5 barriers to communications are:
- Work environment.
- People’s attitudes and emotional state.
- Time zone and geography.
- Distractions and other priorities.
- Cultures and languages.
The 5 barriers to communication are a key theme in APM project management best practice and other knowledge-based project management certifications.
1. The work environment in which the communication takes place is one of the barriers to communication.
Work environment such as noise and temperature might affect communications in certain circumstances. The project manager, therefore, must ensure that the work environment is comfortable to everyone and that it will not be a barrier to effective communication. For example, the project manager might ensure that all personal conversations in the team take place outside the working area to avoid the noise distracting other team members. The same applies to group work-related conversations where such conversations should take place in a meeting room and not around the work desks where others might be impacted by the noise.
2. People’s attitudes and emotional state
This is another barrier to communication that you can learn more about on one of our project management courses. When people are under pressure because of personal problems or work-related issues their receptiveness to messages may be adversely affected, and they are less likely to be influenced. The project manager must understand the person who will receive the information, show emotional intelligence and empathise with their needs to overcome this barrier to communication.
3. Time zone and geography
This is a barrier to communication when the work spreads around the world. For example in an international company the work and the services provided can be done in different countries by different specialists to meet clients’ needs. The time zone and the geographical barriers in this situation can be overcome by organising a conference call at a time when everybody can attend.
4. Distractions and other priorities
This is another one of the barriers to communication. People in the organisation might have other priorities and therefore too much project communication can become distracting. The project manager must ensure that the responsibilities are well distributed between the team members and the communication time is well organised to avoid such distraction.
5. Culture and language
Another barrier to communication as different cultures have different ways of doing things. Language also can be a barrier when dealing with multiple nationalities with different languages. The project manager must ensure that communications are delivered in simple language to avoid any misunderstanding.
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