Chain of Command

re: Chain of Command

Ryan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:10:14 GMT

I do agree if more open forums were available and open speech was encouraged I think more cound be aired and perhaps (gasp!) progress could be made.

Surveys are as exactly as you described. Data for number crunchers to sit at their desks and figure out a way to polish them up and make the data look pretty enough to present to the higher ups.

It would be nice to empower the workforce to take on many tasks. No, I wouldn't ask the 55 year-old lady hematologist to fix the HVAC system, but if there were a task that could be accomplished (with some guidance) in a more timely manner by having someone from the actual department do it.. then go ahead. Many of us are technically inclined and are innate problem solvers.. that is why we are laboratorians.

Why do we need to requisition the IT department and wait ten days to move a computer or piece of hardware? Give me the instructions, tools and specs and I will do it in ten minutes. Same goes for many other things.

This I would call success and I am sure that I am not the first person to think this can and will work. Just think of goals being met well in time and using fewer resources. I would love to be blessed to byass the system, but I don't think that some places have evolved that far yet; instead I will continue to send paper airplanes up the ladder.

re: Chain of Command

Scott Warner — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:13:06 GMT

I've puzzled over how to change an inefficient, outmoded chain of command system. I'll just toss a few ideas out:

Top-level management should define performance goals and expect results. This means rewards if something happens and consequences if it doesn't. My experience has been that these kinds of expectations are rare for clinical management.

People should be encouraged to bypass the system. This suggests, at least to me, that reporting and recognition has to change, perhaps to an open forum. It won't do to give middle management the task of recognizing these people.

Asking employees where problems are in open forums rather than anonymous surveys can help. The inference of the employee survey is that people are afraid to speak... because of the management team asking them to fill out the survey. If middle managers are expected to find out what employees want instead of defining how employees behave, things can change.

The fear is that "the workers" (a revealing term!) will say or do the wrong thing and, in doing so, damage the organization or make things less efficient. My guess is just the opposite happens.

re: Chain of Command

Marilyn — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:51:05 GMT

Amen to your article. I find myself searching out certain managers and pathologists to get simple things done because "chain of command" takes too long and is too frustrating.

And by the way, I'm a "boomer".

re: Chain of Command

Ryan — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:09:30 GMT

I will place myself Pre-Millenial, Pre-Y .. more like a Gen-X'er. I see and sympathize with the younger age generations with the lack of efficiency of today's current and common chain of commanders. They are a generation of fast and now. Instant information, instant responses; news, weather and Google at their fingertips.

What is frustrating to see is things so simple taking so long. A mere suggestion (like you said) must go up and up and up, over and up so much more, when in fatc, it could be taken care of at the next door over by lunchtime the same day.

Is it that we have become used to passing the buck? Letting someone else handle it because we don't want to or fear that we may be stepping on someone else's toes? All this, until finally someone who has absolutely no idea what is going on or what we are talking about makes an uninformed yes/no decision.

Yes, this may have worked for the older workforce for whatever reasons, but it can definately use some revamping as our workforce's age and thought process slowly changes. Is it fear of change that may prevent this from taking place or is it that there are so many [useless paper-pushing] middle management positions that we need to do this to keep them busy and gainfully employed ?

I do not have first-hand experience, but isn't (as you mentioned) open collaboration and loose structure what made recent technological companies successful and popular among the younger workforce? ((yeah the dot-coms busted - but for other reasons, not because someone was able to get a requisition authorized by quitting time the same day))

I think that we may see this newer organizational shape and structure begin to unfold (if) once the older generation of workforce begins to retire and leave the commanders in the dust.