Level 1 vs Level 2 Communication

Imagine you run a production facility that manufactures widgets. Over time, you and your senior leadership team notice that scrap rates have been increasing to the point where they are negatively impacting your margins. Recognizing the urgency of the issue, you and your team decide that the company’s strategic focus must shift to reducing scrap.

Your logical next steps are to communicate this change. You produce a video message that plays on a loop in breakrooms. You send an email to mid-level and shift-level managers explaining that scrap reduction is now a priority. You even carve out time in your monthly strategy meeting to review scrap data with mid-level managers, emphasizing that this is the new focus.

These are all examples of what I call Level 1 Communication - clearly stating a message, in this case, the company’s new strategic focus.

Now, fast forward a few months. Despite your clear messaging, the business operates as it always has. The same KPIs are tracked, and long-standing business processes remain unchanged. Mid-level managers continue their daily and weekly production report meetings with supervisors, asking the same questions: "What were the actual production numbers versus the plan?" Day after day, supervisors anticipate these questions and naturally focus on what they know they will be asked about - production numbers.

Despite your leadership team’s message that scrap should be the focus, the reality on the floor remains unchanged. Where is the disconnect? Why aren’t they listening to you?

This is a scenario I have encountered repeatedly with my clients. Senior leaders are generally proficient at Level 1 Communication. They have the charisma, analytical skills, and empathy to articulate a clear message to the organization. However, the breakdown occurs when they fail to align what is being measured and reinforced at the point of activity on the production floor.

This is where Level 2 Communication comes in.

Level 2 Communication reinforces the message through measurement.

Level 2 Communication embeds the message into daily operations by shifting the focus of what is being measured. If I’m a shift supervisor and my manager asks me daily about production numbers, then production numbers will be my priority regardless of any corporate directive about scrap reduction.

Now, imagine instead that my manager requires me to go onto the production floor once an hour to measure and record scrap totals, and I’m asked to document at which stage of production the scrap is generated. Then in my daily and weekly meetings, my manager now starts every conversation with: "What were our scrap numbers? What trends are you noticing? What actions did you take to reduce scrap?"

Over time, my focus naturally shifts. I begin looking for ways to minimize scrap because I know it will be the central topic in my discussions with leadership. My priorities have been reshaped not by words alone but by what is being measured and reviewed.

The Key Takeaway

Level 1 Communication is what you say, the message you communicate to the organization.

Level 2 Communication is what they measure, the reinforcement of your message through metrics and operational focus.

Driving real change in your organization, can’t stop at Level 1. Make sure that what gets measured at the point of activity aligns with your strategic priorities. Because in business, people don’t just listen to what you say, but they will respond to what you measure.