Barriers to effective communication can often come from a preconceived bias. The following is a personal story that, hopefully, paints a picture of what this could look like:
Barriers to Effective Communication
Recently I was talking to an acquaintance at my wife’s birthday party. Our conversation moved in to an often volatile topic which was politics. It soon became apparent that our political views were not aligned and that almost became an insurmountable barrier to effective communication.
Gratefully, some others in the room began talking about other hobbies and interests. As a result, we found out that we both had a passion for diving and hiking. We became fascinated with places in the country and the world that we had experienced. We also began sharing pictures from my lap top computer with enthusiasm and spontaneity. We were both totally and completely immersed in each other’s experiences and all it took was a wiilingness to explore some other interests. What a shift!
We no longer felt polarized by our differences but unified by what we had in common. We didn’t need to be in 100% agreement on everything in our lives in order to have a mutual respect and appeciation for each other.
We were both patriots and Americans with a unique perspective on some things in life. But that was part of what made us who we were.
I reflected on what I had learned that day. As neighbors, Americans, and members of a Global community, we have far to much in common to allow individual differences to separate us. We are interconnected. We cannot allow our political views, personal preferences, or religious choices to diminish our respect and appreciation for each other. When we do, they become barriers to effective communication.
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Fri, Mar 19, 2010
Personal Development