AmiSight 5/14: Four Degrees of Communication

During COVID, my friend Eric Schurenberg, then Inc.'s editor-in-chief, taught me about the three degrees of communication. The concept resonated because it explained something I had felt but never fully articulated.

The first degree is written communication — email, text, Slack, WhatsApp. It’s fast and efficient, but also where misunderstandings happen most easily. People can’t hear tone, read body language, or fully understand intent.

The second degree is video communication — Zoom, Teams, Google Meet. During COVID, these platforms became essential. You could see faces, hear voices, and recover some of the human connection missing from writing. For global communities, video became incredibly powerful.

The third degree is in-person communication. Nothing fully replaces sitting across the table from someone and breaking bread together. I often get on a plane just to have lunch with someone. On paper, it can seem inefficient. But over time, I’ve realized those trips are often some of the highest-value things I do. Trust builds differently when people gather in person. The conversations before and after the meeting often matter more than the meeting itself.

For a long time, I thought the top of the pyramid was in-person interaction—until I recently realized the environment's role. After the EO Grit Unconference two weeks ago, I’m convinced there’s a fourth degree. The fourth degree isn’t another communication medium. It’s the environment surrounding the communication. Head over to my 21Hats column to continue reading.

Get Started!