“Top-down” companies and fast growing startups are often prone to problems with authority when new employees are reluctant or unwilling to contribute their ideas because they feel locked out of existing groups. Direct and honest communication suffers, opportunities can be lost and nagging conflicts grow.
Authority issues also are factors in conflicts between the “Home Office” and the “Field.” If these two entities cannot communicate openly, real issues are left to fester rather than being addressed directly and early enough to avoid conflict.
It’s critical to avoid the “us” and “them” syndrome. With new and supervisor training, your managers can learn how to keep the communication lines open. The worst situation is when the Field sees Corporate as unresponsive and uncaring, while Corporate gets frustrated with complaints from those in the Field.
