What are some ways in which receivers of messages provide feedback when listening to or reading a message? What effect does this have on the message? Provide examples.
The first distinction we need to make is that hearing and listening are in fact different. This is highlighted in chapter five Listening and Responding from our e book Communicating in the workplace. According to Cheesebro, Connor, and Rios (2010), listening, in contrast, involves making a choice. You must decide that you want to listen to a message. That said, a receiver can provide valuable feedback based on the message sent. Sometimes the feedback is positive and sometimes it is negative, but ultimately it is valuable regardless.
Feedback can be provided both verbally and non-verbally. A verbal response happens when a receiver answers a question from the sender or asks a question of the sender if they don’t understand the message or seek further information. A non-verbal response can come in the form of body language. If the receiver doesn’t agree with the message or think the message is a waste of their time they may roll their eyes and the sender. If the receiver likes what they hear they may smile at the sender. Either of these example are ways feedback could be given to the sender.
Allowing for feedback helps foster a positive environment within a team. It allows the person or team a chance to provide input on the message that was given. This helps morale and helps keep the person engaged to what is happening.
Feedback is a critical part of communication. It helps ensure the receiver understood the message. If they didn’t they will seek further information. I know when I have standup meetings with my team I always as if anyone has any questions or comments. This helps close the communication loop and ensures they understood what was said. It also gives them a chance to provide input and share ideas or thoughts on what was discussed. It is a valuable tool not only in my work life, but also my home life. I take the same approach with my son when discussing things with him. I feel this is the most effective way to communicate whether you are the sender or receiver. ..
Receivers can provide feedback through verbal or non-verbal. Example of non-verbal feedback is their body language or eye contacts. If a person is looking at their watch or looking at different direction while you are talking to them, it shows they are not interested or not listening to the sender. The sender may feel offended thinking they are wasting their time talking to the receiver. This has a negative effect on the message because the message might be lost in translation. The receiver in these scenarios might be hearing the message but not necessary listening to it. We can see from our reading that hearing is involuntary and listening involves making choice. (Cheesebro, O’Connor, and Rios 2010, Chap 5).
Some of the ways receivers provide a verbal feedback are giving an evaluating response, interpreting response, supporting response, questioning response and a paraphrasing response.
An evaluating response can either be those that judge or those that advise to the message that was received. By giving a judgment response, you are giving the sender a right or wrong answer. A response that advises will give the sender a solution to their problems. The evaluating response is used most often when the sender want to share their problem with the receiver. Interpreting response

Bolton (1986) makes this distinction by referring to hearing as ‘a word used to describe the physiological sensory process by which auditory sensations are received by the ears and transmitted to the brain’. He goes on to say that ‘listening, on the other hand refers to a more complex psychological procedure involving interpreting and understanding the significance of the sensory process’.
Cheesebro, O’Connor and Rios (2010). Communicating in the workplace. Pearson Education
Bolton, R. (1986). People skills: How to assert yourself, listen to others and resolve conflicts. Sydney: Simon & Schuster

Receivers can provide feedback through verbal or non-verbal. Example of non-verbal feedback is their body language or eye contacts. If a person is looking at their watch or looking at different direction while you are talking to them, it shows they are not interested or not listening to the sender. The sender may feel offended thinking they are wasting their time talking to the receiver. This has a negative effect on the message because the message might be lost in translation. The receiver in these scenarios might be hearing the message but not necessary listening to it. We can see from our reading that hearing is involuntary and listening involves making choice. (Cheesebro, O’Connor, and Rios 2010, Chap 5). Verbal feedback can be giving a evaluating response, interpreting response, supporting response, questioning response and a paraphrasing response. An evaluating response can either be those that judge or those that advise to the message that was received. By giving a judgment response, you are giving the sender a right or wrong answer. A response that advises will give the sender a solution to their problems. The evaluating response is used most often when the sender want to share their problem with the receiver. By giving a evaluating response, the sender must have an open mind or this can be ineffective feedback. Interpreting response will be explaining to the sender of the message why something happens or the feeling and behaviors of the sender. This feedback makes the sender feel more comfortable and are willing to accept this feedback. Supporting response is to make the sender feel better, give them encouragement. Example of this is telling the sender "I'm here if you need me". It reassure the sender and respond positive toward this kind of feedback. Questioning response seeks more information to clarifies the message from the sender. This can lead to a negative feedback towards the sender if they are not comfortable with the questions they may not accept this type of feedbacks. Paraphrasing response is summarizes the message to the sender in your own words. This response shows the sender that you understood the message that is presented to them. This response can show the sender that their message was effectively received by the listener.
Feedbacks are vital to good communication in the workplace, home and social gatherings. A sender can see if their message is being heard or the receivers actually listening to their message. Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended to transmit. Many of the problems that occur in an organization are (Mistry, Jaggers, Lodge, Alton, Mericle, Frush, Meliones, 2008):

Mistry K., Jaggers J., Lodge A., Alton M., Mericle J., Frush K., Meliones J. (2008). Using Six Sigma Methodology to Improve Handoff Communication in High Risk Patients. In: Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches. Vol. 3. Performance and Tools. AHRQ Publication No. 08-0034-3. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; August 2008.

What are some ways in which senders might receive feedback from their messages? How might this feedback affect the sender and the message? Why is this important?
Some of the ways the sender might receive feedback are often the same as the receiver; facial expressions, body language like falling sleep, or verbal, this affects the sender and the message by either having a positive or negative effect depending on the feedback provided by the receiver. This is important because it affects the context of the message.
Which step in the communication process do you consider to be the most important? Why do you think this? Which of these steps is the most uncomfortable for you? Why is this? Why is this important?
I consider feedback as the most important step in the communication process because it’s in this step in the communication process that I will find out if my message in being understood. It’s also the most uncomfortable because I might not get a response when trying to put my message across.

to another person's message.
Providing feedback is accomplished by paraphrasing the words of the sender. Restate the sender's feelings or ideas in your own words, rather than repeating their words. Your words should be saying, “This is what I understand your feelings to be, am I correct?” It not only includes verbal responses, but also nonverbal ones. Nodding your head or squeezing their hand to show agreement, dipping your eyebrows shows you don't quite understand the meaning of their last phrase, or sucking air in deeply and blowing it hard shows that you are also exasperated with the situation.

Bill I Agree that non verbal messaging is much more complicated than verbal communication. With today's technology, many of us are so used to texting, emailing and even putting message up on twitter. The receiver of electronic communications is not able to observe other important elements of the message that often come with face-to-face interactions. (Cheesebro, O'Connor, Rios. 2010).

If the person is shy (socially anxious) and feels uncomfortable with face-to-face interactions, these technologies may serve as a useful tool for avoiding such unpleasant situations and therefore may replace face-to-face communication

Pierce, T. (2009). Social anxiety and technology: Face-to-face communication versus technological communication among teens. : Elsevier

Social anxiety and technology: Face-to-face communication versus technological communication among teens | Author: | Tamyra Pierce | Publication: | Computers in Human Behavior | Publisher: | Elsevier | Date: | November 2009 |