Hierarchy of Communication

By Doug Van Dyke

Lester receives an email from a customer that makes his blood boil. He knows he should calm down before responding, and he gives himself a few hours to do so. As he composes his response he attempts to be as objective as possible. He is still steamed about the initial email, but he needs to respond. He hits send. Very soon thereafter, a potpourri of other things begin hitting – the fan that is. Lester is sent an urgent message by his boss. Apparently, the client is fuming about Lester’s most recent correspondence, and they went straight over Lester’s head in order to threaten to move their business elsewhere. Just prior to entering his boss’s office he reads a copy of his email to the customer. It does not seem to read the way Lester intended. Did the words mysteriously juxtapose between the time Lester sent the email and now? Hmmm. Lester enters the office sheepishly, fearing a distasteful earful from his boss.

In this example, Lester’s boss was able to calm the customer down and Lester continued to manage the account. Further, since his boss views Lester as a solid team member, he perceived the situation as a good coaching opportunity. So what lesson did Lester learn? Answer: he learned all about the Hierarchy of Communication, which calls for professionals to prioritize modes of communication based on their impact. For instance, you should never answer an email that makes your blood boil with another email. Rather, you should elevate your response to a higher impact means of communication. The following is the hierarchy of communication as it was laid out to Lester by his boss.       

Level 1: In-person communication. This is the big kahuna of interpersonal communication. A face-to-face meeting allows us to employ every aspect of powerful communication. We are able to witness the other person’s body language as they speak. More importantly, we see their authentic reactions to our comments and hear their tone of voice.  Studies have shown that body language accounts for 55% of the impact of communication, and tone of voice carries 38% of the impact. As such, if you have a ticklish situation or an important sale to close, do not miss out on an opportunity to get in front of the person. 

Level 2: Webinars, Skype, and other real-time computer tools. While not as powerful as in-person communication, this venue allows everyone to see facial expressions and experience a few other non-verbal cues.

Level 3: Telephone. No body language here, but still the ability to hear tone of voice. The telephone allows us to use our tone of voice to reinforce our message. In addition, we receive immediate tone of voice feedback to our messages from our listeners. This would have been the appropriate elevation of communication for Lester to pursue in response to his customer’s scathing email.

Level 4: Email. The only tone of voice we have with email is word choice, structure, and capitalization. Avoid the latter. A nice advantage that email possesses over the telephone is that the information can be read numerous times. Also, you have time to compose your response. The trouble is, if you are in a good mood and insert something such as a light joke, and the receiver is in a bad mood, they could misinterpret your humor. It is usually wise to play it straight with this medium. Note: Lester broke a big law regarding the hierarchy of communication when he responded in electronic format to a confusing customer email. He needed to upgrade at least one level to telephone communication if he wanted to give himself the best chance of smoothly defusing a bubbling situation with a customer. 

Level 5: Letter. Typically I rate a letter received in the mail above email – I like the personal touch. For our purposes here, I did not because of the time delay associated with responding to a written letter. Email has an advantage due to its rapid response-ability. Tip: just as you would never want a typo or grammar error in a stamped letter, keep to the same standard when you prepare email correspondence.

Level 6: Instant messenger. It is quick, it is easy, and it is conversational. A more casual tone is allowed with instant messenger, as well as a level of forgiveness regarding typos and abbreviations. If your customer likes instant messenger, have a ball. If not, remain in the world of email, and keep your standard of professionalism elevated as such.

Level 7: Text messaging. Welcome to the low man on the totem pole regarding communication. Rapid fire, super casual, often filled with typos and grammatical errors. Don’t even talk to me about abbreviations – yikes! Do I sound old school? You betcha. Do I receive and send text messages? Absolutely. Here is my tip: while there is a growing trend in sending text messages, be careful with customers – make certain they are receptive to text correspondence (especially if they are boomers or older).

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the Lester Lessons. Next time some business interaction makes your blood boil, remember to review the hierarchy of communication, think strategically, and take a chill pill. The positive outcomes will amaze you.

About the Author
Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and communication consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at doug@leadershipsimplified.com.