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Barriers To Effective Communication Skills – Video Blog

As a manager, it is so important to be able to communicate effectively with your team. Most managers will have great communication skills, but there are some barriers that you need to be aware of that can actually prevent you from being able to communicate with and instruct your team effectively – so let’s find out what these are.

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Communication Skills Masterclass – Part 4

Our last part of our Communication Skills Masterclass highlights how to be the type of communicator that people remember…for the right reasons!

Many people assume that because they have spoken, the other person has heard them, interpreted them correctly and understood them. Well, remember that the quality of our communication is judged by the response we receive. So if the other person does not respond in the way we envisaged, the first question we need to ask is, was my communication as clear as it could have been?

In Part 3, we determined that creating a purpose and intention was instrumental to putting the message across and ensuring the meaning gleaned by the other person was effective, clear and efficient.

Well, it needs more than just words and logic to ensure the message is useful and purposeful. Most people assume that just because their message is rational and logical, it is also inspiring and motivational. Well, that’s only half the message, because it is only appealing to half the brain.

Yes, unless the message gets to the whole brain, it may well not be assimilated and taken in fully.

You will be aware that the left side of our brain caters for logical, process, rational, step-by-step thinking. That’s fine. And many messages you give will appeal on that basis.

But what about when you want to motivate someone to carry out a task or inspire them through your words? Then the right brain has to be involved, too.

This is because our right brains see the big picture, are linked to emotions, images and feelings, and build on creative thoughts. Think of the left brain as being the robotic, process-driven, rational-thinking interpretive side, and the right brain being the opposite, that is, creative, initiative-driven, motivation, big picture side.

If your communication is basic (do this, do that, get this done, etc), then it may well appeal to certain people who need that purpose-driven, rational reasoning induction and direction. But for the rest of us who need to feel the emotion behind ‘why’ we are doing something, or identify the motivation behind the communication, the right brains need to be brought into play.

You can do this by appealing to the emotional side of the person, adding values and beliefs to the communication, detailing the benefits of what might happen (linked to the intention) and driving the person forward with ideas, creativity, initiative and purpose.

That way, you are appealing to the ‘whole’ person and can get them specifically involved in finding the answers for themselves, determining how their thinking processes can be driven forward. This will provide them with meaning that they can attach to their communications with you, and you start identifying ways that results can be achieved in the future.

Thanks again


Sean McPheat

Managing Director


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