Let's talk about what subordination is, why it is needed in business communication, what norms it is regulated by and what happens if it is not observed. The topic will be discussed below in detail. It is worth understanding that the role of communication in business and at work is simply enormous. You can be an excellent professional in your field, but due to your inability to communicate, give up your place to a person who is less capable, but more sociable. One of the most important rules of communication between business people is subordination. The rules of communication concern three levels: between a boss and a subordinate, between a subordinate and a boss, or between employees.
Subordination
First, let's try to answer the question of what subordination is. From Latin this word is literally translated as “submission”. Subordination means a person’s place in the system of relationships. Adhering to subordination means following the rules of communication that are established between people at different levels of the hierarchical ladder.
Boss and subordinate
The attitude of a subordinate to his boss depends on many factors, but the main ones are authority and maintaining the work process. In order for employees to comply with subordination, the manager must correctly set out the rules of official discipline, pay attention to the ethics of communication and establish the limits of what is permitted. This is very important, because when there are no established rules, the team feels insecure and shows little initiative. It is not clear to employees how to treat the boss’s words: as a request or an order. To avoid incidents, every employee must know the norms of communication in a given company.
Key tips for managers:
- If an employee is not doing their job, remind them that you expect results from them. In another case, he may think that you forgot about the order and not complete it. In addition, such comments remind the employee what can happen if he does not follow the instructions of his boss.
- If you criticize an employee, the criticism should concern exclusively work-related issues. It is unacceptable to use humiliation or insults;
- You cannot give your subordinates any personal advice, because you will be responsible for the result.
- Even in the most critical situations, a leader must demonstrate confidence. Employees should not see uncertainty, fear or panic in their boss's words and actions. This threatens the loss of authority.
- It's important to value your best employees. Their reward should correspond to the effort they spent on its implementation.
- Don't forget about praise. Praising in front of other employees can make an employee more motivated.
We already know what subordination is, but the main advice in business relations between a boss and a subordinate is that tasks should be given based on the specific situation and character of the employee. You need to understand that some people need constant monitoring, because without it they cannot work.
Basic rules of interaction between company representatives
The norms of subordination depend on the type of hierarchy:
- Vertical. Assumes that the higher level gives instructions to the lower one. For example, a manager gives tasks to his subordinate. The latter is obliged to fulfill them.
- Horizontal. Involves interaction between employees of equal status.
Relationships that involve submission are traditionally considered difficult. Hidden conflicts often arise between the manager and subordinates, which complicate work. Subordination helps prevent problems. Its features depend on what kind of relationships are regulated.
Orders, requests and advice
When communicating, it is very important to establish what form of instructions will be - an order, a request, a recommendation. Most often, managers use requests, which expresses their friendly attitude. However, when dealing with unscrupulous employees, an order should be used. It differs from a request in the sternness of its voice and its special emotional delivery. Failure to comply with subordination at work must be noted by management. This fact cannot be ignored. It is necessary to tell the employee about the rules of communication. A reprimand for insubordination must be in a strict form so that the employee learns the lesson.
Relationships with the team
The manager must understand that non-compliance with subordination may be caused by his behavior. Familiar relations are unacceptable.
The boss must communicate with employees through recommendations. Advice should be given to help the employee find a solution to the problem. Relations with the team should be built on mutually beneficial principles. Financial stimulation, as well as moral, plays an important role in this matter.
Subordinate and boss
An employee who does not adhere to the norms of business communication may be dismissed for insubordination. A person who plans to stay at work and move up the career ladder is simply obliged to adhere to the chain of command, because his future largely depends on his boss. At the same time, you shouldn’t rush to extremes and show coldness in relationships, but you also shouldn’t curry favor with your superiors.
In order to build a good relationship with your manager, you should remember some rules:
- the manager will like it if the employee unites the team;
- your ideas about work must be expressed in a tactful and polite manner, since impudent remarks towards the leader can lead to trouble;
- You should not speak with your boss in a categorical tone or answer in monosyllables; most often, employees who are laid off are those who talk little and are constantly dissatisfied with everything;
- there is no need to try to get a promotion by jumping over the head of your immediate superior.
The last piece of advice is that even in the best of relationships, you shouldn’t show disrespect: enter your boss’s office without knocking, interrupt him when he’s talking to someone.
2Subordination in culture and life situations
If we do not take into account the military chain of command, which is the same in all countries, it will be interesting to consider its role in other aspects. Below are some examples that will help you understand how closely subordination and other aspects of life are connected:
Corporate chain of command
Corporate subordination is a system of subordination within a company. It is based on the fact that an official is obliged to carry out the instructions and tasks of a person who is at the top level of the management system. In simple terms, this can be interpreted as follows: ordinary workers carry out the orders of department managers, department managers are responsible to the department director, who, in turn, carries out the strategic tasks set by top management.
Despite corporate subordination, the role of the lower-level employee in the business process may vary from country to country. For example, in most Asian countries, small workers do not have the initiative. Thus, they are limited only to their work and, in most cases, do not participate in the management of the company. In Asian countries, it is believed that the higher a person’s position in a company, the more valuable his word is when making any decisions. This Asian system of corporate chain of command is radically different from the Western (European and American) system.
The Western system of corporate subordination is softer and involves decision-making not only by a superior person, but also by ordinary employees of the department. People in these countries believe that the success of a corporation depends on the success of every person working in it.
Subordination and plane crashes
You can give a very interesting example that happened in real life. It will reveal the full significance of subordination between officials.
