Here are some techniques I would utilize to handle communication barriers and improve communication in my school: 1. Promote active listening. I would encourage teachers and staff to listen fully without judgment and understand different perspectives. 2. Simplify language used in meetings, memos and announcements to ensure clarity and understanding. 3. Establish open communication channels and feedback loops. Create opportunities for teachers, staff and students to openly share feedback and concerns. 4. Build trust through transparency. Be open about decisions and address rumors directly to reduce misinformation. 5. Celebrate diversity. Highlight different cultures and backgrounds of teachers and students to foster inclusion and understanding between groups. 6. Provide cultural sensitivity training.

1. REJULIOS M. VILLENES
M.A. Ed. – Educational Management
PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
The National Center for Teacher Education
Graduate Studies
Quezon Campus
Lopez, Quezon
15 September 2012

2. Guiding Light
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come
out of your mouths, but only what is
helpful for building others up according
to their needs, that it may benefit those
who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

3. Summary Sentence
Barriers to effective communication in
an organization may exist in different
forms from the individual itself up to the
entire organization. To improve
communication, the focus must be on
changing people and/or changing the
organizational structure.

4. Guide Questions
1. What are the barriers to effective
communication that can exist in both
organizational and interpersonal
communications?

5. 2. How can we improve the
communication process in an
organization?
a. How can managers become an
effective communicator in general?
b. What are some techniques that
managers can utilize to become an
effective communicator?
c. How can we improve communications
in diverse organizations?

6. Barriers to Effective Communication
that Exist In Both Organizational
and Interpersonal Communications

7. Frame Of Reference
 Different individuals interpret the
same communication differently
depending on their experiences.
 When the encoding and decoding
processes are not alike,
communication tends to break
down.
FRAME OF REFERENCE

8.  People in various organizational
functions interpret the same
situation differently.
 This barrier is considered the most
important factor that breaks down
the “commonness” in
communication.
FRAME OF REFERENCE

9.  The important point is that
communicators can encode and
receivers can decode only in
terms of their experiences.
 The needs, values, attitudes,
and expectations will differ, and
this difference will result in
unintentional distortion of
communication.
On Frame of
Reference

10. Frame of Reference
Examples
1. A business problem will be
viewed differently by the
marketing manager than by the
production manager.
2. An efficiency problem in a
hospital will be viewed differently
by the nursing staff and by the

11. 3. There was a suggestion to an
experience teacher to make use
of technology and contemporary
methods in the classroom setting.
The teacher argued. According to
her, she already spent more than
the half of her life in teaching
using the traditional methods and
still it is effective.

12. Selective Listening
 Listening takes places in four
phases:
perception, interpretation, evaluat
ion, and action.
 Form of selective perception in
which we tend to block out new
information, especially if it
conflicts what we believe.
Selective Listening

13. Four Phases of Listening
Perception – meaning attached to the
speaker‟s message is colored by the
listener‟s cultural, educational, and
social frame of references
Interpretation – the meaning may be
interpreted differently since it is
affected by the person‟s frame of
reference
Selective Listening

14. Evaluation – method of evaluating
the meaning is affected by the
listener‟s attitude, preferences, and
experience
Action – type of action taken involves
memory and recall
Selective Listening

15. Selective Listening
Examples
1. Some pro-RH bill will not listen
anymore to the anti-RH bill‟s
critiques since they consider them
as a hindrance to their goal.
2. A notice is sent to all the operating
departments that costs must be
reduced. Operating employees
may ignore the notice since it

16. Worthwhile Listening
Pointers
from Oprah Winfrey
1. Blocks out distraction and
focuses on the speaker
2. Listens with great eye contact
3. Listens emphatically without
interrupting
4. Paraphrase the guest‟s
comments and ideas

17. Value Judgement
 A receiver-made value that is based
on the receiver‟s evaluation of the
communicator or previous
experiences with the
communicator, or on the message‟s
anticipated meaning.
Value Judgement

18. Value Judgement Examples
1. A school administrator ignores one
of the grievance concerns of his
teacher because “he‟s always
complaining about something.”
2. Some militant groups don‟t believe
the statements of former Pres.
Arroyo. According to them, it‟s just
“her old dirty tactics.”

