Avoiding Communication Breakdown

5 Ways to Avoid Communication
Breakdown
by Ronnie Peterson
Communication breakdown can cause issues or problems at home,
school, and
community. There are so many barriers to communication like,
physiological
psychological, cultural, and linguistics.
Sometimes some communication barriers are too difficult to solve and

this will
lead to slowing the progress and efficiency.
Here are the possible strategies to avoid communication breakdown:
1. Have Clarity of thought before speaking

Arrange your thoughts before verbalizing them this can help you
communicate much more clearly and succinctly. It's a better idea to
say
something like, you've got a few ideas here. Let me go through them
one at a
time. We can treat each one on its own merit."
2. Learn to Listen
As simple as it sounds, you'll be surprised how many people out there
don't know how to listen well.
Not understanding those who you are trying to communicate with will
lead
to a conversation fraught with misunderstandings. Don't be afraid to
ask
them to repeat or explain further in polite manner once you don't
understand the point.
3. Take Care of your Body Language and Tone

Keep your emotions in check, try to maintain eye contact, and adopt a
relaxed tone when conversing with others.
4. Build up your confidence by asking for feedback and observing

others
Focus on improving your skills by practicing in front of those who you
may
feel more comfortable with You can also ask those whose advice you
value
to give you feedback and critique your communication style after a
discussion
5. Communicate Face to Face on the important issues

Having that face to face dialogue means you can convey your point
more
clearly, with your body language as well as your tone of voice. It can
also help to clear up any misunderstandings or distortion of the
message that could occur through other mediums.
Remember, becoming a strong and effective communicator takes time

and
practice. Over time, using these strategies can lead to better
communication in
your personal relationships, and more productive workplace
environments as
well.
A smooth and successful communication transaction may result if
we follow some particular strategies to deliver our message.
Communication becomes successful if and only if our
communication goal is achieved, that is, an understanding is
reached and a relationship is built or maintained.
Here are some strategies to avoid communication breakdown.
Keep Focused
One way of being focused is to put in mind the purpose
communication. As a
speaker identify your purpose for speaking and as a listener find the
speaker's
purpose thru his/her verbal and non-verbal cues.
Speak Intelligibly
Speaking intelligibly or clearly means using the appropriate speaking
volume,
pitch rate, proper enunciation, stress, and acceptable pronunciation.
We speak
in order to be understood.
Listen with your Ears and Eyes

Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal message. Effective
communication
depends on what people say and how they say it.
Minimize Distractions
Look for a place where you can minimize distractions or noise like
closed area.
empty room, or quiet places. Lessening the cause for confusion
means giving
more room to focus and concentrate.
Be Specific
Use simple and concise words as much as possible in delivering a
message.
Being specific means being particular and direct to the point.
Do not Jump to Conclusions

Before you give your comments and judgement, be sure that you have
listened
attentively to the speaker . Conclusions should be drawn after a
thorough
analysis of point given or information received.
Tips on How to Avoid Communication Breakdown

Broom, Cutlip and Center (2012) listed the 7Cs of Effective
Communication in
their book Effective Public Relations. These are completeness,
Conciseness,
Consideration, Concreteness, Courtesy, Clearness, and Correctness.
Completeness
It is important to whole communication process. The speaker should
include everything that the receiver needs to hear, respond, react, or
evaluate properly. S/he should be able to convey all pertinent details
so
listener or audience will be able to grasp the intended message.
Conciseness
The message should be direct or straight to the point and should be
expressed in the least possible number of words. Irrelevant
information
should not be included
Consideration
In order to be effective, the speaker should give high regard and
courtesy
to audience's background information such as his/her culture,
education, religion, status, mood, feelings, and needs. This will result
in
building rapport or connection with the audience
Concreteness
Effective communication is backed up by facts, figures, and real-life
examples or situations. This will make the receiver to understand the
message better.
Courtesy
The speaker can show respect to his/her receivers through
understanding their cultures, beliefs, and values. The speaker can
show respect to the listeners by demonstrating an understanding of
their beliefs, values, and culture. This implies good choice of words
and language and a consideration of the audience's perspectives and
feelings on the part of the sender. Showing courtesy helps create a
positive vibe with the audience. This implies good choice of words
and language on the part of the sender and consideration of
audience's perspectives.
Clearness
It implies the use of simple and specific words to express ideas. When
the speaker focuses on specific ideas, it will not confuse the audience.
Correctness
Avoiding mistakes in grammar helps to boost the credibility and
effectiveness of the message, and attentively the same time it
eliminates negative
impact on the audience.
Breakdowns in communication may arise because of several factors.

But
these factors may be avoided if we follow strategies put forward by
experts in the
field. Communication is a transaction that we do everyday. By
following the 7 Cs of
communication espoused by Broom, Cutlip and Center (2012), we
may achieve
understanding communicating with other avoid confusion and
misinterpretations
.
Avoiding communication breakdown helps you to be an effective
speaker.
Below are some strategies which you can use to avoid breakdown
communication.

Avoiding Communication Breakdown

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What are the five strategies mentioned to avoid communication breakdown?

What are the 7Cs of effective communication according to Broom, Cutlip and Center?

5 Ways to Avoid Communication

Sometimes some communication barriers are too difficult to solve and

1. Have Clarity of thought before speaking

3. Take Care of your Body Language and Tone

4. Build up your confidence by asking for feedback and observing

5. Communicate Face to Face on the important issues

Remember, becoming a strong and effective communicator takes time

Listen with your Ears and Eyes

Do not Jump to Conclusions

Tips on How to Avoid Communication Breakdown

Breakdowns in communication may arise because of several factors.

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