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Who's In Charge? Control Freaks Feedback

How do I deal with an employee who keeps bossing her co-workers? She has been given no responsibility to direct them, but she keeps telling them what to do. They complain about her often, and I have told her in so many words to stop being bossy, but that has not stopped her. What will?



When managers indicate that they told their employees "in so many words" to stop doing something, that typically means they danced around the issue. It is time for your employee to face the music. She has failed to listen to you and is a source of distress, dissatisfaction, and complaints for the rest of the team. In a word, it is time for more specific feedback.

The next time she shifts into boss mode, you should meet with her to review this behavior and set a clear plan to end it. She needs to understand that her actions are not only drawing her away from her actual job responsibilities, but they are also creating problems for her co-workers. By the time this discussion wraps up, there should be no question in her mind that the bossy behavior has to stop, and there will be clear consequences if it continues.

It is important to note that there can be advantages in having employees who demonstrate some leadership motivation. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case here, as the employee in question sounds like she is not demonstrating much more than a need to control others. That means you need to control the situation before it deteriorates further.




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