Respecting the chain of command may be a common concept for some, but it may be new for others.
The chain of command refers to the hierarchy of your management staff. For example, you’re a designer and your immediate boss is your supervisor. Most likely their title will be something like a manager. Your manager’s immediate boss will be the director of your department. Then the director’s immediate boss could be the vice president of the department. The chain of command in this scenario is your manager then director then vice president.
Now that we know what the chain of command is, how do we respect it? You want to go to your managing boss to address any thoughts or concerns you may have. Don’t skip over your manager and go to the director to speak about a concern. Respecting the chain of command means you should communicate with your managing boss first. Then if there is a situation that requires you to go to your director then do so.
By not respecting this chain it can lead to many potential issues. You may receive some sort of warning from your actions, you may inherit a lot of unnecessary job-related stress, or worse it could lead to disciplinary action. If you care about growth for your position and want to have a job environment you can do your best work, you want to make sure you respect your boss’ authority.
You may also get positive results by respecting your chain of command. By doing this it may lead to a deeper trust from your boss which in turn may lead to more opportunities which could lead to a promotion or some type of job growth.
