Hierarchy affects what information you can access and share. Senior positions—by age, organizational level, or social status—typically have access to information that junior positions do not. This information asymmetry is part of how hierarchy functions; differential access marks differential position. Information flows downward selectively, with seniors deciding what those below need to know.
The full picture exists at higher levels; lower levels work with partial information. Upward information flow is constrained—sharing with superiors may be mandatory (required reports) or risky (bad news), creating managed upward flow.
If you are junior, recognize that you may not have complete information and that this is structural, not personal. If you are senior, recognize that you may receive incomplete or filtered information from below because of hierarchical dynamics. Gaining hierarchical position includes gaining information access; advancing means learning things your previous position did not allow.
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