Activities and Exercises for Chapter 02: Seven communication roadblocks

Activity 2:1

Here are the seven communication roadblocks identified in Chapter 2 of BCS:

differences in perspective, differences in knowledge levels, lack of common language,
adoption of stereotypes and tendency to jump to conclusions, strong emotions, self-
centredness, and laziness. Read the chapter thoroughly so that you get a good idea
of the roadblocks and how they slow down communication.

Analyse with your partners two or three different instances of communication

breakdown from your family, college, or workplace. Which of these roadblocks were
involved? Who should have taken the initiative in removing the roadblocks? Did
either party realize that their communication efforts were being made ineffective by
these roadblocks? Or did either party ignore it in spite of being aware of the
roadblocks?

Activity 2:2

With your friends watch a film. Look out for instances of these roadblocks affecting
communication. Do not pass any comments while watching. After the film is over,
recall the instances of communication breakdown or slow down that you noticed and
discuss your observations. Do others agree with your observations? Have you all
been able to identify the more obvious roadblocks? Who do you think should have
taken the initiative in removing them? How was the roadblock finally removed?

You could watch the film in a cinema or on video. The advantage in watching it on
video is that during the discussion you will be able to rewind and play back certain
scenes that have been perceived differently by different members of your group.

Activity 2:3

Identify a few pairs of roles such as

College student who has broken a minor rule – principal known as strict disciplinarian

Ambitious mother – Teenaged Son/daughter who wants to take life easy

Dhobi – Customer who wants a full refund on a saree spoiled while it was ironed

Japanese visitor – waiter at a good restaurant

Allot these roles to members of your group and after a few minutes of preparation,
enact the role-play. Let the others watch the role-play and analyse it to show what
barriers affected the act of communication, how they affected it, and how either
party managed to lower the barriers.

Activity 2:4
Identify an organization in your town where a strike has been on for at least a few
days. Go and meet some of those on strike. Ask them why they called the strike and
whether it could have been avoided.

Meet also a couple of representatives of the management against whom the strike
has been called. Ask them why the strike has been called and whether it could have
been avoided.

After listening to both the sides analyse the differences in their viewpoints and how
that has affected their communication. Having listened to both the sides, do you feel
there is a way out for them? Do you feel that the strike could have been avoided?

Activity 2:5

Interview a few individuals from widely different backgrounds, for example, a

prosperous trader in town center, a sportsperson, a beggar, a hawker, a traffic
policeman, a factory owner, and a maid servant. Start the interview by telling them
that the Central Government is giving the town a special assistance of Rs 100 million.
Then ask them how they would allocate it for different activities if they were given a
free hand to do so.

Compare and contrast their answers in your informal group. What communication
roadblocks might there be if they were to communicate with one another?

Activity 2:6

Read a novel such as Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan. Discuss in your group
how a whole community’s perspective on another community forms and hardens
making it difficult for them to communicate with each other.

Resources on the Web

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcom.html

http://www.evidyarthi.com/articles/communicationskills.asp

http://www.innovis.com/pages/a_and_t.html

http://www.bizmove.com/skills/m8m.htm

General Suggestions for Students

Student’s Exercises