The communication process takes place between a sender and a receiver. The sender encodes the message and selects the transmission channel. The sender of the message is the person who initiates the communication. The message is the information and meaning communicated. Encoding is the sender’s process of putting the message into a form that the receiver will understand. The message is transmitted through a communication channel—the means or medium by which a message is transmitted; the three primary channels are oral, nonverbal, and written.

The sender transmits the message. After the sender encodes the message and selects the channel, he or she transmits the message through the channel to the receiver(s). The receiver decodes the message and decides if feedback is needed. The person receiving the message decodes it. Decoding is the receiver’s process of translating a message into a meaningful form. The receiver interprets the meaning of the message and decides if feedback, a response, or a new message is needed.

A response or a new message may be transmitted. After the receiver decodes the message, he or she may give feedback to the sender, or the sender may request feedback to ensure mutual understanding of the message. Even though communication is taking place, if the sender and receiver are not on the same page, the message may not have been transmitted with mutual understanding. You should realize that the roles of sender and receiver can be changed during communication.