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Remind Employees of the Chain of Command

A chain of command is important in business. It allows executives to determine who should be held accountable for a personnel problem. To insubordinate employees, though, a chain of command means nothing. They flout authority, after all. They won’t hesitate to leapfrog over their supervisor to take their concerns to the very top. Their approach could leave their supervisor feeling diminished.

If an employee breaks protocol and comes directly to you with an issue, remind the person of the chain of command with two questions: (1) Did you speak with your supervisor? (2) What was the outcome?

A chain of command shouldn’t be too rigid, though. If an employee’s immediate supervisor is abusive or ineffective, the employee should by all means be encouraged to jump up the chain to find relief.