A supervisor gives you a direct order that you believe violates a minor department policy, but is not illegal. Do you follow the order?

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When you’re given a direct order that you believe conflicts with a minor department policy but isn’t illegal, the best approach is to carry out the order. This preserves operations, maintains safety, and respects the chain of command since the directive is lawful and ethical. After the task is completed, address the policy issue through proper channels by scheduling a private, professional conversation with your supervisor to voice your concerns and seek clarification or a policy update. This keeps things running smoothly in the moment while ensuring accountability and the opportunity to correct or update policies later.

Why this fits best: obeying a lawful directive prevents confusion, delay, or risk in the field, and it demonstrates professionalism and reliability. Addressing the policy concern afterwards demonstrates initiative and a commitment to the department’s rules without undermining the immediate operation.

Why the other approaches aren’t as good: refusing immediately can undermine authority and potentially create operational risk; question the order in the field and wait for more instructions causes unnecessary delay and could jeopardize safety or mission success; ignoring the instruction is neglect of duties and could lead to discipline or harm.