Managers Organization Chief Work Management Layers Top Level Mid Level

Most American businesses have three "layers" (levels of things that are placed on top of each other) of management: "top-level managers," "mid-level managers," and "first-level managers." These layers form an organizational "hierarchy" (a reporting structure showing who has the most power and influence within an organization, and who reports to whom). In most cases, there are only a few top-level managers, a "handful" (a small number) of mid-level managers, and more first-level managers.

"Top-level managers" are "senior executives" or "c-level executives," such as the "CEO" (chief executive officer), "CFO" (chief financial officer), "CIO" (chief information officer). They work together as a "management team" for the entire organization, and they work closely with the board of directors.

"Mid-level managers" "tend to be" (usually are) important within the organization and report directly to the c-level executives. They might be division managers or department managers, or assistant vice-presidents. They are involved in some of the day-to-day activities of the company, but they are primarily responsible for communicating executive decisions downward through the organization and making sure that the first-level managers are performing well.

Finally, "first-level managers," also known as "first-line managers," are "supervisors" (responsible for directly overseeing the work of other employees). They might have titles like office manager, department manager, crew leader, store manager, and more. They have relatively little power within the organization, but they are responsible for making sure that their team reaches "quotas" (numerical expectation of how much a person or group will contribute, such as sales figures) while "ensuring" (making sure something happens) satisfactory "quality" (how good or bad something is).