12/13/2023

How to Tell an Employee to Stay in Their Lane

While drive is important, overstepping is also dangerous

A reader writes:I've been at my company for about a year, and I inherited most of the large team I manage. Their job descriptions and roles are pretty clear and specific, but one of our subject matter expects, "Jane," is constantly questioning the work of other team members on projects in which she doesn't have a stake (and, by default, my support for that work/the decisions being made). I want to encourage feedback and discussion, but I also need to let this employee know she has to trust her coworkers and their expertise, and the boundaries of who "owns" what... She is great at her job. But she doesn't have experience in any of the areas where she questions decisions and wants input.

Am I being a grinch when I want to grit my teeth and want to flat out say, "You don't have to worry about that because it has nothing to do with your job — plus trust your team to make good decisions based on their expertise""

Nope, you're not being a grinch. Of course, you want your staff to feel free to ask questions and give input. But you also want them to have the judgment to know where it does and doesn't make sense for them to weigh in, and to pick an appropriate time and place to do it, and to understand what their role does and doesn't encompass.

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