Mind Your Toes

Tips for handling coworkers who overstep their boundaries

Insider

Contributing Writer

When it comes to having a well-functioning workplace, it is critical that team members and co-workers have a certain level of trust and respect for one another. However, it’s likely that at some point in your career, you will encounter a co-worker who seems to constantly overstep their boundaries. They may try to oversee tasks that fall outside their wheelhouse, take over projects in an attempt to get the credit and glory, or give you or other colleagues orders even if they don’t manage you directly.

While it can be an unfortunate annoyance if it’s happening on a one-off basis, it can be downright disruptive and counter-productive for you and your business if it is a frequent occurrence. When you identify a co-worker who is pushing the boundaries of their role, it can be important to address it head-on before it becomes a bigger problem. So, if you have a colleague who is really starting to step on your toes, what can you do to stop this behavior in its tracks?

Assess The Situation

In a case like this when a coworker is crossing your boundaries or undermining your contributions, you will likely want to react immediately to nip this behavior in the bud, however, it is important to take a step back and assess the situation as a whole before determining your next step.

First, you want to make sure you are approaching the situation rationally. Can it be extremely frustrating when your colleague oversteps or makes you look bad? Absolutely, but take a step back to settle your emotions and look at the scenario more pragmatically. Are you potentially misconstruing their behavior? Is this a one-off situation or has the coworker continuously displayed this behavior towards you? If it is the first time this has happened, you may likely be dealing with an over-eager colleague who didn’t realize what they were doing and did not mean any ill will towards you. In this scenario, a polite straightforward one-on-one conversation is best. Explain what actions they took or what behavior they displayed towards you that you felt crossed the line and give your colleague a bit of grace to be able to correct their actions.

When you identify a co-worker who is pushing the boundaries of their role, it can be important to address it head-on before it becomes a bigger problem.

Next, if you have identified that this is a recurring problem, you will want to look at each situation individually to determine if there are any common threads as to why this could be happening. Is this only happening with certain projects? Maybe your colleague is not pleased with the work you’ve been contributing and took things into their own hands, or maybe tight deadlines put extra pressure on your co-worker where they felt the only solution was to take on more to get things done.

If you find your colleague is overstepping in most situations, it could also be a case where they are looking for more recognition, trying to establish more authority, or maybe they don’t feel like their ideas are being heard. Identifying when this behavior is being displayed can be key to the strategy you want to take when speaking with your co-worker. You should always stick to the facts of the situation rather than tossing in assumptions to an already tricky conversation.

handling coworkers who overstep their boundaries

Approach With Professionalism

You’ve analyzed the situation, you’ve gotten your facts together, and now comes the hard part, having a potentially difficult or uncomfortable conversation with your co-worker. It is important to approach this conversation with professionalism and tact so that things don’t wind up even worse. You want to go in with the mindset that you are working toward a solution that will make both of your working relationships in the future more positive.

You need to be ready to also hear your colleague’s perspective and take their feedback as well. Again, make sure your conversation sticks to the facts rather than your assumptions about the situation, state your thoughts, take in their input, and work towards a solution forward. Working together, rather than dictating an appropriate resolution(,?) will also make your colleague feel heard and they will be more likely to build towards a good path forward.

Once you have had that conversation with your colleague, you will likely want to clue your boss in on what’s happening. Your boss needs to be aware of any issues that are occurring between you and a colleague in case they pop up again and it will be good for them to know what the plan is for you both to have a positive working relationship going forward.

You should always stick to the facts of the situation rather than tossing in assumptions to an already tricky conversation.

Reinforce Your Point as Needed

Hopefully, the steps you have taken will remedy the situation and you will have a much more productive relationship with that colleague going forward. However, not every situation will be resolved after a single conversation. Be cognizant of how things are going post-conversation and leave the lines of communication open with that co-worker. Check-in in a friendly manner and if things start falling off or they start falling back into their old habits, don’t be afraid to speak up and remind your colleague of what you had previously talked about.

It’s okay to stand your ground and respectfully reinforce your point to avoid future issues. Having a colleague who repeatedly steps on your toes can be challenging to navigate, but with the right approach and willingness to work with that individual, you should be able to create a more harmonious professional relationship.