Barriers Of Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication enhances organizational behavior and increases the effectiveness of an organization. For that reason it must be effectively handled to ensure the fulfillment of the organizations’ goals. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, having strong interpersonal communications skills should be “must have” qualities when going into any career field. (dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/softskills/Communication.pdf, April 22, 2016)

For example, if you were in a job interview, your interpersonal communication skills come in handy because it proves to the employer, through your responses, your way of communication with others and demonstrates how well you listen, manage, and interpret information. “To an employer, good communication

As Rudolph and Kathleen Verderber wrote it, conversations are the medium of interpersonal communication and the building blocks of good interpersonal relationships. When conversations go well, they are informative, stimulating, and often just good fun. By understanding how a conversation works and by taking advantage of its dynamics, we all can become more skillful in the everyday talks we have with others. (Rudolph and Kathleen Verderber, “Communicate!”,

Effective communication involves overcoming certain obstacles and conveying a clear and concise message. (OrgB, Ch. 8) “In many communications, the message (what is said) may not be received exactly the way the sender intended. It is, therefore, important that the communicator seeks feedback to check that their message is clearly understood.” (Joseph A. Devito, The Interpersonal Communication Book, 12th edition, published July 1, 2000) Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the person that is on the receiving end of the conversation are several barriers in the communication that is taking place. Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents also play a role as to why some messages aren’t communicated effectively and clearly where they can be understood properly. Unfortunately, from my personal experience, expectations and biases which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping tends to happen a lot in the work place and negatively effects organizational behavior. People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to false conclusions. Most people would agree that communication between two individuals should be simple. It’s important to remember that there are differences between