I want to thank those who sent me a response to my question. In general, the response to the question of who determines the meaning was implied both the sender and the receiver. Here is what my book says, "The communication process begins with the sender, the person who transmits a message…The sender must choose certain words or nonverbal methods to send an intentional message. This activity is called encoding… The receiver must still attach meaning to the words or behavior." (Adler, Elmhorst & Lucas, 2012 pgs 9-10). Here is another quote from Peter Drucker in my book, "It is the recipient who communicates. The so called communicator, the one who emits the communication, does not communicate. He utters. Unless there is someone who hears ... there is only noise." (Adler, Elmhorst & Lucas, 2012 pg 60). Think of the game of charades and how everyone is trying to decide what the person means by their attempts to help us guess the correct answer. We have to attach the meaning to their actions or pictures.
However, communication is a process that goes both ways. Sending and receiving are simultaneously going back and forth, whether it is verbal or non verbal it is a cycle. Within that cycle message are being encoded and decoded back and forth. There is also feedback, which is a discernible response to the message from the encoder (sender) and remember it can be verbal and non verbal. This is why it is easy for us to think that we both determine the meaning but in reality it is the receiver that has to attach meaning.
How do we build meaning then? It is through conversation. Conversation helps us to learn more about the other person and as we learn we build meanings. Here are some questions the receiver can ask themselves: What is their frame of mind? What is their world view? What are they expecting from me? Here are some questions the sender can ask themselves: How might the listener interpret my message? How can I get my meaning across without offending or misleading?
If we look at the diagram, there is also noise illustrated. Noise comes from Environmental barriers, psychological and physiological barriers. We will go more into noise next time!
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tingemagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/prevalletdiagram1.jpg
Adler, R., Elmhorst, J., & Lucas, K. (2012). Communication at work. Mcgraw Hill.