Personal Barriers

The effectiveness of communication is influenced by the personal factors of both sender and the receiver.

Some of the Personal Barriers are as follows:

• Fear of Challenge to Authority: If a superior fears that a particular communication can hamper his authority, then he may withhold such communication, as he always wants to maintain a higher position and prestige in the organisation.
• Lack of Confidence of Superior on his Subordinates: When superiors do not have faith or confidence on the competence of their subordinates, then communication is said to be hampered. When there is a lack of trust and confidence in subordinates, the superior may not take advice or suggestions from the subordinates. 
• Unwillingness to Communicate: Unwillingness to communicate can be another reason for ineffective communication. Many times, subordinates do not communicate with their superiors because they believe that if the information is not correct or appropriate, it will adversely affect them.
• Lack of Proper Incentives: Subordinates also do not take initiative to communicate, when there is no motivation or incentives for communication. For example, if there is no reward for the suggestion given by the subordinates, then they will not take initiative. 

The factors which obstruct the effectiveness of communication is known as Communication Barriers. These barriers cause a mismatch between the understanding of the message by the sender and the receiver. These barriers can occur at any stage of the communication process. 

Communication is an indispensable element in human relationships. Humans interact with one another through communication. The term ‘communication’ is derived from the Latin word ‘communis’, which means common. Therefore, communication is defined as an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions, or emotions to create mutual understanding. It is the sum of all things one person does in order to create understanding in the minds of others.