How to identify and overcome communication barriers at work

Communication barriers at work are common in an interconnected and diverse world. You may struggle to communicate with a client who speaks a different language or with a coworker of higher organizational rank. This can lead to ineffective communication that leaves both of you confused.

While communication barriers can be frustrating, there are ways to overcome them. First, it’s important to understand the different types of communication barriers and how to identify them in the workplace.

What are communication barriers?

Communication barriers are any obstacles that prevent effective communication. They make it difficult for you to clearly get your message across when speaking with someone else.

These barriers can be caused by many things, including internal and external influences. Communication barrier examples include the following:

• Language barriers
• Cultural differences
• A lack of trust
• Prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes
• Organizational position or status
• A lack of empathy
• Information overload

Communication barriers make work more difficult. They cause misunderstandings, unintentional conflict, and unclear expectations. This can lead to low employee morale, decreased productivity, and poor customer service.

Types of communication barriers at work 

While language differences are one of the most common communication barriers, they only account for a small subset of communication challenges in the workplace. Other communication barrier types include the following:

• Organizational communication barriers: These communication barriers prevent information from flowing seamlessly within your organization. These obstacles can stem from organizational structure, power dynamics, and a lack of context. They can also include physical barriers such as physically separated teams working from home. Poor leadership communication skills also play a role.

• Cultural communication barriers: This can be related to a difference in customs, religions, and geographical differences. Common cultural barriers include implicit biases, misinterpretation, and conflicting personal values.

• Verbal communication barriers: You may face verbal communication barriers when engaging in online, phone, or face-to-face communication. Verbal barriers include language choices, accents, and generalizations. 

• Nonverbal communication barriers: Nonverbal communication barriers include your body language and facial expressions. These barriers can also arise when either the message sender or receiver lives with disabilities that may impair their nonverbal communication, such as those living with autism or ALS. 

• Psychological communication barriers: Psychological barriers include mental disconnects that may be related to your emotions, self-esteem, or how you feel about the other person. For example, you may struggle to maintain an appropriate tone of voice if you’re feeling stressed or irritated. These emotional barriers can also cause you to withdraw from the conversation.

How to identify communication barriers in the workplace

Good communication is key in the workplace. However, only half of employees strongly agree that they know what’s expected of them at work. 

Communication barriers can leave employees questioning their roles and responsibilities. Improving these disconnects can break down silos and lead to increased transparency in the workplace. 

You first need to identify weak points in your team’s communication to improve how information flows in the organization. Here are a few ways you can pinpoint barriers of effective communication:

• Pay attention to communication patterns: Watch your team’s interactions to see whether miscommunication and misunderstandings are commonplace
• Conduct anonymous surveys: If you’re in a leadership role, consider sending out an employee feedback survey to gauge how your team feels about internal communication
• Ask for input: The easiest way to find out what your team thinks about current communication practices is to ask them. This conversation could be handled one-on-one or in a group setting.
• Analyze your communication tools: Assess whether your current digital communication methods and platforms are adequate for your team’s needs
• Track engagement: Low employee engagement metrics, such as high employee turnover and low job satisfaction, could indicate problems with communication and trust
• Gauge upward communication channels: The best communication between leaders and employees goes both ways. Check to see if you have a clear upward communication process and whether employees feel comfortable using it.

7 ways to overcome communication barriers at work

Overcoming barriers to communication at work can improve your and your team’s motivation and performance. Use these strategies to improve your communication skills and reduce miscommunication.

1. Request feedback

If you’re wondering whether something you said was correctly received, ask. Request feedback about whether everything you said made sense or if it brought up any additional questions. Ask if there’s anything else you can clarify, or have them voice their understanding of the message to ensure it was accurately interpreted. 

Requesting feedback in the moment can help eliminate misunderstandings and back-and-forth communication down the road. It can also clarify expectations and make both the sender and receiver feel more confident at work.

2. Model open communication

If you have strong communication skills, use them to model how effective communication should look. You can show by example that good communication requires relationship building. It needs patience and a positive attitude. 

For example, you can show your coworkers how to deal with a difficult person by listening to them and honoring their needs. This can set a tone of communication that leads to better outcomes and clearer expectations.

If you feel like your communication skills are lacking, consider enlisting the help of a communication coach. These coaches can help you practice better communication through targeted exercises and consistent feedback.

3. Consider the environment

Not every time and place is appropriate for sharing information with someone. Effective communication shows respect for the receiver’s time and attention levels.

For example, if someone is working on an urgent task that’s due in the next hour, that’s not a good time to ask for a conversation. They’d likely be distracted and try to rush through your chat, which can increase the likelihood of them forgetting or misremembering the information. 

Likewise, if it’s 4:57 p.m. and the receiver gets off work at 5 p.m., that’s also not the best time to have a lengthy conversation. The person may have personal needs to attend to, like picking up a child from school, that could impact their focus.

Choose a time and place free of distractions to ensure you both have each other’s undivided attention. This increased focus can help reduce the chances of miscommunication.

4. Avoid technical terms

Technical and industry-specific terms are common in the workplace, especially in sectors like health care and tech. For the clearest possible communication, it’s best not to assume the person you’re speaking with knows that jargon.

Even if they work in your industry or in a similar role, they may be new to the organization and not yet aware of any internal acronyms or abbreviations. It’s best to avoid these so you don’t inadvertently introduce communication barriers to the conversation.

5. Listen actively 

You can let someone else know you understand what they’re saying with active listening. This listening skill acknowledges the other person’s emotions and enables you to show cognitive empathy and respect.

Active listening is largely nonverbal. It includes maintaining eye contact, nodding your head in agreement, and reacting to the person’s emotions. This nonverbal feedback can make the speaker feel like they have your full attention and that they’re coming across clearly. Active listening is also correlated with a higher chance of achieving organizational outcomes.

6. Communicate one thing at a time

Information overload is a common communication barrier. This happens when someone receives too much information at one time. It becomes an obstacle to effective communication. 

With information overload, you might start to feel overwhelmed or like you have too much to remember. You might forget to ask clarifying questions because the conversation quickly changed topic.

To avoid this obstacle, focus on communicating one thing at a time. If you have to discuss multiple topics, take a moment to pause and allow the listener to ask questions and absorb the information. Doing so can help ensure the entire conversation is clear and prevent the listener from mixing up the topics.

7. Use technology

These days, it’s common for team members to be spread out across the country or world. Luckily, workplace communication tools and technologies can help with this distance. They break down physical communication barriers between you and your team.

Consider which communication tool will be best to help convey your message. For example, let’s say you need to speak with a coworker who has a language barrier. It might be better to use video conferencing than a phone call so your coworker can see some of your nonverbal cues to add to their understanding. Built-in presentation software can also enable you to share graphics or what’s on your screen to incorporate visual communication.

Similarly, technology can help if you have a quick question for a manager who is constantly in meetings. You can ping them on an instant messaging channel instead of trying to schedule time. That way, they can give you a quick response when they aren’t distracted.

Knock down communication barriers with a BetterUp coach

Communication barriers at work make it difficult to share knowledge with team members. This can lead to confusion, conflict, and poor job satisfaction. When it comes to clear communication, there’s always room for improvement. 

Learn how to refine your communication and overcome obstacles with a BetterUp Coach.