The goal is an understanding of all the exchanged information. There is a time when constructive criticism is required and for the sake of understanding one must know how to be specific and empathetic so that a barrier is not created to inhibit the communication. It is more effective to bring to a person’s attention a missed deadline than to call him or her irresponsible. The sender and receiver must be reciprocally engaged in the encoding and decoding process. Ineffective communication involves any obstacle that stands in the way of successful communication. Noise, be it external or internal inhibits the receiver from hearing the words. External noise is environmental noise. It is the beeping of a dying cell phone to the clapping of an audience. Personal beliefs may be a form of internal noise and prevent the understanding of the content of the message. It can present itself in the form of defensiveness. Semantic noise can interfere with the interpretation of a message. This happens when the receiver does not understand the use of a word or gesture. It is sometimes cultural or generational and includes jargon