As mentioned above, Asians tend to believe that the decision of a senior official is always infallible. Let's imagine a situation: a passenger plane is controlled by two people - a senior and a junior captain. Of course, the senior captain has more authority, he is more experienced and his position is higher. Thus, the junior captain is obliged to obey him.
Korean airliners at the end of the 20th century were considered the most dangerous due to the huge number of plane crashes. Many of them were due to the fact that junior captains did not dare to object to the opinion of the senior captain. For example, here is the cause of one of the plane crashes: the junior captain noticed an icy wing of the plane and reported it to the senior captain, to which he replied that everything was in order.
In fact, even minor wing icing can lead to a plane crash. Despite this, the junior captain did not insist on his opinion, which led to the accident. Western pilots, on the contrary, are accustomed to freely expressing their thoughts and insisting on their own if they are sure of something. This speaks of the individualism of the people, which is so necessary in this case.
From the above you can draw your own conclusions about subordination. Is it good or bad? If you are the owner of a company, then it is worth considering what type of corporate chain of command is most suitable for you and your employees. All cases are individual and ambiguous.
Business communication between managers
Business relationships can be built horizontally, that is, between two bosses. Failure to comply with subordination in this case can also lead to a number of negative consequences. To avoid them, you should remember the following rules:
- You should speak clearly and to the point with your partner, without wasting time showing interest. Many business people are annoyed by empty dialogue because they value their time.
- In order to attract the attention of a colleague, offer him facts and figures.
- If your interlocutor is aggressive, demonstrate calmness to calm him down. Never react angrily.
- Offer pre-thought-out solutions to show your initiative and competence in business.
Who is obliged to comply with it?
It is characteristic not only of subordinates. The responsibilities of any manager require similar adherence to the principles of business ethics, issuing orders in the correct form, and no attempts to humiliate juniors or criticize their personal qualities.
There is always a certain order in the matter of giving subordinates superior orders. At the same time, each employee must have an idea of the acceptable forms adopted in this organization, in which management is reported on how the work has been done. In certain situations, a lower-level employee has the right to appeal the actions of his immediate superior.
Telephone communication
Telephone communication is an integral part of business communication. Some successful people ruin their business because they do not know how to communicate properly on the phone with a business partner.
To begin with, it is worth noting that when communicating with a business person, you should not answer the phone. This is only permissible in very rare and important cases. When calling someone on business, you should first clarify whether it is convenient for the person to talk at the moment. Do not use swear words under any circumstances, as this may alienate your business partner.
Colleagues
It is just as important for an employee to find a common language with his colleagues as with his boss. Communication needs to be done correctly from the very beginning so that common problems do not arise. Some, using a good attitude towards themselves, shift professional responsibilities to others. Others show their comrades in a negative light in front of the boss. To avoid this, you should follow some rules:
- when the boss gives a task, the work should be equally divided among all team members so that there are no slackers;
- it is necessary to avoid conflicts of interest and pulling over clients: a couple of clients will not help you get a promotion, but will spoil the atmosphere in the team, which is why you will have to work in a tense environment;
- if you can't help, don't promise it;
- You shouldn’t start intimate conversations at work, as this can lead to a deterioration in your relationship with your boss and colleague in the future.
The last piece of advice concerns the fact that you should not realize yourself at the expense of your colleagues.
What is it like?
Service relationships can be vertical or horizontal. What is meant? The names speak for themselves. The first (vertical) are top-down (boss - subordinate) and bottom-up (employee - manager) relationships. When talking about them, by default they mean obedience to the orders of senior management.
A real boss who adheres to the rules of corporate culture will never allow familiarity towards those who occupy lower positions. To avoid work troubles, distance must always be maintained, and in a mutual manner. After all, there are situations of inappropriate behavior on the part of employees towards the manager. This may be expressed in banter or inappropriately categorical tone.
Such familiarity backfires on employees. Those who regularly violate the principles of subordination are usually the first candidates for staff reduction. For his part, a leader who delves into the personal problems of his subordinates, is able to share private experiences with them, and forgives optionality and indiscipline, behaves short-sightedly and ultimately loses the authority due to his position.
Insubordination
Is it possible to punish an employee legally? For failure to comply with subordination at work, the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides for three types of consequences: reprimand, reprimand and dismissal as a last resort. A remark is used for a one-time violation of the rules. A reprimand for insubordination, a sample of which is in the article, can be oral or entered into a personal file. It all depends on the degree of violation. Typically, the reason for a reprimand is isolated or persistent disciplinary violations. Dismissal for failure to comply with subordination is used in the event of a violation that falls under an article of the administrative or Criminal Code (assault).
In this case, what kind of communication we are talking about plays an important role. An employee, for example, only risks losing his job, while a manager may lose his reputation and respect in business circles. All successful companies build internal relationships on the principles of subordination.
Normative base
The rules of subordination are established by the company’s internal documents, such as:
- Collective agreement. It establishes the basic principles of interaction.
- Inner order rules. They indicate the work schedule and rules of conduct in the workplace.
- Job description. It indicates the specific responsibilities of the employee, as well as his status in the company hierarchy.
- Contract of employment. It stipulates individual rules for a specific employee.
Each company has the right to independently develop rules of subordination that are relevant for a specific space. However, they are all based on basic ethical standards.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION! Within the framework of the law, the rules of subordination are regulated by Article 192 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Here is the responsibility for failure to comply with established standards.
