Five Levels of Communication (includes 2 Different Models)

OVERVIEW: What are the levels of communication? This guide reviews several communication models and ways of understanding how we relate to each other in personal interactions.

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The more I understand the nature of the human psyche, the more I wonder how we’re able to communicate with each other at all.

Communication between two people occurs on numerous levels simultaneously, each with its nuances and complexities.

Deeper levels of communication are more complex, which means more things can go wrong.

Yet, if we can navigate through this complexity and take on more risk, we can develop trust: the essential ingredient in both personal and professional relationships.

Let’s dive in …

CONTENTS

What are the Levels of Communication?

First, we’ll explore the essential levels of communication that each of us can observe and relate to.

These levels of communication are verbal, physical, auditory, emotional, and energetic.

Then, we’ll examine the levels of communication from psychologist Richard Francisco’s model including rituals, facts, attitudes, and feelings.

Finally, we’ll explore the difference between interpersonal and intrapersonal communication.

Verbal Level of Communication

Although this is perhaps the most obvious level of communication, people can spend a lifetime mastering it.

This level includes our selection of words based on an understanding of the meaning between the speaker and the listener.

There are multiple definitions for most words, and few of us hold the same meaning for each word. Different words evoke different images, emotions, memories, and meanings for different people.

The logic and reasoning of a statement or argument (Aristotle’s logos) influence the effectiveness of the receiving message.

For stronger communication on the verbal level, get as much clarity within yourself as possible before trying to communicate. This will help you be more concise, selecting the “right” words and usage for the context of the conversation (including potential moral and cultural differences).

Whenever possible, formulate your thoughts to avoid rambling and confusion. This is an art in itself.

Physical Level of Communication

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) brought the importance of visual cues in how we communicate to many people’s attention.

Visual cues like eye contact, gestures, movements, stances, breathing, posture, and facial expressions influence how we feel and communicate.

For example, we can communicate with the “right words,” but if our posture communicates that we’re uncertain or insecure, it can weaken the efficacy of our message.

When used with integrity, NLP techniques like “matching and mirroring” people’s posture and gestures (and certain words too) can increase their receptivity to your message.

For stronger communication on the physical level, it’s helpful to physically align with others, connecting with them in form and movement.

It also helps to be mindful of your posture, facial expressions, and hand gestures.

Auditory Level of Communication

The sound of our voice, including the tone, range, volume, and speed affects how our messages are received and interpreted by others.

For example, fast talkers will find it beneficial to slow their speech when speaking to a thoughtful, introverted person or risk being unheard.

Also, how we enunciate, inflect, and emphasize certain words affects how others interpret the meaning of what we say.

For stronger communication on the auditory level, be aware of various auditory cues, speaking to others more akin to their ways (another form of “matching and mirroring”).

Emotional Level of Communication

Few people appreciate how our emotional state affects what we communicate and how the message is interpreted by the recipient.

In rhetoric, Aristotle’s pathos means the appeal to the audience’s emotions.

Are you more receptive to someone who is positive and life-affirming or one who is always negative and critical? Enthusiastic or boring?

The speaker’s emotions put the recipient in a particular state of mind and influence how the listener interprets what is said. The challenge is that the emotional level of communication is largely subconscious.

For stronger communication on the emotional level, be aware of your emotional state and to whom you’re speaking. Learn to pause and release negative emotions before attempting to connect with others. Words delivered with pride, anger, or fear are rarely well-received.

Energetic Level of Communication

The energetic level of communication is also called the “psychic level.”

This level encompasses a vast range of unseen factors including a person’s state of consciousness, the frequency or harmonics of the message, and other subtle energies.

Some people seem to have an “X-factor”—a unique presence—that naturally imparts their messages to others with greater receptivity and understanding.

In the language of depth psychology, this level largely depends on which archetype is in the driver’s seat. More than all of the other levels of communication, this one is mostly unconscious.

For stronger communication on an energetic level, be mindful of your shadow. Hold the highest intention for the other person’s well-being. This requires a unique level of awareness sometimes cultivated through compassion practices.

When we’re in a centered state, we’re more likely to access this psychic dimension that holds great treasures of insights into others, helping us communicate.

Bringing all the Levels of Communication Together

The verbal level is the content; it’s what we say.

The physical, auditory, emotional, and energetic levels represent how we convey a message.

These levels of communication are interdependent, as each level affects the other.

For example, our emotional state affects our body language just as our posture influences our emotional state.

Simply becoming aware of these various levels can be beneficial.

When we see the complexities inherent in the human condition, we can become more patient in our communication and increase our compassion towards others and ourselves.

Francisco’s Model of Five Levels of Communication

Psychologist Richard Francisco provided a communication model inspired by transactional analysis.¹

In Francisco’s model, five levels of communication go from the most basic to increasing levels of complexity. As we move through these levels, we move from safety to greater levels of risk and from less trust to more trust.

Let’s review each level.

Five Levels of Communication: Richard Francisco Interpersonal Model

Level 1: Ritual

In the bestseller Games People Play, psychologist Eric Bernes uses the term ritual to describe how two people exchange “social units” when they interact with each other.

We use these rituals when we greet or say goodbye. The type of ritual expression used depends on the individuals and the social setting.

Examples of rituals include:

How’s it going?
What’s up?
Are you okay?
Good morning to you.
How are things going for you today?
Take care of yourself.

The purpose of this basic level is to acknowledge each other as humans. This is the most common level of communication because there’s no risk in exchanging these basic rituals.

Level 2: Extended Ritual

A basic ritual exchange with a coworker or neighbor in passing can also be extended. With extended rituals, there’s more of an exchange of facts and information.