19. Source Credibility
 Defines the trust, confidence, and
faith that the receiver has in words
and actions of the communicator
 Level of credibility assigned to the
speaker directly affects how the
receiver views and reacts to words,
ideas, and actions by the speaker.
Source Credibility

20. Source Credibility
Examples
1. Some students don‟t listen
anymore to their course instructor
whenever she‟s speaking.
According to the students, she‟s
giving irrelevant information and
uses 90% of class hours on giving
nonsense talk.
2. Union leaders view the
management as exploiters while

21. Filtering
 Refers to the manipulation of
information so that the receiver
perceives it as positive
 Reason for filtering should be clear
since it carries and controls
information to the management
Filtering

22. Filtering Example
A supervisor reports to the
management about the little
deviation on expenditures. But he
pointed out that they maximize the
financial resources in order to
achieve an excellent output.

23. In-group Language
 Different groups develop words or
phrases that have meaning only to
members
 These words provide members with
feeling of belongingness,
cohesiveness, and even self-
esteem
In-group Language

24.  When outsiders intervene or get
involved in the
communication, communication
usually breaks down
In-group

25.  One form of an in-group
language is jargon
 Using in-group language
makes a mysterious and
doubtful atmosphere as heard
by the outsiders
On In-group
Language

26. In-group Language
Example
A group of undergraduate
researchers requested some
high school students to
“complete the instrument as
part of an experimental
treatment”. The high school
students are puzzled on what
kind of instrument are they
going to complete. Later, they

27. Status Differences
 Status differences widen the gap of
communication between the
superiors and sub-ordinates. Some
of the reasons include time
constraints, nature of work, fear, etc.
Status Differences

28. Status Differences
Example
1. A nurse may prefer to remain
quite instead of expressing
opinion or asking a question to
the nursing supervisor.
2. Meeting a bank vice president
will be possible only if advance
appointment is done or by
passing the careful quizzing of a

29. Time Pressure
 Limited time for communication
 Short-circuiting is a failure of the
formally described communication
system that often results from time
pressures.
 Short-circuiting means that someone
has been left out of the formal
channel of communication who
normally would be included.
Time Pressure

30. Time Pressure Example
1. Managers have no enough time
for having chat with their
subordinates.
2. A teacher needs an advice on a
specific instructional practices.
She consults the principal in
another school since her
immediate head is out.

31. Communication
 This refers to giving too much
information directed to individuals
wherein individuals cannot absorb
or respond immediately on it.
Communication Overload
Overload

32. Communication Overload
Example
Giving too much memo on
different matters will make a
communication overload. Pressures
on different tasks and imprecise &
unclear notions from the group will
arise.

33. Barriers within
Individual
Barriers within
the Organization
Frame of
reference
In-group
language
Value judgement Filtering
To improve communication, the
focus must be on changing people and/or
changing the organizational structure.

35. Managers As An
1. Improving messages or the
information they want to transmit
2. Improving understanding of what
other people are trying to
communicate with them
How can managers become an effective
communicator in general?
Effective Communicator

36.  Managers must become better
encoders and decoders. They must
strive not only be to understood but
also to understand.
How can managers become an effective
communicator in general?

37. 1. Following Up
This involves assuming that you
are misunderstood and, whenever
possible, attempting to determine
whether your intended meaning
actually was received.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?
Becoming An
Some Techniques On
Effective Communicator

38. 2. Regulating Information Flow
 Regulating communication can
ensure an optimal flow of information
to managers, thereby eliminating the
barrier of „communication overload‟.
 Based on Exception Principle of
Management – only significant
deviations from policies and
procedures should be brought to the
attention of the superiors.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

39. 3. Utilizing Feedback
 Feedback provides a channel for
receiver response that enables the
communicator to determine whether the
message has been received and has
produced the intended response.
 Direct feedback is possible in face-to-
face communication. In downward
communication, inaccuracies occur
because of insufficient opportunity for
feedback from the receivers.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

40. 4. Empathy
 This involves being a receiver-oriented
rather than communicator oriented.
 Empathy requires communicators to
place themselves in the shoes of the
receiver in order to anticipate how the
message is likely to be decoded.
 This is the ability to put oneself in the
other person‟s role and to assume
individual viewpoints and emotions.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

41. 5. Repetition
 This is to ensure that messages and
information are communicated.
 Repetition or redundancy sees that if
one part of the message is
misunderstood, other parts will carry
the same message.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

