Barriers in Communication
everyone we come in contact with is able to adapt the same way I do. Sometimes when I communicate with others I can assume that they have the same ability to accept and appreciate any challenge that may come up. This can create resentment and frustration between people trying to communicate.
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Now that I have defined some of these barriers I will discuss the presence of such in my communication with others. As a claims associate and customer service clerk, I come into contact with people on a daily basis that do not speak much English, if any. Many of my non-English speaking customers speak Spanish. I do not. Instead of being stubborn and set in my ways I have attempted to learn a few key phrases such as, gfecha de accidenteh which means, gdate of accidenth, or, greclamo de numeroh which means, gclaim numberh. Ifve learned to communicate a little bit with someone that I could not communicate with at all a few years ago.
I find that even in my attempt to communicate with those who do not speak English, I encounter those who have no desire to attempt to communicate with me. There are those who still shake their heads and say, gnoh even when my attempts are genuine. With these types I not only encounter a language barrier, I also encounter the lack of adaptability barrier.
People with different levels of experience are also present throughout the company I work for. Being a clerical employee, I am considered the low person on the totem pole. I have worked in the insurance claims industry for over 12 years and know the claims business quite well. The problem I encounter is the pious attitude of newly hired employees with degrees. They have never handled claims and some of them have not even held a full-time job. They always seem to come in with this attitude that they know more than the clerical staff. It seems that the employees with the most experience in claims acknowledge and depend on the clerical for their assets. It apparently takes years of experience to appreciate each role involved in claims handling.
When someone acquires knowledge but lacks experience they can come off a little pretentious in trying to appear qualified. Conversely someone with experience can become complacent, not
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performing at their highest levels. In either case, both attitudes can create an atmosphere lacking in communication. The pretentious are afraid to ask for help and the complacent are unwilling to provide help.
Maturity is another barrier that we all have to encounter. I find that my most frustrating confrontation with this barrier involves my 14-year-old son Matthew. He thinks he is quite the adult. He has [next page]