Barriers to Effective Communication (P3 +M1)

Language Barrier

The obvious barrier to effective communication when it comes to international communication is the language barrier between different dialects. if someone speaks a different language to yourself then you will not be able to communicate without any trouble. in addition even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not completely understood by the audience.  For example, a receiver who is not familiar may not understand a message that includes a lot of specialist terminology and abbreviations. Some regional expressions may be misinterpreted or even considered offensive. As an example we use a thumbs up expression to represent something that is good but in Greece the sign means a great offence basically asking someone for a fight. In the gaming industry you may need to have meetings with someone from the business who is from a different country and may speak a different language from you and the rest of the team.

Solutions

A possible solution to this communication barrier is if it is a corporate face-to-face meeting you could hire a translator who could translate what they say and repeat it to the other person. If it is a written or typed documentation that is going to be read by someone from a different country you could use a program like Google translator to change what you have written into his or her language. A solution to the people not understanding your own language would be to know your audience and use the correct terminology so you do not confuse them.

Physical barriers

Physical barriers are usually easy to see for example doors that are closed, walls that are erected, and distance between people all work against the goal of effective communication. Electrical equipment such as phones and emails can also be a problem if they stop working or get broken.

Solutions

While most agree that people need their own personal areas in the workplace, setting up an office to remove physical barriers is the first step towards opening communication. Many professionals, who work in the games industries that thrive on collaborative communication, purposefully design their workspaces around an “open office” plan. This layout places cubicles in favor of desks grouped around a central meeting space. While each individual has their own dedicated workspace, there are no visible barriers to prevent collaboration with their co-workers. This encourages greater openness and frequently creates closer working bonds.