Communication is key to everything we do in our lives, from communicating with ourselves and everyone else around us.

Good communication is essential in every aspect of our lives because it facilitates understanding, builds trust, and ensures that interactions are effective and productive.

In essence, communication is the foundation of understanding and connection, whether working toward a shared goal, resolving a conflict, or simply building a relationship within your family, your workplace, college, and the successful management of your everyday life. 

What communication problems are you experiencing?

We can take communication for granted because we are communicating every day, all day long. However, communication is also very fragile, and a variety of factors can also interfere with the transfer of information very quickly:

To help you answer this question here’s an outline of what can interfere with our communication styles.

Interferences in communication.

• Personal barriers can include anger, frustration, or stress can distort how messages are sent or received. Preconceived notions about others can lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations. Lack of confidence may prevent someone from expressing their thoughts clearly and easily. Limited vocabulary and poor articulation can make communication unclear.

• Physical barriers like loud environments or interruptions can prevent messages from being heard or understood. Communicating through email, text or phone can reduce clarity or context.  Malfunctioning devices or bad internet connections can disrupt communication.

• Psychological barriers such as stress or fatigue can make it harder to focus and communicate effectively. Feeling attacked or criticised can lead to shutting down or misinterpreting messages. Avoiding difficult conversations may lead to incomplete or unclear communication.

• Cultural and language differences, different communication styles, body language, or expectations can create confusion. Language barriers or jargon that is unfamiliar to the listener can impede understanding leaving someone feeling alienated and inferior.  Inconsistency can create uncertainty.

• Organizational barriers in workplaces, hierarchical structure and power dynamics can discourage open communication between different levels of authority. Unclear roles, instructions, or goals can result in confusion and mistakes. Information overload occurs when too much information is shared at once and can overwhelm the listener.

• Attitude, ego or arrogance can create barriers when believing one’s perspective is superior can prevent meaningful dialogue. Disinterest or apathy can lead to disengaged communication with feelings of lack of interest.

• Nonverbal barriers and conflicting verbal and nonverbal signals (e.g., saying "I'm fine" while frowning) can confuse the listener. Avoiding eye contact can be perceived as dishonesty or disinterest.

• Lack of feedback and not actively engaging with the speaker can result in missed key points and failing to ask questions or seek clarification can leave misunderstandings unresolved.

• Time pressures and being too busy create rushed communication, leading to incomplete messages or errors as well as poor listening skills.

Interference with our communication influences the many different relationships we manage during our week; as well as our ever-changing roles and responsibilities it’s hardly surprising we can get it wrong and our relationships can come under stress.

Here is one of the reasons why communication can be misinterpreted.

3 Keys to Effective Communication

Albert Mehrabian’s communication model indicates how we listen to or take in the information that is being offered to us – body language, tone of voice, and actual words.  This pie chart shows how much we respond to a person's body language compared to actual words. 

Key reasons why it’s important to develop effective and appropriate communication.

• Having clear communication will help understand each other’s perspectives, intentions, and needs, reducing misunderstandings and conflict.

• Open and honest communication, we can build trust and deepen relationships, whether personal or professional. It ensures that people feel heard and valued.

• To enhance problem-solving, allowing you as an individual or a team to collaborate and find solutions to challenges more efficiently.

• Whether in your home or at work, clear communication ensures everyone understands their roles, responsibilities, and goals, minimizing mistakes and delays and boosting productivity.

• Good leaders, whether in business or within your family, rely on strong communication to inspire, guide, and motivate others. They use it to set clear expectations and provide feedback.

• Encouraging emotional expression and sharing thoughts and feelings constructively helps people process emotions and maintain emotional well-being.

• Being able to have clear and concise communication reduces the risk of assumptions or misinterpretations that can lead to conflict or errors.

• When communication is transparent, it enables better sharing of ideas, insights, and data, leading to informed decisions.

• Developing communication skills improves confidence, empathy, and the ability to navigate diverse situations effectively, supporting your personal growth.

• Bridging cultural differences, fostering inclusion and collaboration in diverse environments comes from good communication.

With so much to consider it can feel daunting with how to get it right.