At level 2, we stay within certain conversational limits and avoid deeper substance. But when you bump into a neighbor you see often, you might update each other with what’s happening in your lives (still staying on a “safe level”).

Examples of extended rituals include:

What happened?
How did you do?
What’s the status now?
Walk me through it.

This level is still very safe and superficial, but it helps establish more trust.

Level 3: Surface

Building on the extended ritual, the third level of communication we deeper into the material content.

Here, we give and receive information, solve problems, analyze projects, discuss tasks, and occasionally share information about ourselves.

Examples of surface-level communication include:

What’s the next step?
What did you learn from that?
How can I help you take the next step in this project?
What’s your idea for moving forward with this?
Why did we fail?

In the workplace, level 3 represents most professional interactions where business gets done.

According to Francisco, these first three levels are all relatively safe (minimal risk).

Level 4: Feelings About the Surface Content

What’s missing from the first three levels of communication?

Level 4 introduces a much higher risk as now we get into feelings and emotions.

Without addressing our emotions in how we communicate, it’s difficult to establish a high level of trust. Yet, by introducing feelings into the mix, the chances of misunderstandings and hurt feelings substantially increase.

The main reason this level is more risky is that many of us have not developed emotional intelligence and self-leadership skills.

Without developing self-awareness, self-regulation, and empathy, for example, it’s difficult to communicate effectively. We also have other factors like organizational culture—the unspoken expected standards of behavior.

For the above reasons, level 4 communication is riskier and requires more skill to navigate successfully. However, it also brings more depth, meaning, and trust.

Examples of level 4 communication include:

How do you feel about this project?
Why is this important to you?
What are your gut feelings telling you about this decision?

To help navigate this level, psychologist Edward de Bono created the Six Thinking Hats for brainstorming and professional communication.

One of the six hats is called the Red Hat—the “feeling hat.” Everyone gets to wear the Red Hat at a specific point in the meeting. This, in effect, normalizes the tensions of level 4 and makes it more acceptable to openly share feelings regarding what’s being discussed.

Level 5: Feelings About Each Other

The fifth and final level of communication in Francisco’s model is the most risky, but it’s also how real trust is established in professional (and personal) relationships.

As author Patrick Lencioni highlighted in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the absence of trust is the foundational layer of dysfunction. Without trust, there’s a fear of conflict that leads to a lack of commitment and avoidance of accountability.

Simply put, without trust, communication invariably breaks down and teams (and personal relationships) become dysfunctional.

Level 5 is less about the surface-level content and more about how two people relate: how you feel about me and how I feel about you.

We have an array of ego defense mechanisms that can hinder level 5 communication. The ego does everything in its power to avoid threat or embarrassment.

As such, navigating this deeper level of communication requires emotional awareness that builds emotional intelligence and internal psychological safety.

The defining characteristic of level 5 communication is feedback: the ability to give and receive effective feedback.

As researcher Jim Collins explained in Good to Great, “Level 5 leaders” display personal humility and indomitable will. That humility keeps great leaders open to feedback from others, which is essential for personal and professional development.

Two Forms of Communication

In the 1980s, psychologist Howard Gardner proposed a theory of multiple intelligences.² Instead of just IQ as a marker for cognitive development, he suggested that there are at least 8 different forms of intelligence that we can access and develop.

Research in developmental psychology has continued to highlight multiple lines of intelligence.

Two of these kinds of intelligence are intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence.

Each form of intelligence is associated with a different form of communication.

Interpersonal Communication

All five levels of communication we discussed above relate to interpersonal communication. Interpersonal means between you and one or more people.

Interpersonal communication determines how we manage social situations, including at home and work. It’s the process of exchanging ideas, information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and nonverbal means.

Elements of interpersonal communication include:

Verbal
Listening
Written
Non-verbal

Interpersonal communication relates to our overall social skills.

Interpersonal Communication Skills

Examples of interpersonal communication skills include:

Clear communication: how effectively we communicate our message verbally and build rapport with others.
Active listening: the ability to hear not just the words being spoken, but understand the deeper meaning behind them.
Interpreting body language: the ability to read people’s bodies based on posture, gestures, and other cues.
Assertiveness: the ability to communicate directly with others.
Feedback: the ability to give and receive information that leads to behavioral changes.

All these skills help us deepen our abilities related to the five levels of communication listed above.

This form of communication is based on one’s interpersonal intelligence, including social and emotional intelligence.

Intrapersonal Communication

While interpersonal communication involves interaction with others, intrapersonal communication means an exchange with oneself.

Intrapersonal communication refers to our inner dialogue. It’s a form of internal monologue that goes on in our minds.

This level of communication occurs when we’re:

Thinking
Writing/Journaling
Reading
Listening
Dreaming
Talking to others

This form of psychic material can be both conscious and subconscious.

Intrapersonal Communication Skills

Examples of intrapersonal communication skills include:

Through this internal dialogue, we develop our self-concept—how we perceive and identify ourselves.

Intrapersonal communication skills determine how well we know ourselves.

See this in-depth guide on how to develop intrapersonal intelligence.

The Most Important Skill for Any Level of Communication

First, it’s important to keep in mind that each of the levels of communication represents various skills. Any skill can be learned and further developed.

Learning any communication skill will take you through the four stages of learning. (It’s highly beneficial to understand these four stages.)

To improve our communication skills, we need to cultivate attention that’s directed both inwardly and externally.

By paying closer attention to what we’re saying, how we’re saying it, and who we’re saying it to, we gain feedback.

The ability to stay receptive to internal and external feedback, combined with life experience, leads to internal and professional growth. This ability will naturally improve your intuition and communication skills.