Hi Harsha,

I absolutely agree with you that the team members should be protected from people who try to take advantage of open communication culture. However, the chain of command in this case refers to the manager’s excessive need of control. They do not allow any interaction to flow through without them being a part of it. Think of it this way – if you need some clarification from another team, would you want your manager to be a part of it? Isn’t it much easier to just approach them and seek the information you need.

Managers are absolutely required when critical decisions are involved or when something requires their attention/opinion. In other cases, they should have enough trust in their team members to do the right thing.

Thanks,
Vinita