What are the common barriers to effective communication?

That’s a great question. A few key things often get in the way.

Physical barriers are a common one. This includes things like background noise or poor lighting. Then you have psychological barriers. These are our internal filters, like personal biases, stereotypes, or a lack of trust. Your emotional state matters immensely, too. It's hard to communicate clearly when you're angry or stressed.

We also face language barriers. Using too much jargon or overly complex words can alienate people. Finally, cultural differences in etiquette and non-verbal cues can cause major misunderstandings. Any of these can really throw a spanner in the works.