Effective strategies for overcoming communication barriers Effective communication requires certain skills on both the sender and the receiver sides, along with proper mode, medium, time, place, and language of communication (Clark et al., 2019). The physical presence of the people involved in the communication is often observed to be more effective than the long-distance communication in online mode. An ideal communication should be short, precise, unbiased, and informative to avoid any misunderstanding. Communication is more effective when the speaker knows the subject thoroughly and is clear and sure of it. 1 2 3 Recruiting a native local translator who is fluent in both the speaker and the receiver’s language is an easy and effective way of eliminating linguistic barriers. The speaker should also perform thorough research on the history and values of a culture to avoid saying/ doing something that is considered inappropriate by the receiver’s culture. Proper means, approach, time, setting, and language of communication are very important for it to be effective (McGinty et al., 2018). Face-to-face communication where both the parties are present physically, has proved to be more effective than the online mode of communication from long distances 5 4 An ideal communication should be brief, unbiased, factual, and precise to avoid any misperception. The speaker should be sure and confident about what they are trying to convey and should also know the subject thoroughly for better clarity. Language barriers can be easily removed by hiring a native local translator who is fluent in both the speaker and the receiver’s language; the speaker should also research the history and norms of the people they are going to address to not do/say anything triggering (Morrison-Smith and Ruiz, 2020). 6 References Clark, L.T., Watkins, L., Piña, I.L., Elmer, M., Akinboboye, O., Gorham, M., Jamerson, B., McCullough, C., Pierre, C., Polis, A.B. and Puckrein, G., (2019). Increasing diversity in clinical trials: overcoming critical barriers. Current problems in cardiology, 44(5), pp.148-172. McGinty, E., Pescosolido, B., Kennedy-Hendricks, A. and Barry, C.L., (2018). Communication strategies to counter stigma and improve mental illness and substance use disorder policy. Psychiatric Services, 69(2), pp.136-146. Morrison-Smith, S. and Ruiz, J., (2020). Challenges and barriers in virtual teams: a literature review. SN Applied Sciences, 2(6), pp.1-33.