Overcoming status barriers in organizations
WHAT IS A STATUS BARRIER? The status barrier can be defined as the form of communication that is so complex in the workplace that it prevents the exchange of ideas or thoughts in physical, language and status forms.
Causes of status barriers in organizations
1. Formal operating rules and company policies: Most organizations will socialize a set of rules related to carefully selecting the use of message types, media, and modes of communication. Employees often circumvent these rules by simply avoiding sending any messages. In addition, formal company policies strictly simplify communication between employees and describe in detail how employees will communicate with each other without changing their status levels in the organization. For example, if the company policy is that all communication must be in writing, even for a small message, the medium used must be in writing. This leads to a delay in the transmission of the message and therefore delayed decision making.
2. Positions of status in the organization: in any organization, members are subdivided into different categories according to their role in the organization. The superiors are located in the upper steps of the organization chart and the subordinates are those who occupy the lower levels. Consequently, the communication between them will be formal. Formal communication can often become a barrier to effective communication in organizations.
3. Organizational facilities: To promote effective communication, many organizations provide facilities such as telephone, stationery, translation software, etc. If these facilities are adequately available, then communication can become timely, accurate, and on demand. Otherwise, the communication may face numerous obstacles and become ineffective.
4. Complex structure: Many organizations still have many levels of management that will have a major impact on the effectiveness of various message exchanges. The large amount of handling will certainly delay the transmission of many messages and the content of the messages might even change before reaching the intended recipient.
6 WAYS TO OVERCOME STATUS BARRIERS IN ORGANIZATIONS
The following 7 tips or ways can be used to overcome STATUS barriers in organizations:
1. USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE: Simple, clear words should be used when communicating. The use of ambiguous words and jargon should be avoided. It also helps to overcome status barriers in communication.
2. CLOSE PERCEPTION DIFFERENCES: Business organizations need to make sure they hire the right people for the job. It is the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee is proficient in written and spoken language. Proper training should be given to the employees.
3. ACTIVE LISTENING: Always listen attentively and attentively. Active listening means listening with the proper understanding of the message being heard. The speaker must make sure by asking whether or not his message is understood by the receiver in the same terms as the speaker intended.
4. AVOID INFORMATION OVERLOAD: Managers must know how to prioritize their work. Never overload yourself with work. Managers need to spend quality time with their subordinates and also need to actively listen to their problems and provide feedback.
5. REDUCE AND ELIMINATE NOISE LEVELS: The main communication barrier is noise, which must be overcome as a priority. Therefore, it is essential to identify the source of the noise and then eliminate that source.
6. EMOTIONAL STATE: During communication, one must make effective use of body language. You should not show your emotions while communicating as the receiver may misinterpret the message being delivered.