Transactional analysis views all communication as transactions between individuals based on an agreed-upon contract. This contract specifies why the communication is occurring, who is involved, what will be discussed, how it will be conducted, and any exchanges. For the transaction to be successful, expectations must be congruent, stated positively, detailed, and manageable by those involved. Transactional analysis also proposes that people operate from three ego states - Parent, Adult, and Child - which influence communication transactions that can be complementary or crossed.