MCM301 Communication Skills VU
“Semester Spring 2013”
“Communication Skills (MCM301)”
Assignment No. 01 Marks: 15
Assignment Topic:
Barriers to Communication
Learning objectives:
The objective of this assignment is
• To make students aware about the barriers to effective communication.
Scenario:
PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) held a huge procession on 23rd March 2013 at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore. The officials of the party delivered speeches to the crowed regarding upcoming elections and their policies. A massive crowed was there to listen to the speech of Chairman PTI Mr. Imran Khan.
Task:
You are supposed to watch the speech of Imran khan (Chairman PTI) and answer the following questions:
• Identify the physical/psychological barriers which obstructed the communication process in the speech and justify your answer with strong arguments. (At least five barriers 7.5)
• How the identified barriers could be overcome by the management as to minimize the obstacles to effective communication? (At least five suggestions 7.5)
Learning outcomes:
• Students will learn the importance of minimizing the obstacles hindering the communication process.
Important Note
1. Mr. Imran Khan’s speech is available on the following video
2. For better understanding of the discussed concept thoroughly read lecture no 09 to
lecture no 12.
3. Video lectures can be downloaded for free from http://ocw.vu.edu.pk/
4. In case of any ambiguity feel free to ask at mcm301@vu.edu.pk
MCM301 Communication Skills VU Copied material will be graded “Zero.”
Schedule Opening Date May 3rd
2013 At 12:01 A.M. (Mid Night)
Submission Date May 08th
2013 At 11:59 A.M. (Mid Night)
Note: Only in the case of Assignment, 24 Hrs extra / grace period after the above mentioned due date is usually available to overcome uploading difficulties which may be faced by the students on last date. This extra time should only be used to meet the emergencies and above mentioned due dates should always be treated as final to avoid any inconvenience.
Important Instructions:
Please read the following instructions carefully before attempting the assignment solution.
Deadline:
• Make sure that you upload the solution file before the due date. No assignment will be accepted through e-mail once the solution has been uploaded by the instructor.
Formatting guidelines:
• Use the font style “Times New Roman” and font size “12”.
• It is advised to compose your document in MS-Word 2003.
• Use black and blue font colors only.
Solution guidelines:
• Use APA style for referencing and citation. For guidance search “APA reference style” in Google and read various website containing information for better understanding or visit http://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/apa/APA01.html
• Every student will work individually and has to write in the form of an analytical assignment.
• Give the answer according to question, there will be negative marking for irrelevant material.
• For acquiring the relevant knowledge don’t rely only on handouts but watch the video lectures and use other reference books also.
Rules for Marking
Please note that your assignment will not be graded or graded as Zero (0) if:
• It has been submitted after due date
• The file you uploaded does not open or is corrupt
• It is in any format other than .doc (MS. Word)
Idea Solution
You Just need to listen the given video carefully and point out the Communication barriers and then explain them as given below an Idea.
Most Common Barriers to Effective Communication
1. Physical Barriers: this has to do with poor or outdated equipment used during communications, background noise, poor lighting, temperatures that are too hot or too cold.
2. Attitudes: emotions like anger or sadness can taint objectivity. Also being extremely nervous, having a personal agenda or “needing to be right no matter what” can make communications less than effective. This is also known as “Emotional Noise”.
3. Language: this can seem like an easy one, but even people speaking the same language can have difficulty understanding each other if they are from different generations or from different regions of the same country. Slang, professional jargon and regional colloquialisms can even hurt communicators with the best intentions.
4. Physiological Barriers: ill health, poor eyesight or hearing difficulties, pain.
5. Problems with Structure Design: companies or institutions can have organization structures that are not clear, which can make communications difficult. Also to blame for faulty communications are bad information systems, and lack of supervision or training of the people involved.
6. Cultural Noise: people sometimes make stereotypical assumptions about others based on their cultural background.
7. Lack of Common Experience: it’s a great idea to use examples or stories to explain a point that is being discussed. However, if the speaker and the audience cannot relate to these examples because they do not have the same knowledge or have not shared the same experiences then this tool will be ineffective.
8. Ambiguity and Abstractions Overuse: leaving things half-said, using too many generalizations, proverbs or sayings, can all lead to communications that are not clear and that can lend themselves to misinterpretations.
9. Information Overload: it takes time to process a lot of information and too many details can overwhelm and distract the audience from the important topics. Keep it Simple, Sweetie.
10. Assumptions and Jumping to Conclusions: This can make someone reach a decision about something before listening to all the facts.
All of these barriers to effective communication can either distract those involved or otherwise hinder your communications. Make sure they’re not in the way of making your point crystal-clear!