One of the most astounding capacities of the human race is our ability to communicate with one another. From cave drawings to spoken word, to the age of technology which we are in today, we have forever been communicators. As the most intelligent species on this big blue sphere, our core premise has always been to innovate and create, explore the world around us expanding our knowledge and to push the limits of what we perceive as possible. It is a challenge we create and then solve time and time again.

I’m just old enough that I remember life before answering machines, before call waiting, using rotary phones, rabbit ears and ABC texting (yikes)! To think that the first iPhone was not available until 2006 is astounding. The advancements since then in that short 12 years might actually tump the last 12 decades. Aviation possibly being the exception.

However, with advancements in anything, comes navigation and appropriation. If there is one thing in today’s world that never ceases to amaze me, it’s how people have been given access to all of these amazing technological wonders, yet use them so inefficiently that if a caveman saw how we use them, they would club us over the head. If you think I’m delusional, just ask yourself these questions:

Do I get too much email?

Has anyone ever been angry with me for not answering their social media post that I never saw until it was too late?

Have I ever received an awkward phone call that could have easily been a text? Or, (arguably worse) been stuck in what seems like an endless “textversation”?

I bet almost anyone reading this can safely say that the answer is yes to all of these. And, could probably come up with dozens of examples like these off the top of their head as their blood pressure starts to rise up.

Since communication over the last decade has changed so rapidly and spun so wildly in so many different parallels, people understandably don’t realize that there is actually an essential Hierarchy of Communication. Let me explain:

Overview

Take a look at the quadrant scatter chart below.

The first thing to point out here as with any chart is the apparent trend. As urgency goes up, the audience size decreases. Respectively, as the urgency goes down, the audience size increases. This is because Urgency and intimacy of the audience are directly linked.

The second thing to point out is that there are four broadened areas of communication. Let’s take a quick look at each one:

Unicast – This term might be unfamiliar as it isn’t common, but just like it sounds, it is one-to-one (uni-) method of communication.

Multicast – Yet another uncommon term. This communication method is a “one-to-many” style of communication. It does, however, differ from a broadcast; as in a multicast, only subscribed and/or validated recipients can receive the message. Think of a mailing list (shudder) in which you get “updates” in which you instantly delete.

Broadcast – You know this one right? Think “radio station” (what?). Broadcast communication is a method which sends a message to anyone who may be within “earshot” and able to pick up the signal. The broadcaster may not know who is receiving the message, or even see if they are receiving it, and the listeners may or may not have a way to respond to the broadcast.

Breakdown

Let’s break down exactly what each quadrant means for everyday interactions and how they should be implemented for effective communication. These are ranked in order of most disruptive to least disruptive for the audience. Remember, the more disturbing, the more critical the communication should be.

Upper Left – This is the quadrant where you are causing the most disruption for the audience.

The most urgent direct way to communicate is, of course, speaking to someone in person (not on the chart). Make no mistake that with this method, you know you have their undivided attention and that they are receiving the message. All clarifications can be made instantly. This is reserved for something that just cannot wait.

Working our way down the urgency chain of the upper left would be a phone call. With a phone call you know that if the person answers, you have their attention (although maybe not undivided). Again, any clarification can be sorted out instantly and quickly.

Next, we have text messaging. This is in this quadrant as today, most people carry their phones with them 24/7 and text frequently. However, since Text messages can be ignored and deleted without the sender knowing, it is further down on the urgency scale. There is also no guarantee that the message even gets delivered! We have all experienced the dreaded “didn’t you get my text?” only to have one person with the text and the other without it.

Lastly, we have instant messaging (IM) and chat apps. I have placed IM over chat apps because IM apps are typically used in professional settings which should take precedence over personal chats (riiiight). Also, personal chat apps, like WhatsApp can have groups of hundreds of participants whereas IM usually only have a handful of people which makes IM more urgent by definition.

Summary (TL;DR)

Before texting or sending a chat, ask “Do I need an answer in the next minute?” If the answer is yes, call or speak to them directly. Before calling, ask “Is this really urgent or can it wait an hour or two?” If the answer is yes, send a text or a chat.

