As we continue down the road of setting a good example, I want to take a brief look into authority. In the post Is It Hammer Time? I used an analogy to explain my view on the use/exercise of authority. This time I’ll attempt to explain my beliefs on how to work within the authority structure appropriately and thereby set a good example. As I pointed out at the beginning of this series, in Part I, you are always setting an example. Whenever you are in a position of authority, the people below watch everything you do. Not everyone keeps track of everything but it will feel that way. If you’re doing what’s right, it’s nothing to fear or obsess about.
Let’s walk through where authority comes from because it’s not really ours. Authority is derived from the very top of the food chain. It is delegated down in smaller and smaller doses until it reaches our level. In a perfect world, our authority would be equal to our responsibility within the organization. This is to ensure we can meet the demand of fulfilling the function needed by our team. None of us here on earth live in a perfect world. We are never given enough authority to complete our team’s function by simply demanding it be done. We really only need enough to establish us in our position but those under our authority must have respect for that authority for it to be sufficient to get the job done.
Chain of command.
The delegation of authority from one echelon down to the next becomes our “chain of command.” Our piece of authority comes from our boss’ slightly bigger piece and our boss’ piece comes from his boss’ even bigger piece and so on. This means that our authority is derived from those up the chain of command. If we reject the authority of those over us, we reject our own authority because ours is just part of theirs. If we don’t respect the authority of those over us, we don’t respect our own authority again, because ours is just part of theirs. If we don’t respect or we reject this authority, our subordinates will follow suit. We have just led by example. Without authority or respect for our authority, you’ll be hard pressed to gain the appropriate amount of cooperation to complete your team’s area of responsibility. This will be especially true when things get tough and you have to make tough and unpopular decisions. Mutiny will occur at the slightest provocation.
Accepting and respecting the authority of those appointed over you in the chain of command is a necessary mindset. It will enable you to demonstrate it as an example to your team. It will also allow you to establish a standard of conduct for your team toward authority without being hypocritical (do as I say not as I do). The standard of conduct must include how you treat the person in authority. What I mean by this is that you have to be disciplined in your approach to those in authority. Many of us work for (or have worked for) a self-absorbed, unfair, idiot who couldn’t make a rational decision if his life depended on it. It takes a lot of discipline to treat him with the respect his position demands. You must remember your authority comes directly from him. In these cases, I find it helps me to mentally separate the person from the position and treat the person solely based on the position. Bad mouthing the person disrespects the position, is inappropriate, and sets an example to your team that will bite you in the butt, guaranteed.
Using the chain.
Using the chain of command properly is important. Many situations involve another department’s chain rather than your own. If you aren’t obtaining adequate cooperation from a support agency, it is sometimes necessary to bump things up the chain. I prefer to use my chain to do the bumping so my boss doesn’t get blindsided by a phone call from the “higher up” at the agency or department in question. Occasionally, we must take things up our own chain of command. Depending on the personalities involved, as well as the subject matter, this can be an endeavor fraught with danger. When stepping over your boss it is always best (unless it’s something like sexual harassment or other illegal activity) to let your boss know your intentions. It’s a trust issue as much as anything else. It is also the way in which you’d want your subordinates to treat you. Never, ever use going up the chain as a threat. You either need to or you don’t, make the decision and stick to it.
Abusing the chain.
Abusing the chain of command can be a lot easier than you might think. If you have a higher level boss who likes to show his face in your department or workcenter, candid conversations can develop. If things are going well, you typically give a glowing account of what’s happening. If you happen to be frustrated with what you perceive as an uncooperative boss or support agency, you have to be very careful. Spilling your guts to the CEO during a workcenter visit (or company picnic) IS jumping the chain and sets a poor example to those around you.
Using connections or friends in management positions to bypass the normal channels is also an abuse. Sometimes, in urgent situations, we will need to call on our connections to expedite a request. That’s why connections are good to have but normally you should use regular channels. Using the chain of command properly builds trust and allows people to do their job without threat or fear of having their boss constantly interfering on your behalf. I have found that support agency personnel, if I’ve built a trusting relationship with them, will take an expedited request up their own chain for approval.
Following orders.
Following orders...or “just” following orders. I like to split hairs here. We must set the example of following orders because we need our troops to follow suit with our orders. However, “just following orders” has a connotation of a bureaucrat and implies a blind obedience. That’s not what I want from my team. Direction, orders, requests, or whatever form it takes, the obedience must be from an internal acceptance. This internal drive stems from any number of self-defined principles: advancing the company’s goals, improving quality of life in the workplace, or maybe just plain old “because the boss said so.” In any case, you have evaluated the order and determined it to be the right thing to do. I didn’t say it was what you’d have done or the best way to do it. It’s the right thing to do because you must follow your boss’s direction...up to a point.
Illegal, immoral, or clearly unethical (I speak to this briefly in Lead By Example Part II, Ethics) orders are never the right thing to do. Also, in cases where you have a strong opinion contrary to the boss’s orders, you have an obligation to speak up. Don’t speak up in front of others unless the setting allows it (for example, a brainstorming session) and whatever the final outcome of your talk with the boss, that’s the position you own. In other words, no matter whether the boss sees it your way or not, you press ahead with the final decision: no back-biting, no soliciting support for your idea, and no doing it the way you wanted anyway. It sets a bad example and you don’t want your troops doing that to you. They will, at least on occasion, but you don’t want to have established that standard of conduct for them.
