Chiefs and Indians

A natural tendency of humans is to relate most to people one perceives as sharing values and situations. This works up and down the ladder of life and business. It is important to recognize that an organization, just as a family, contains a spectrum of individuals of varying rank yet having relative rank within that internal structure. Mom and Dad are executives and the children are workers. Generally, one of the executives is dominant (Mom in my case…) and within the children there is a rank structure that involves age, personality and ability. Keep this in mind as you deal with the complex relationships of the work environment. Among your peers there is a definite hierarchy, whether you acknowledge it or not. The managers above you are well aware of this organizational fact and promote accordingly. If you treat your peers and subordinates with this in mind, your role as a manager will benefit immensely.