Causes of Failure of Oral Communication
Oral communication has numerous advantages. However, in some cases, this method of communication cannot attain the desired advantages due to some causes or reasons. Some of these causes are discussed below:
Absence of planning: If the message of the oral communication is not properly planned, it cannot draw the attention of the audiences. Therefore, before delivering oral message, the speaker should prepare necessary plan.
Over confidence: In case of oral communication, communicator should have self-confidence. Though self-confidence is essential in oral communication, over confidence may collapse the communication.
Over busyness: In most of cases, oral communication occurs in a busy situation. This may cause distortion of message. As a result, communication becomes ineffective.
Quick transmission: When the communicator transmits a message or information very quickly, the audience may not understand a part or whole of it. In such case, if the message is not repeated, communication will fail.
Poor and defective presentation: Presentation is an important pre-requisite of oral communication. Sometimes oral communication becomes ineffective due to poor and defective presentation of the speaker.
Inattention: Inattention is greatly responsible for failure of oral communication. Both the parties must pay due attention towards the communication message. If either of the party is inattentive, communication between them becomes ineffective.
Presence of emotion: Emotions of both parties may influence the effectiveness of communication. Sometimes in oral communication, parties may not control their emotions. Their emotional behavior may lead the communication in vain.
Status difference: Status difference of the speaker and listener greatly affect the success of oral communication. If either of the party boasts of his position and ignores the other party, then communication between them will be blocked.
Lack of evaluation: In oral communication, there is little opportunity for both speaker and listener to evaluate the message. This also causes failure in oral communication.
Linguistic barrier: Improper language is another cause of failure of oral communication. Linguistic barrier arises from using, unknown words, technical words, jargon, accent difference etc.
