Overcoming barriers to effective communication We have all experienced, at one time or another, the frustration of feeling misunderstood and of not being able to make ourselves understood by another person. Anything that blocks the meaning of a communication constitutes an obstacle to communication. Effective communication is like a house built one block at a time. First, to build a house you need to build a trust; trust is not a group process, but is created in one-to-one connections with each individual. Second, be bold and open – the best communications are clear, direct, respectful, thoughtful and frequent. And finally, strive to continually overcome barriers to effective communication, challenge others to grow, and educate yourself. There are many obstacles to effective communication, we will look at four of the main ones: stereotypes, language, showing approval or disapproval and becoming defensive. One of the biggest obstacles to communication is stereotypes. A stereotype is defined as "a conventional, stereotyped, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image" (www.dictonary.com). When an individual has a preconception about another individual, it is difficult for the individual not to view the other individual's communication with prejudice. Within stereotypes there are many aspects in which one's prejudices maintain another individual's message. Of these there are stereotypes of race, religion and gender. To better understand how stereotypes can hinder effective communication, we need to examine each area in more detail. Even today, some people judge others by the color of their skin. Racial stereotyping is an extremely harmful aspect of stereotyping. It may well pave the way for outright racism. R...... middle of paper ......quickly bring the most important conflicts into the open and resolve them as a team; build common ground. Since many different examples of barriers related to everyday communication, both at home and at work, have been expressed, you now have the tools to overcome these barriers. Just remember to be patient, listen, and make yourself more effective at communicating. What do you want to say? Build a strong house and others will follow.Referencesht…/fulltext.assp?resultSetId=R00000000&hitNum=5&booleanTerm=effect%20communication&fuzzy/Term 10/12/2000ht…/fulltext.assp?resultSetId=R00000000&hitNum=6&booleanTerm=effect%20communication& fu zzy/Term 10 /12/2000http://www.mediate.com/articles/foster.cfm?plain=t 10/12/2000http://www.health.ufl.edu/nursing/fall99/nur3065c/hx/tsld014.htm 10 /12/2000www.dictonary.com