlands - and mostaccepted in Italy, France, the U.S. andSingapore.

Reason and emotion are part of all humancommunication. When expressing ourselves, welook to others for confirmation of our ideas andfeelings.

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5. Language barriers

Language that describes what we want to say inour terms may present barriers to others whoare not familiar with our expressions, buzz-

words and jargon. When we couch ourcommunication in such language, it is a way ofexcluding others. In a global market place thegreatest compliment we can pay another personis to talk in their language.

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6. Gender barriers

There are distinct differences between thespeech patterns in a man and those in a woman.

A woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000

words a day whereas a man speaks between7,000 and 10,000.

To a woman, good listening skills includemaking eye contact and reacting visually to thespeaker. To a man, listening can take place witha minimum of eye contact and almost nononverbal feedback. (Women often cite a lack ofeye contact as evidence that their male boss"doesn't value my input.")

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Female superiority in reading nonverbal signalsduring business meetings allows women toaccurately assess coalitions and alliances justby tracking who is making eye contact with

whom at certain critical points. Men are judged to be better at monologue -women at dialogue.

A man's ability to hold his emotions in check andto "keep a poker face" is viewed as anadvantage in business situations. A woman'stendency to show her feelings more outwardly ingestures and facial expressions is perceived asa weakness.

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In negotiations, men talk more than women andinterrupt more frequently. One perspective onthe value of speaking up comes from formerSecretary of State Madeleine Albright, who -

when asked what advice she had for up-and-coming professional women - replied, "Learn tointerrupt."

Men make direct accusations (You didn't do it!)while women use an indirect method (Why didn'tyou do it?)

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7. Interpersonal barriers

Withdrawalis an absence of interpersonalcontact. It is both refusal to be in touch and timealone.

Ritualsare meaningless, repetitive routines

devoid of real contact.Pastimesfill up time with others in social butsuperficial activities.

Workingactivities are those tasks which follow the

rules and procedures of contact but no more.Gamesare subtle, manipulative interactions whichare about winning and losing. They include"rackets" and "stamps".

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Conclusion

Working on improving your communications is abroad-brush activity. You have to change your

thoughts, your feelings, and your physical

connections. That way, you can break down the barriers that

get in your way and start building relationships

that really work.

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Sources

http://www.managementstudyguide.com/communication_b

arriers.htm

Bibliography Agar M.Language shock: Understanding the culture of

conversation, New York: William Morrow, 1994.

Ashley A.A Handbook of Commercial

Correspondence, New Edition , Oxford University Press,2003.

Coanc M., MagheruanV., Preda M.Practice inCommunication for Informatics, Editura Universitar,2010

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