members. The chain of command begins with the commanding officer (CO) and flows down to the seaman recruit. All members use the chain of command when they communicate about orders, responsibilities, reports, and requests from higher to lower authority or lower to higher authority. Members also use the chain of command when they communicate with others who have the same level of authority, such as a counterpart in another division. UNITY OF COMMAND. —Unity of command is the order of control of an organization. It gives one person control over one segment of the organization. It ensures that a person reports directly to and receives orders from only one individual. The person in control issues all orders and receives all reports from his or her segment of the organization. To ensure all personnel know whom  they  direct  and  to  whom  they  report, commands  should  have  clearly  set  lines  of authority. Use  of  the  chain  of  command  and  an organizational chart will help you maintain unity of command. Be sure you clarify your position both to your superiors and subordinates. SPAN OF CONTROL.  —Span  of  control refers to the ideal number of people one person can effectively supervise. The ideal number is based on the scope of the assigned functional responsibilities and the time available to the supervisor. Normally a supervisor is responsible for at least three but not more than seven people. SPECIALIZATION. —Specialization refers to the division of work. The organizational chart normally shows the division of work. Work centers are highly specialized by ratings. Divisions usually contain personnel in similar ratings, and departments contain personnel in ratings that perform similar tasks. Delegation of Authority The American citizens delegate authority to the President, who, in turn, delegates authority down the chain of command to you. You delegate authority to the lowest level competent to handle the  specific  responsibility.  Although  you  may delegate authority for a task, you have the final responsibility for the completion of that task. When you delegate authority to your subor- dinates, let them make their own decisions about how to handle problems that arise. If they make wrong decisions,    they will learn from their mistakes. However, encourage and train your subordinates to come to you if they need help in making a decision. Since you are training your subordinates to fill a higher position of authority, help them, but do not do the delegated work yourself. WHY  YOU  SHOULD  DELEGATE.  — Delegating allows you to accomplish more than if you try to complete every task yourself. It allows you to focus your attention where it is most needed and to train and develop subordinates. Delegation  also  allows  you  to  make  good decisions  outside  your  area  of  expertise.  For example, because of specialization, you may not have the knowledge level required to make the correct decision about how to complete a task. In that case, you would be wise to delegate the task and have the subordinate report back to you with alternative courses of action. You would then review the alternatives and make your decision based on the information presented. FAILURE TO DELEGATE. —Many super- visors fail to delegate, or they delegate poorly. Some people refuse to delegate because they feel more powerful when they make all the decisions. Others avoid delegating because they think subor- dinates might exercise poor judgement. Some supervisors have a fear of letting subordinates make decisions they will be responsible for. Some supervisors are afraid the subordinate will be more effective and thus threaten their position. Still other supervisors do not believe subordinates want the  opportunity  to  have  more  authority  and decision-making responsibility. Make  sure  you  train  your  subordinates through delegation of authority. Both you and your subordinates will be happier and have more time. SUBORDINATES’ ROLE IN DELEGA- TION. —When you delegate the authority to complete a task, your subordinates’ role is to accept that authority. Along with that authority, they must accept the additional responsibility and accountability that go with it. Subordinates sometimes are unwilling to accept authority for the following reasons: • They don’t want to risk making a decision. • They have a fear of being criticized. 3-12