42. 6. Encouraging Mutual Trust
 Managers who develop a climate of
trust will find that following up on each
communication is less critical and that
no loss in understanding will result
among subordinates from a failure to
follow up in each communication.
 An atmosphere with mutual trust will
foster a high „source credibility‟
among subordinates.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

43. 7. Effective Timing
 Messages are more likely to be
understood when they are not
competing with other messages.
 Information and messages must be
„heard‟ or communicated.
 Poor timing results in distortions and
value judgement.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

44. 8. Simplifying Language
 Complex language has been identified
as a major barriers to effective
communication.
 Managers must ensure that
communication is effectively transmitted
and it involves understanding the
message.
 Messages must be encoded in
words, appeals and symbols that are
meaningful to the receiver.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

45. 9. Using the Grapevine
 Though an informal form of
communication, grapevine is an
important information
communication channel that uses
bypassing mechanism, and
sometimes is faster to communicate
than the formal one.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

46. 10. Promoting Ethical Communication
 Kreps‟ three broad principles:
Organizational members should not
intentionally deceive one another
Communication should not purposely
harm any other members
Organization members should be
treated justly.
What are some techniques that managers
can utilize to become an effective
communicator?

47. 1. Encourage employees to organize
cultural communication networks.
These networks help new
employees adjust, arrange cultural
events, and provide feedback from
management.
How can we improve communications in
diverse organizations?
Improving Communications
In Diverse Organization

48. 2. Consider establishing a managerial
position, the responsibility of which
includes developing and
overseeing multicultural and
affirmative action programs.
3. Institute a mentor program
whereby new minority employees
are introduced to the company
culture.
How can we improve communications in
diverse organizations?

49. 4. Celebrate cultural events.
5. Conduct diversity-management
workshops which allow managers
to explore the meaning of being a
minority in a majority society.
How can we improve communications in
diverse organizations?

50. Improving Communications in an
Organization: Narrowing the Gap
 Following up
 Principle of
sufficiency
 Empathy
 Repetition
MESSAGE Decoding
RECEIVER
Encoding
COMMUNI-
CATOR
 Encouraging
mutual trust
 Effective timing
 Simplifying
language
 Utilizing feedback
 Effective listening
 Using the
grapevine
Field of
Experiences
Field of
Experiences

51. Interaction
Tungkol sa hog feeds na 30 seconder
dapat ang commercial. Ginawan ng ganitong
story board:
Nanganak yung inahing baboy ng walong
maliliit at payat na biik. Tapos, nang bigyan ng
feeds, ilang buwan lang, mataba na. Tuwang
tuwa ang inahing baboy lalo na nung makitang
halos sumabog yung timbangan at
nagkaabutan ng pera yung bibili at may ari.
Analyze and identify what barrier to effective
communication is present in the situation.

52. Interaction
Matapos mag-present ang mga
kasamahan ko, palakpakan ang lahat. Ako
lang yata ang hindi. Tanong agad ni bossing
kung bakit. Sabi ko, sino ba namang ina ang
matutuwang makita na kaya pala pinatataba
ang anak niya kasi ibebenta? Tapos sa harap
niya ginawa ang bayaran habang tinitimbang
ang mga biik, nakangiti pa ang inahin?
Awkward silence. Pero maraming
nakasimangot. Lalo na yung proponent at
project head.

53. Interaction
“Since, si Mr. Villalobos ang nakakita ng
flaws, siya na lang ang pagawain niyo ng story
board, give my account to him!” sigaw ng
project head. Walk out ang dalawa.
“Kaw kasi, e” sisi ni bossing.
“Tinanong nyo ako, e…”
“Ba‟t kasi…?”
“Eh…”
Ending? Walang kumausap o pumansin
sa akin sa opis sa buong maghapon.

54. Interaction
Ako rin ang gagawa. Pero konsyensya ko
naman kung kontrapelo na ako sa trabaho,
kontrapelo pa ako sa sweldo. Ako na ang
magtatrabaho, kanila na ang bayad. Ngayon
ko lang napag-isip-isip, kung si Rizal ay
pinahamak ng kanyang panulat, ako
malamang ay ang tamang pagsagot sa tamang
tanong sa maling pagkakataon at sa harap ng
mga taong pikon.
From Eros Atalia’s “It’s Not That Complicated: Bakit Hindi Pa
Sasakupin ng mga Alien ang Daigdig sa 2012”

55. Application
How will you handle communication
barriers in your school? What are the
techniques you‟re going to utilize to address or
to avoid such problems?