As a CEO, I was getting buried daily by slack pings, emails, and requests from customers, partners, and especially employees.
In retrospect, I realize a lot of it was my fault.
I had never clearly taught my (very young) team how I expected them to approach problem-solving, or how to communicate when something needed my attention.
So I sent them this message, along with a framework:
“As we continue growing as a team, I want to share some thoughts about problem-solving approaches and expectations.
Below are five levels of communication maturity, along with what they mean for different roles within our organization.”
The Five Levels Explained
At a glance:
Level | The Vibe | Sounds Like |
|---|---|---|
1. Problem Identification | "Here's a problem." | "This very important customer is frustrated." |
2. Problem with Context | "Here's a problem and the background." | "...because their order was two weeks late." |
3. Solutions-Oriented | "Here's the problem, context, and a few options." | "… and here are three solutions to consider..." |
4. Recommended Action | "Here's what I think we should do." | "… I recommend the first solution, do you agree?" |
5. Proactive Execution | "Here's what I've done." | "… I offered a full refund and sent a follow-up email. I’ll provide you with the next update Tuesday COB." |
Now the deeper cuts:
Level 1: Problem Identification
"Here's a problem."
Simply raising an issue without context or proposed solutions. Sounds like:
"This very important customer is frustrated."
"Their order shipped late."
"They're threatening to cancel."
Expected for: Entry-level roles, new hires in their first 60 days.
Level 2: Problem with Context
"Here's a problem and here's the background."
Providing details around why the issue matters. Sounds like:
"This customer is frustrated because their order arrived two weeks late."
"It's the third late shipment from our Atlanta warehouse this month."
"They're a top-20 account and their renewal is up in 45 days."
Expected for: Early-career individual contributors.
Level 3: Solutions-Oriented
"Here's the problem, context, and potential solutions."
Presenting the issue along with 2-3 considered options. Sounds like:
"The customer wants something done. Solutions to consider: 1) Full refund on the order, 2) Refund plus a credit toward their next purchase, 3) Refund plus a call from someone senior to repair the relationship."
"On the warehouse issue: 1) Audit the Atlanta facility this week, 2) Reroute high-priority orders to our Dallas warehouse temporarily, 3) Both."
"On the renewal risk: 1) Have CS proactively reach out, 2) Offer a discount on renewal, 3) Pause and let the dust settle before re-engaging."
Expected for: Mid-level managers, experienced ICs.
Level 4: Recommended Action
"Here's what I see, and here's what I think we should do."
Coming with a well-thought-out recommendation and implementation plan. Sounds like:
"I recommend a full refund plus a $500 credit. The customer is a top-20 account and the renewal risk is real. Do you agree, or want me to look at other options?"
"I recommend we audit Atlanta this week and reroute their priority orders to Dallas in the meantime. I've already pinged the warehouse lead. Greenlight?"
"I recommend Sarah from CS make the recovery call, not the AE. The relationship is too cold for a renewal pitch right now. Want me to set it up?"
Expected for: Senior managers, directors.
Level 5: Proactive Execution
"Here's what I've done about it, and here's how I'll keep you informed."
Taking ownership and initiative while maintaining appropriate communication. Sounds like:
"I offered a full refund and sent a follow-up email. I'll provide you with the next update Tuesday COB."
"I rerouted their priority orders to Dallas and kicked off the Atlanta audit. Initial findings on Friday."
"Sarah made the recovery call this morning, the customer is calmer. Renewal conversation paused for two weeks. Full debrief incoming."
Expected for: Senior directors and above.
Where this comes from
It’s worth noting: this isn't some original genius move on my part.
The best version I've seen of this idea comes from L. David Marquet, the Navy sub commander who wrote Turn the Ship Around. He took over the worst-performing submarine in the fleet and turned it around by changing one thing: how his crew talked to him.
Instead of "Permission to surface, sir?" he made his officers say "Captain, I intend to surface the boat."
That tiny linguistic shift forced them to think one level up before opening their mouths.
And it pushed ownership down the chain.
Within a year, the Santa Fe went from worst to best in the fleet.
What I sent my team was basically a civilian, multi-tier version of the same idea.
Role-Based Expectations
Here are the minimum expected levels based on role:
Role | Minimum Level |
|---|---|
Entry-level / Junior | Levels 1–2 acceptable during onboarding or very early career |
Mid-level ICs | Level 3 minimum |
Managers / Senior ICs | Level 4 minimum |
Directors and above | Level 5 expected consistently |
A note: these are floors, not ceilings. A senior hire learning a brand-new domain should still feel free to come in at Level 2. Andy Grove called this "task-relevant maturity," and it's worth keeping in mind.
This was so helpful because if I had a director-level or senior-level person emailing me Level 1 or 2 comms, it'd be easy to push back.
"Level 4 me!"
This became very effective shorthand.
A way to redirect without it feeling personal, without me having to coach in the moment, and without anyone losing face.
Everyone knew what level they were at and what level they needed to climb to.
When this framework backfires
The framework isn't a clean ladder where higher always equals better.
Two failure modes I watched for:
Senior people who Level 1 on purpose.
Sometimes the most experienced person on your team will lob a problem up the chain because they don't want to own the decision. It looks like humility, but really it can be offloading of responsibility.
Watch for this in your most senior folks.
Junior people who Level 5 stuff they shouldn't.
"I took ownership and deleted the customer's account" is a Tuesday morning dumpster fire nobody wants to deal with.
Some decisions need to come up the chain regardless of how confident you are. So make sure your team knows which calls are theirs to make and which aren't.
A good rule of thumb: the more reversible the decision, the more comfortable you should be with someone Level 5'ing it.
Why this actually worked
Most of the communication hitting me as CEO was Levels 1–3, with the occasional 4, and a few Level 5's sprinkled in here and there.
And that was okay, we had a young team. (To be clear: most of the team was incredible. They adapted fast and loved having clearer guidance.)
Giving the team this framework:
Empowered them to pause, think, and own their recommendations
Reminded them not every issue needed to be escalated
Helped them build real autonomy and decision-making skills
I first shared this with my direct reports, we talked through it, and then they rolled it out to their teams. We covered it briefly at an all-hands too.
And honestly, this isn't just a CEO thing. If you have a boss, this is a cheat sheet for how to show up in their inbox. Stop sending Level 1's when you could be sending Level 3's.
They'll notice, fast.
And if you have direct reports, this is a tool for leveling them up without micromanaging.
Hand them the framework, tell them where you expect them to operate, and let them rise to it. Most people want to communicate better, they just don't know what "better" looks like.
The goal wasn't just to save me time, it was to help level up the whole company and make sure we approached problems with real ownership and solutions-first thinking.
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