The Communication Process: Sender, Message and Receiver.

The role of the sender and his communicative intention

Every communicative act originates from a sender, the person or entity that has an idea, need or feeling that he/she wishes to share.

However, the role of the sender goes beyond simply formulating words.

Before initiating the communication, the sender has a specific intention, an objective that he or she seeks to achieve.

This purpose may be to inform about a fact, to request a specific action, to persuade someone of a point of view or to modify the emotional state of his interlocutor.

Clarity about this intention is crucial, as it will determine the choice of words, tone of voice, body language and the channel to be used.

An effective communicator is aware of his goal and aligns all elements of his message to achieve it, avoiding ambiguity and ensuring that his communication is targeted and effective.

Many interactions fail because people initiate conversations without a clear goal in mind, which dilutes the impact of their message.

The message and its encoding process

The message is the actual content of the communication; the information, idea or emotion being conveyed.

This content is "encoded" by the sender, which means that it is translated into a system of shared symbols, such as verbal language, gestures or writing.

Encoding is not a trivial process; it involves selecting the most accurate words, structuring ideas logically and considering context.

In addition to the explicit content (the words), the message also includes implicit components, such as tone of voice, pace of speech and body language.

An effective message is one in which all of these components are aligned and reinforce the sender's original intent, creating a coherent and understandable whole.

Lack of alignment, for example, saying something positive with an apathetic tone, generates mixed signals and weakens the credibility of the message.

The receiver and the decoding process

At the other end of the process is the receiver, the person or audience to whom the message is addressed.

Their role is to "decode" the information received, that is, to interpret it in order to extract its meaning.

This interpretation process is not passive; it is deeply influenced by the receiver's previous experiences, his or her level of knowledge about the subject, his or her emotional state at that moment and his or her own needs and expectations.

For this reason, the same message can be interpreted in very different ways by different people.

A skilled communicator anticipates this and adapts his message to the characteristics of his audience, striving not to communicate in the same way with a novice as with an expert, or with a colleague as with a manager.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that the receiver's decoding is as faithful as possible to the sender's original intent.

Summary

Every communicative act originates from a sender who has a specific intention, an objective he seeks to achieve. This clarity about his goal is crucial, as it will determine the choice of words, the tone and the channel.

The message is the content that is transmitted, encoded by the sender in a system of shared symbols such as language. It includes explicit (words) and implicit (tone of voice) components, which must be aligned to be credible.

The receiver decodes and interprets the information received, a process influenced by his or her previous experiences, knowledge and emotional state. Therefore, a skilled communicator always adapts his message to the characteristics of his audience.