August Writing Tip – The Chain of Command

Ask ten students of social organization about what constitutes power and you’ll get five different answers. One of the theories that I have heard and tend to agree with is that power is an illusion. A professor of mine once said that power is only legitimized if the people involved in the system buy into it, meaning a person is only as powerful as the extent to which people under him or her recognize that power and follow the will of the individual. Of course, on a practical level we have power backed up by guns, tanks and bullets…but let’s face it…historically, revolution has always been an option.

The bottom line is: Power is an illusion in that it is only legitimized when people in the power structure support it. It follows logically then that Power in our own institution (Far Point Fleet) is also only legitimized when we (the people) buy into the system. So what does that mean to you and me on a practical level? All this fancy talk about theory boils down to a simple concept – respect for the chain of command.

I believe everyone had heard my views on promotion and the meaning of rank, so I won’t bore you with that recap. The logical extension of the responsibilities that come with promotion is the increase in prestige and power that come with the increased responsibility. Let’s face it: none of us would be bucking for promotion if we didn’t think it came with some degree of increased power. We as humans can’t always be altruistic and be in line with natural tendencies. Severe and enduring altruism in my opinion leads unerringly to burnout. But I digress. Back to a discussion of power.

So, if we accept the originating argument of this writing tip that power only functions if people buy into the system and if we likewise admit that we all like the increased power that SHOULD come with promotion, then the argument’s natural end would be thus: If we all agree to buy into the system and respect the chain of command, our own attained rank will instantaneously increase in meaning.

Don’t get me wrong…we are not a military institution. We as a group don’t wield any far reaching or earth shattering power. But we do have the option of giving the chain of command, even if only in our own little social experiment, a nod of acknowledgement. When Brit sends his opinion on a matter, many of us view it as one man’s opinion. Some of us are of the ethic that all men are created equal and since Brit is a man and I am a man, then why should his opinion matter more than mine? I have one word for you: experience.

By and large, in Far Point Fleet and any institution of this kind, experience is usually a prerequisite for high rank. Brit had been around the block. He’s been simming like this for a lot longer than most of us. He has the experience of command. He’s captained a ship. He’s built a fleet. These things alone deserve respect…deserve our commitment to the hierarchy of our organization. If none of us recognize his authority, then what are we doing here? Why model the organization of our fleet after that of Starfleet?

I could write on this topic forever, but let me wind this down lest I give many of you horrible flashbacks to your dreaded Political Science classes. The meaning of rank is what we as a group choose to make it. The meaning of YOUR rank is the extent to which YOU choose to recognize the rank of others. Give respect to the chain of command in this fleet and the chain of command will respect the rank you have worked hard to achieve. Then, my fellow simmers, that Lieutenant stamp on your signature line will mean more than a fictitious rank for a fictitious character in a fictitious story.

Thanks,

Russ

Aka Captain J’Dem

Commanding Officer

USS Horatio Nelson NCC-19958-A