10 Reasons to Communicate with Postcards: See Our Postcard Printing Article Barriers to Communication: The Monkey TrapBy: Robert F. Abbott Summary: Among barriers to communication we face are the hidden assumptions we carry with us, often unknowingly. Here are some common traps, and solutions to them. Have you heard the story of the monkey trap? It goes like this: In tropical countries, hunters used to capture monkeys with a simple but effective trap. They placed a banana or something sweet inside a basket, and anchored the basket to something solid. A hole in the top of the basket allowed a monkey to get its open hand inside and grab the food. So far, so good - - from the monkey's perspective. But, when it tried to pull out its hand, while holding the banana, it could not. As long as it held the banana, its closed fist was too wide to get back out. At any time the monkey could drop the banana and easily pull out its hand. But, it would have to let go of the banana first, to make the hand narrow enough to slide back out. You probably know what's coming next: the monkey never lets go of the banana and ends up captured. Now that story may be an urban myth, but it nicely illustrates an important point: We humans often get caught in monkey traps, too. I'm referring specifically to barriers to communication that crop up in everyday personal and business communication. For example, a couple of months ago I tried to get to a street not far from my home -- an area I know well. Yet, it wasn't where I expected it and I had to call to get directions. You can imagine my embarrassment. I certainly knew the street but had a different area stuck in my mind, which blinded me to the real location. For some reason, my mind, like the monkey's, was stuck in some kind of trap. As communicators, we often get trapped in barriers to communication, and don't realize it. We make assumptions about the people with whom we work or otherwise interact. First impressions are often wrong, but corrected far less often. Assuming that others think the way we do is another common barrier to communication. And, consider, too, the perspectives on problems or opportunities we embrace, and later can't shake. For example, when publishing newsletters for organizations with many locations, I try to ensure that the mindsets of different locations, as well as that of head office, are taken into account. It's easier for me than the people who work in head office, of course, because I'm not part of that workplace culture; I just drop in every month or two. The monkey trap also can plague us when trying to write something important. We're rolling along nicely, and suddenly get stuck on a word or a idea. No matter what we do, we're stuck; in fact, the harder we try the worse it gets. To beat the monkey trap, and barriers to communication, we need a fresh perspective. On minor traps, like getting stuck on a word, a walk or short break often does the job. Simply putting the subject out of mind for a few minutes can be enough to escape On the bigger traps, the challenge may be to recognize we've mentally painted ourselves into a corner. Once we recognize we're caught, we can escape in a number of ways. One of the best ways to overcome barriers to communication is to get another person's advice, especially from someone not connected to the issue. We can also read books that help us think laterally or creatively; brainstorm with colleagues; watch television (really); or go for a walk (just don't grab any bananas in baskets while you're out). Next, go to the general business communication page, or visit our home page Communication Skills . Still looking for something?Contact informationPlease call or write to: Barriers to communication Copyright Robert F. Abbott 2009 |