Let’s say at this point, a bad decision is made and you’ve failed to talk your boss out of it. You enact the order and the team grumbles. They plead their case to you to talk to the boss. You already went there and came back empty but they don’t know that. If the stakes are big enough, I would suggest you can use this as a learning opportunity for your team. Have them assemble their argument, work with them on content and presentation, and set up a time with your boss for them to present. Chances are the boss will bring up the fact that you already tried and this shows your team that while you don’t “kiss and tell,” you are sticking up for them.
Policy and procedure.
Many similarities exist between following direction from your boss and following policy and procedures. Well written policies speak to intent and will allow some flexibility in how you achieve compliance. Regardless of whether or not written guidance is flexible, it must be followed. So many examples exist but I want to only give a couple. Remember, we’re talking about setting an example. Wearing safety gear and wearing it properly. It’s bound to be both policy (must wear) and procedure (how to wear it properly). If you aren’t setting the perfect example and someone loses an eye because they did it like you did it...you know what they say, “it’s all fun and games til….”
Another example is less about an exact standard as much as exceeding minimum standards. Some policies set a minimum standard of conduct or performance. The simple standard of arriving to work on time can only be exceeded by a matter of minimal degrees. You can’t clock in until your shift starts and you can’t work until you’ve clocked in. Arriving to work early enough to enable you to start work the minute you clock in shouldn’t be but a few minutes difference. It’s meaningful but not a huge opportunity to set an distinctive example. The one that comes to my mind may be lost in translation to the civilian population. It involves how to wear the uniform.
The military has a list of standards they require when it comes to how the uniform is worn. During my time in the Air Force and particularly after reaching the mid NCO ranks, I found uniform standards could be greatly influenced through example. I wasn’t the only one who noticed the change so I quit thinking it was just my imagination. The personnel in the weather station were allowed to wear any duty uniform as long as it met the minimum standards (spelled out in detail in Air Force regulations) of serviceability. When I arrived at a new duty station I would always notice the vast majority of the people would be wearing fatigues (BDUs or whatever they’re called now). Their boots would be black and the uniform wouldn’t be too wrinkled (fresh out of the dryer). If they hadn’t done laundry they would wear their blue uniform with the short sleeved shirt (no tie required on short sleeved shirt) and minimal accoutrements, nametag and weather badge. No pride in their uniform was obvious. It was almost as if there was a peer pressure to not look sharp in your uniform. My standard was spit and polish. Starched long sleeve blue shirt with tie and all the accoutrements: tie tack, name tag, badge, and ribbons. On Fridays I would wear fatigues: starched creases and spit-shined boots. Haircut was always shorter than regulation requirements.
After about six months there would be a noticeable change in uniform wear. It usually started with the more senior airmen who wanted to be proud of their uniform and appearance but felt intimidated by the higher ranking NCOs. Then it would spread from there. Before the end of my first year there were only a few holdouts. I never said anything to anyone about their uniform, unless I had to correct an actual problem. It wasn’t that everyone wore their uniform in the same combination I did, it’s that they started pressing their uniforms, wearing the blue uniforms regularly, and overall showing pride in their appearance. I didn’t set out to have this happen, I set out to show pride in my uniform and vocation. I set out to be an example.
When setting an example you must be consistent. Day in and day out, regardless of how you feel at the moment, you must do the right thing. Remember also, it takes time for the example you set to take hold. Don’t get discouraged, they will come around.
What if I don’t have any?
Unfortunately, there are “leaders” who fail to relinquish authority to people they assign to supervisory roles. In these cases, the example you set is all the authority you have. If you’ve been placed in this dubious position you should consider changing jobs. How do you know if you have responsibility without authority? There are actually two fairly obvious indicators. The first is obvious, you’re in charge of a group or team and they are not your direct reports. You have no authority. The second is a tad more subtle. You have direct reports but if any of them run whining to your boss and you are told to do what they want...no authority. Either scenario means your boss doesn’t trust you for whatever reason and it’s time to figure out how to escape.
Project management often has responsibility and no direct reports because it’s a different beast. I always found it best to tag the team member’s manager for the task and have him delegate. That isn’t always an option but making it standard policy to keep the managers in the communication loop should be. It helps keep the team members honest. It can also provide them with kudos or black marks as fodder for performance reviews, if the manager decides to use it. By acknowledging the actual authority in the process you set an honest example of recognizing authority.
Long and short of it.
In the end, it’s a matter of viewpoint. If you see authority as power you will use it to control. If you see authority as a responsibility, you will exercise it accordingly. You’ll never have enough power from authority to do the entire job and besides, it’s not the most efficient tool to use anyway. Setting the proper example, up the chain and down, is about as far as you want to go in it’s use. I’ve also outlined an example of the appropriate exercise of authority in my analogy Is It Hammer Time?
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