Upper Right – The audience is slightly less disrupted by the communication as they can check it at will.

Chat Apps are fun, but they hardly convey a strict sense of urgency. Think of this quadrant as knocking on someone’s door or peeking into their office to see if they are available.

Chat Apps like Yammer are usually reserved for work environments and is why it is slightly more urgent than Slack. Yammer is also a combination chat app and social media, so it is a little difficult to classify. However, since Slack is quickly becoming the most prevalent multicast platform for businesses, these two could be interchangeable. Things like Trello, Quip, and Spark are also part of this quadrant (not pictured).

Summary (TL;DR)

Think of a chat app as knocking on someone’s door or peeking into their office to see if they are available.

Lower Left – The audience in this section is even less disrupted than the upper right.

In this section, we are looking at email (snail mail is also included in this).

For a species that thrives on discovery and innovation, it’s incredible how adverse to change we really are. (No really, I can change. I swear!)

Email, for better or worse, has been wholly unchanged since its conception decades ago. Those of us that have been around since its infancy, are most likely to have it reserved as the de facto method in which we think to contact someone, no matter the urgency.

Think of how it has evolved for a second. Have you ever used the little exclamation point button which is titled “urgent”? When someone sends that to you, do you even notice it?

Think to yourself, when you have 200 emails in your inbox, how do you process them? For myself (and many others), we start with the emails we can quickly delete. This in itself the shining example of how ineffective email is. Second, I look for emails that are addressed directly to me (I have a filter for this). Lastly, I look through all of the others. At no point do I even notice the little exclamation point on any of the emails?

Oh and as a bonus feature: The “TO” field is meant for the people that need to respond or take action. The “CC” field is for people to be aware but take no action. The “BCC” field is like the CC field, but you don’t want the people in the TO and CC fields to know they are included. They also won’t get copied on any replies. – You’re welcome.

What is interesting, is that this default method is actually becoming replaced by socialmedia for the younger generations. This paradigmatic shift is the pinnacle example of the sheer velocity in which communication is changing.

Summary (TL;DR)

Email is not an effective method for communication. Just because you put the little exclamation mark on your email, doesn’t make it any more urgent.

Lower Right – This is the least urgent method of communication and should in no way be used for critical information exchanges.

Just about everything in this section can be considered interchangeable depending on the messenger or the audience. Remember, the larger the audience, the less urgent the message should be.

Since this section is riddled with social media, it is ironically both adverse to change and severely turbulent. With every new generation of communicators, with every new acquisition by cut-throat Silicon Valley startups, and with every wave of marketing hype to these apps, comes a new method of communication with all of their own perceived urgencies.

Summary (TL;DR)

Social media is ever changing and turbulent, but in no way should be used for urgent communication.

What does the future hold for communication?

Glad you asked! Having been administering, engineering and analyzing these communication methods for quite some time (don’t ask), here are a few of my thoughts for the future.

Emailwill become extinct. At least in its current form. If it “survives”, it will be unrecognizable from its present day form. One day we will look around and say “remember when we used to email?” and all have a good laugh.

Let’s face it! Email has a glacial response time, is ineffective on its best day and is impossible to manage and track in business. Yes, impossible. This will contribute to its inherent extinction.

Social Media will have a very large reset in the next 5 years. The current social media landscape is riddle with noise and the dwindling subscriber numbers are reflecting this need from something better, more intimate. Chat Apps are the future. Yes, companies like Slack have paved the way for a new generation. Why do you think the valuation reached its heights so quickly? Trello will also continue to take up market space as well, including new features and revolutionize the way enterprises manage their task force.

Imagine

A world in which communication is so effective, you can only communicate with people you need to, when you need to. You can reference everything you need to in those messages how you want to, when you want to without endlessly searching through irrelevant results or waiting. You do all of this from one place with seamless integration. Sign me up!

I am here to tell you not only is it possible, but it is also closer to fruition than you might think!