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on the content of the message. Confidentialities and praise always call for a personal touch.
If the receiver is in a remote location or if the matter is complex and lengthy, putting it in
writing might be the best choice. If the receiver prefers a given medium, the sender should
try to use that method. A sightless person may prefer a voice message or one encoded in
Braille. A person who has a hearing difficulty may prefer a visual presentation. Finally, the
sender must consider the physical and emotional environment to be faced when attempting
to communicate. What kind of noise will there be?
5. Time the Transmission The timing of the communication affects its success. The sender’s
needs along with the receiver’s must be considered in determining the best time. A
supervisior may want to talk with a subordinate at 4:00 p.m., but if the worker leaves at 3:30
p.m.,4:00 is an inappropriate time. Business communications should be delivered to people
who are in a receptive mood and under the proper circumstances. Important discussion
about a new budget would be inappropriate at a company picnic or when people are on
their breaks. People who are clearly overwhelmed with work when a message sender
contacts them cannot give their full attention to the message.
6. Seek and Give Feedback. Senders have the primary responsibility to make certain that
their messages have been received and understood. The only way to make certain is to get
feedback. The sender cannot settle for the response, "I understand." If receivers have no
questions, the sender should have some. One technique to assess understanding is to ask
the receiver to restate the message using his or her own words. Another approach is to ask
questions to check on the receiver's grasp of specifics.
7. As the receiver engages in feedback, he or she may ask questions that require responses
from the sender. At this time the senders must understand how the receiver has interpreted
the message and then take the actions needed to clear up any misunderstandings.

Responsibilities of Receivers
Just as senders have specific obligations, so do receivers. The paragraphs that follow
discuss these responsibilities.
1. Listen Actively A receiver listen attentively to the message being sent. Listening attentively
requires that receivers block out distractions that can interfere with communication.
Because people speak more slowly than listeners can process words, listeners' minds are
often tempted to wander. Receivers must not attempt to pass judgment on the sender or
the message until the message has been completely transmitted. Being critical distracts
from listening. According to John J. Gabarro (1991), a professor of human resource
management at the Harvard Business School, "The greatest barrier to effective
communication is the tendency to evaluate what another person is saying and therefore to
misunderstand or to not really 'hear.'"
2. Active listeners take notes and list any areas where a senders meanings are unclear. Good
listeners ask questions to clarify messages. They observe gestures, tone of voice, facial
expressions, and body language and note contradictions between them. If necessary, they
seek explanations for the contradictions.
3. Be Sensitive to the Sender Senders communicate because they believe they must. They
pick a certain medium, time, and receiver because they see these elements of
communication as appropriate. Receivers should approach every communication with the
assumption that the message is important to the sender.
Active listening means giving full attention to the sender of the message, suspending
judgment until the message is complete, and asking for clarification of anything left unclear.