Question

Explain any four personal barriers of communication.

Hint:

Personal barriers are strictly related to human behavior and interpersonal relationships between a superior and a subordinate, distinguishing them from physical or semantic barriers.

Answer 1

Step 1: What personal barriers are.
Personal barriers come from the attitudes, fears or habits of the sender and receiver themselves rather than from the organisation's system or the message itself, and they can quietly stop information from flowing properly.
Step 2: Fear of challenge to authority.
A superior who worries that some information might weaken their own authority or standing may hold it back rather than share it openly with subordinates.
Step 3: Lack of confidence in subordinates.
When a superior does not trust the ability or judgement of their subordinates, they tend to ignore feedback or suggestions coming from them, which discourages the subordinates from communicating at all.
Step 4: Lack of incentive and poor listening on the receiver's side.
If employees feel that raising a suggestion will not lead to any recognition or reward, they simply stop bothering to communicate; and on the receiving end, a superior who does not listen attentively or is preoccupied will miss the message even if it is sent clearly. These personal habits, taken together, quietly choke off communication inside an organisation.