Chain Of Command

Chaos in any organized situation creates uncertainty and stress. Sometimes the reason is an inept leader, disgruntled workers ignoring directives and doing whatever they want, or a combination of the two. A clearly defined chain of demand in a radio station can keep it on track to reach programming and sales goals. However, if workers start doing their own thing by disrupting the chain of command, it can demoralize, cause finger pointing, and lead to a constant series of unnecessary meetings.

Over the last few months I have had several discussions with air personalities who are expressing doubt about their workplace because of a few selfish co-workers causing havoc. I will give you a glimpse at these instances, see if any of it fits your current situation.

Sales Going Direct…

Jock: I have only been here for a short time and one of the salespeople has me in trouble with my boss. This salesperson came to me and asked if I would be available for a weekend promotion that involved flying to New York with winners. I said yes, assuming she had gone to programming and got an okay. She caught me off0guard. The next thing I know, my PD calls me into the office and told me he found out by seeing a one-sheet done by the salesperson during a weekly marketing/promotions meeting.

Coach: I bet your PD had a lot of questions.

Jock: He did, he told me that he would not throw me under the bus and was going to allow this promotion to go forward. However, he made it clear to me that in the future to never agree to do anything for sales or anybody else until I check with him first.

Coach: He is right; that’s the right chain of command and it’s the only way to always leave your boss in a defendable position.

Can You Work For Me?

Jock: I work in a top-25 market and I thought I left the sneaky stuff behind me in smaller markets. I am working part-time and there is a good chance I will work full-time for one of the stations in this cluster. I got a call the other day from the midday person and he asked me if I could work for him next Friday. I was half-asleep and agreed to do it. You see, until I go full-time for the company, I took a bartender job and work pretty late some days.

Coach: He called you directly?

Jock: He cleverly made it sound as if he had the okay from the OM.

Coach: Yep, and of course he did not. What happened next?

Jock: I filled in for him and the OM asked me what I was doing there and where was #####.  I told him that I was under the impression it was okay for me to fill-in for ####. He was more than a little irritated and told me to come see him after the shift. I was nervous and went to his office right after my last break. He took out a memo that I had read and signed off on before I ever worked on the air there. He had highlighted a specific passage which said that unless it came from him or a designated person in charge, no one else could assign a shift.

Coach: Fairly clear-cut, the midday person was wrong and I am sure he dealt with them, but on your part, why didn’t you check with him immediately after that other personality asked you to work for them?

Jock: I just assumed it was okay and did not want anyone to think I was difficult.

Coach: It’s really about the chain of command and following directions. I would have suggested you to say yes to the request, but had to check with the OM to see if there were any conflicts. It would have alerted the full-time personality that you follow the rules. This sort of thing goes on at many stations regardless of market size. Some people just want things their way.

Conclusion:

Be a part of the solution and not the problem. There will always be others trying to circumvent the dictate of management, but if you always stick to the chain of command, you’ll stay clear of the internal B.S.