How Good Intention Can Lead To Office Strife

Being mindful of this will improve your working relationships

Summer Lotus Dec 3 4 min read

Have you ever been caught in a situation where you rendered help and thought that you would be appreciated in some way? In the office, for instance, you preempt an event in which you felt that you have ‘saved’ your colleague or your boss from hassle or even embarrassment but it turns out that you have messed up their lives, so to speak.

There are no words coined for this manner of action, but basically, you have acted beyond your authority or you have poked your nose too far into the matter, ordinarily speaking.

A case in point

Let me raise an example but the names have been changed. Alice was an executive assistant in a media office. Her scope of work was defined for her and she knew that she was confined to administration, reports, and the handling of public relations.

Despite a flawless performance, she was expecting a promotion and instead received a rude shock when she was transferred to another department to a secondary role in another section of the company. It amounted to a demotion.

Alice was greatly demoralized and could not fathom how this had happened to her. She concluded it as a case of jealousy and sought to clarify the matter.

Apparently, she had treaded on unwelcome territory. She had gone beyond her work to take things into her hands giving the impression that she called the shots and that had displeased the leader who ranked above her.

In her enthusiasm to prove that she was an outstanding worker, she had overstepped the boundaries confusing the staff below her, who thought that the instructions came from the top. Being close to the ‘boss’ also made her privy to many classified matters and leaking them unintentionally was the most taboo thing to do.

This eagerness to ‘serve’ had made her a thorn in the side of those who had the authority to carry out. Not conferring what she wanted to do with her boss made it worse. Hence she was removed.

Lesson derived

There is a Chinese saying, “ Do not plant on other’s land and cut their crops”. By doing so, it is an intrusion on people’s private matters, a lack of respect to the person concerned, and is seen as an attempt to toot one’s horn. It is a sure way to displease and antagonize others. The outcome was a strained relationship and unhappiness though the intentions were noble from the start.

A subordinate must always be mindful not to overstep his boundary. He can excel in his scope of work but never overtake other’s duty especially the boss’ obligations! And without consultation to boot. It may even be labeled as ‘busybody’ in the Asian context.

The reverse scenario could happen. A leader has handed some tasks to his subordinate to carry out. I have heard of situations where the task was redelegated to someone else without giving the first person a chance. This showed a lack of trust and respect for the earlier subordinate and was discouraging and demoralizing.

It did not boost the subordinate’s morale and may even have broken his self-confidence. In some cases, resignation may follow and that reflected on his boss’s poor leadership skills.

Ways to deal with overstepping one’s authority.

1. Be aware of your role. Every corporation or organization has a hierarchy that may be clearly stated or blurred. The onus is on each to find out your specific roles and excel in them.
2. Open communication — Whether it is superior or subordinate, any form of trespass should be forgiven and an honest discussion should ensue. Sometimes, it is just an oversight or a misunderstanding. Do not let ill feelings fester.
3. Commend — As a superior, if a subordinate had gone beyond his authority, it could be seen as a pure, noble intention to do good. The superior could make it known that this is the one-off case and never allow such precedent to be set to confuse fellow colleagues about roles unless otherwise stated. If it is a good job done, he should be complemented but still not encourage to override again. It is best to seek consultation with the person in charge first.
4. Power-up — Should the subordinate often experience being bypassed for his task, it could be due to the insecurity of the superior regarding the delivery of his work. The subordinate should summon the courage to speak amicably to his superior and assure him of his commitment and responsibility. The expectation should be met.

Conclusion

Unpleasantness at the office will always be there. The bigger the organization, the more ‘trespassing’ is expected as people are all different. Some people are result-oriented and neglected the human aspect of getting a job done more efficiently. Office harmony boils down to faith, trust, humility, sensitivity, and mutual respect. Yes, it is a whole list of ‘to be’ for a harmonious working relationship but it works.