Barriers to communication
In Module 1, you considered barriers to effective communication. You will recall that there are several types of barriers: semantic, perceptual and cultural, among others. These barriers may be associated with the writer, or the reader, or with the context in which the document is being created. As the writer, perhaps you do not have a deep understanding of the subject of the entire document. The reader may have limited time to read and understand a complex topic, or there may be some reason why they will not welcome the report’s recommendation or the proposal’s timeline.
When you are writing just part of a longer document, there can be even more barriers. Not only do you need to consider barriers that primarily affect either the reader or the writer, you also must consider barriers related to the writing process itself. For instance, you may be collaborating with colleagues from other offices, or with individuals who approach writing in a very different way than you do.
Practice: Identify barriers
In any communication situation there are many potential barriers. Consider this scenario below, and identify some of the communications barriers associated with the writer, the readers and the situation itself. Once you have identified the barriers, click to see the ones we felt were significant.