The term ‘Life Skills’ refers to the skills usually associated with managing and living a better quality of life, they help us to accomplish our ambitions and live to our full potential. There is no definitive list of life skills; certain skills may be more or less relevant to us depending on our life circumstances, our culture, beliefs, age, geographic location etc. Perhaps the most  important life skill is the self-development. By learning new skills we increase our understanding of the world around us and equip ourselves with the tools we need to live a more productive and fulfilling life. Life skills are not always taught directly but often learnt indirectly through experience and practice.

• Inter-personal Communication Skills
• Communication itself is a complex subject Inter-personal Skills refer to the skills we use when dealing with other people, for example we use both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques when engaged in face-to-face communications. Listening skills are paramount to understanding and empathizing with others, do you listen effectively? Do you fully understand the message being conveyed? Effective listening skills together with techniques such as  clarification and reflection can help prevent misunderstanding.

There are potentially many barriers to communication in any situation - these barriers can hinder the communication process and it is therefore essential for a strong communicator to be aware of such barriers and find ways to communicate and work around them by improving the below skills:

• Listening Skills and Active Listening
• Verbal Communication
• Building Rapport and Effective Speaking
• Non-verbal Communication
• Personal Appearance
• Clarification and Reflection
There are many reasons why inter-personal communications may fail. In many communications, the message may not be received exactly the way the sender intended and hence it is important that the communicator seeks feedback to check that their message is clearly understood.

There exist many barriers to communication and these may occur at any stage in the communication process. Barriers may lead to your message becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and money by causing confusion and misunderstanding.

Effective communication involves overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and concise message. Some common barriers to effective communication include:
• The use of jargon, over-complicated or unfamiliar terms.
• Emotional barriers and taboos.
• Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
• Differences in perception and viewpoint.
• Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
• Physical barriers to non-verbal communication.
• Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
• Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping.

People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions.
• Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings.

Categorization of Barriers to Communication:
Language Barriers Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication.  However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For example, a message that includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is not familiar with the terminology used. Regional colloquialisms and expressions may be misinterpreted or even considered offensive.

Psychological Barriers
The psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message is received. For example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they were not stressed. Stress is an important factor in Inter-personal relationships. Anger is another example of a psychological barrier to communication.

Physiological Barriers
Physiological barriers may result from the receiver’s physical state: for example, a receiver with reduced hearing may not grasp to entirety of a spoken conversation especially if there is significant background noise.

Physical Barriers
An example of a physical barrier to communication is geographic distance between the sender and receiver(s). Communication is generally easier over shorter distances as more  communication channels are available and less technology is required. Although modern technology often serves to reduce the impact of physical barriers, the advantages and disadvantages of each communication channel should be understood so that an appropriate channel can be used to overcome the physical barriers.

Systematic Barriers
Systematic barriers to communication may exist in structures and organizations where there are inefficient or inappropriate information systems and communication channels, or where there is a lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities for communication.

In such organizations, individuals may be unclear of their role in the communication process and therefore not know what is expected of them.

Attitudinal Barriers
Attitudinal barriers are behaviours or perceptions that prevent people from communicating effectively. Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from personality conflicts, poor management,and resistance to change or a lack of motivation. Effective receivers of messages should attempt to overcome their own attitudinal barriers to facilitate effective communication.
A skilled communicator must be aware of these barriers and try to reduce the impact of Communication Barriers by continually checking understanding the key problem areas and by coming of it.

Happy Communicating! Happy Life!!