OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Some of the barriers and obstacles may never be completely overcome. People
are different, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. The hospitality industry
draws employees from diverse backgrounds that, in some cases, only
tend to complicate the communication process further. Being aware of these
obstacles is the first step to overcoming them. There are some other actions
that effective managers and supervisors can take to overcome the barriers to effective
communication. These actions include the following:
Think about what you are going to say. If the message you intend to deliver
is not entirely clear to you, then it certainly will not be clearly conveyed
or received by the listener. If your message is to be delivered in writing, jot
down some notes and reread what you have written, ensuring clarity of
message.
Keep your emotions under control. No one will be rational 100 percent
of the time, but it is a good practice to maintain rationality most of the time.
Remember that extreme emotions will cloud your message and misconstrue
meaning. When in doubt, chill out first.
Be a good listener. Most people are not very good listeners. We hear
things, but that is not necessarily the same as listening. Active listening is the
key to being a good listener, and we will examine active and passive listening
techniques in the next section of this article.
Actions speak louder than words. Be sure that your actions and your body
language match your message. Nonverbal cues carry a lot of weight, so the
effective manager must be tuned in to body language, both his own and that
of the listener.
Provide and ask for feedback. It is important to provide employees with
feedback, whether it is positive or negative. It is also important to ask for
feedback to ensure that messages sent have been properly received. We will
look at feedback techniques in the final section of this article.