How To Reduce The Barriers Of Communication

Reducing Barriers in General Communication

Reducing Technology Related Barriers

There are a number of ways in which Rainbow Light could reduce technology related barriers:

· Training in the use of technology;

· Test equipment before use i.e. speakers, overhead projector;

· Test firewall settings to ensure connections are allowed;

· Carry out virus checks

Technology related barriers could be reduced if the user was to be properly trained in how to use the technology. E.g. If someone who did not know how to use Skype was told to use it to communicate with a friend or relative in an other country they would not be able to. However, if this person was taught how to use Skype then this barrier would be removed.

Another way of reducing technology related barriers would be to make sure that all of the equipment being used was tested before the main presentation. The user should check that hardware such as the speakers and the overhead projector are working before they carry out their presentation. If the user did not check the equipment beforehand, then something may go wrong during the presentation e.g. there is no sound from the speakers. By simply checking the equipment before using it, the user would be able to reduce technology related barriers.

Reducing Barriers In Interpersonal Communication

Reducing Language Related Barriers 

There are a number of ways in which Rainbow Light can reduce language barriers. These are;

·         Ensure that whoever is presenting is aware of the age and ability of the audience;

·         Use clear language;

·         Don't use language which is too complicated or too simple;

·         If acronyms are used, explain what they mean;

·         The audience may not be experts on the chosen topic which is being presented, so keep technical terms to a minimum

It is very important that whoever is presenting is aware of the age and ability of their audience. If the presenter was to give a presentation on nuclear physics to a group of primary school children they would not understand what he or she was talking about. Likewise, if he or she was to give a presentation on how to install a program onto a computer to a group of IT professional, it is likely that they would become bored as they already know how to do this. If the presenter took sometime to find out whom they are presenting beforehand, then this could help them to reduce any language related barriers which may occur.

It is also important that the presenter speaks clearly and does not use language which is too simple or complicated. If the presenter speaks clearly, the audience will understand what is being discussed and are less likely to get bored. If the presenter was to use complicated words and terms then he or she may confuse their audience depending on who the audience is. However, if the presenter uses words or terms which are too complicated, their audience may feel that they are being patronised or that the presenter is insulting their intelligence.

The presenter must keep in mind that the audience that he or she is presenting to may not have their knowledge on the chosen subject. Therefore, technical terms and acronyms should be kept to a minimum and their meanings explained when they are used. If the presenter was to use a lot of acronyms and complicated terms throughout their presentation then the audience may become confused or bored as they may not understand what is being said. By keeping technical terms and acronyms to a minimum, the presenter is ensuring that these barriers are being prevented and that communicating with the audience is made as easy as possible.

 

Reducing Body Language Barriers

In order to reduce body language barriers, there are a number of things you should be aware of:

· Your own body language;

· The body language of other people;  

· Your response to the questions being asked 

It is important that you are aware of your own body language during an interview, presentation or when talking to someone. If someone is displaying bad body language during an interview, it may signal to the interviewer that he or she does not really want the job. If the person being interviewed is slouching in their chair, folding their arms or constantly checking their watch, it may protray the wrong message to the interviewer. Likewise, if someone is giving a presentation to an audience and they are not making eye contact or standing up straight, it may make the audience not want to listen to what is being said. Standing up or sitting up straight, making eye contact, responding confidently to questions which are asked and being aware of your own body language and the body language of others can help to reduce barriers in communication.  

Reducing Background Noise Barriers

There are a number of ways that background noise could be reduced. These are:

· Use instant messaging instead of having conversations over the phone;

· Close window if noise is coming from outside;

· Close the office doors if there's noise coming from outside the office;

· Hold meetings in a different room;

· Put up signs such as 'Meeting in Progress, Please Keep Quite'

It is very likely that in a business such as Rainbow Light that there will be some sort of background noise during the day. This could be from people talking on their phone, vehicles or noise from equipment such as printers as well as others. If there is an important meeting in progress, Rainbow Light should put up signs to make employees and visitors aware of this. In the room were the meeting is taking place, they could close the windows to reduce noise from outside, tell those in the room to turn off their phones and tell those outside of the room to keep noise to a minimum. To reduce noise throughout the building, Rainbow Light's employees could use instant messaging instead of having conversations over the phone as well as closing windows and using the printer only when needed. If this is done, background noise will be reduced and employees can get on with their work or meetings without being disturbed by background noise.

Reducing Barriers in Written Communication

There are a number of ways in which Rainbow Light could reduce barriers in written communication. These are:

· Structure documents;

· Check for spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes;

· Get someone to proof read your work 

In order to reduce barriers in written communication it is important that the document is well structured, has no spelling errors and is proof read. A well structured document will have headings and sun-headings, bullet points were necessary, a consistent layout and formatting such as the use of bold, italics and underlining. The person who is creating the document should take care with spelling and read over their work to make sure that everything is correct. They should make sure that they use the spell check function so that any spelling mistakes which are present will be highlighted. They should also have someone else proof read their work as they may discover errors which were overlooked by the person who created the document. If documents within Rainbow Light are well structured with a good layout, appropriate headings and fonts and have no spelling errors, this will reduce the barriers which exist in written communication.