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Factors That May Inhibit Effective Communication

There are many factors that may inhibit effective communication between you and your partner. Being aware of some of these factors and trying to eliminate or overcome them can greatly improve one’s ability to communicate.

Hearing Difficulties

My daughter was telling me the other day that her husband got his hearing checked and there are certain tones he can’t hear. The audiologist suggested to her that she make sure she has his attention before trying to have a conversation so that he can pay attention and ask for clarification if he hasn’t registered some of her words.

The pressure of Time Does Not Allow Effective Communications to Occur

In order to create a harmonious and loving relationship, people have to spend time with one another sharing their hopes, dreams, and concerns. In order to do this, you have to have the time and freedom to spend talking without feeling pressured and rushed.

Many experts recommend setting aside one night a week for ‘family meetings’ in order to talk, share, consult and negotiate new rules and responsibilities. A couple needs to spend time daily in sharing and nurturing one another and their relationship. It is most advisable to give your partner an hour or two of ‘down time’ when they come home from work so that they can depressurize from work and the commute and change gears into family and relationship mode.

And we know that men hate the dreaded ‘we need to talk’ conversation; the conversations I’m recommending aren’t that kind of conversation. What I’m talking about is just general conversation such as, ‘how was your day?’ Or, better yet, ‘tell me about your day.’ This is a much more open-ended way to get your partner to talk rather than a closed-ended question that only requires a yes or no response.

Receiver Is Temporarily Preoccupied

Show your partner that you genuinely care about his or her day. Don’t try to have this conversation while you are trying to cook supper or give the kids a bath, or look at your smart-phone. Don’t attempt to have a conversation while your partner is worried about the car repairs or the mortgage payment, or using power tools.

Distracted office worker (Credit – Canadian Business Dot Com)

Outside Interference Or Distractions

If you’re in the middle of the conversation and work calls, or a crisis with one of the children, then put the conversation on hold until both partners feel relaxed enough to continue to be fully present with you.

People Intentionally or Unintentionally Fail To Say What They Mean

Generally, a passive person or a passive-aggressive person will fail to say what they really mean. This quite often is unconscious—they are unaware of their dysfunctional communication style. If you’re unsure if you really understood what your partner was getting at, you can always repeat back or paraphrase what you think your partner was saying in order to get clarification.

Everything from hearing difficulties, educational and vocabulary levels, time factors, and distractions, to cultural differences can be barriers to clear communication between couples. Also, different communication ‘styles, such as passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertiveness can hamper or enhance communication between one another. See my essay on 4 Communication Styles to learn more.

See Communication Factors Part II

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