Coworkers on my team keep trying to do my job

8 Comments

1. Xx Sera BlvdNovember 7,2024 at 1:21AM UTC

   I think you feel diminished.

   You want to be among multipliers. People who see your contribution stay in their lane, and allow you to do what you're good at.

   Yes, you need to speak to your manager directly and state the facts. Try to refrain from politics, maybe ask your manager, were other people asked to work on this assignment or am I the point of contact.

   You'd be surprised to find out, a few things, did they apply for your job and didn't get the role? Did someone not offer the job but didn't want to offend them by saying, we'd like your input. Sometimes it's in these crucial conversations that you'll get to the point of what's bothering you, with a beneficial outcome.

   One last thought, What are you expecting? and How quickly are you expecting it?

   From my personal experience, I've past the reasonable amount of time to work with this administration. I'm looking for a place that will take me seriously and allow me to flourish in my next chapter in a lateral or career growth opportunity. ? I hope you find a resolution that sticks long term best wishes for a positive outcome. - Your friend in OPS management.

2. AnonymousNovember 7,2024 at 2:01PM UTC

   Even if someone does it poorly and it gets approved…still do the assignment properly with graphic design programs and design skills and blow them away with how much better your version is! They will see the comparison to the poorly done Word versions very quickly.

   And be timely.

3. AnonymousNovember 7,2024 at 2:29PM UTC

   Ask your boss to have their boss tell them to quit it. There are some clear communication and standard issues here if awful visuals are being approved and then management realizes weeks later that it is awful. Where is the quality assurance and problem-solving to stop this from happening repeatedly? Why is this person allowed to even present their designs when they are not a designer? Why is management saying yes to awful things? And why are you getting blamed for management's poor approval choices?

   Your job is to connect with the pros and get it done right- that takes time. You can't beat a sloppy homemade brochure made in Word by one person in terms of time., so you'll have to find another tactic to figure this out.

4. AnonymousNovember 8,2024 at 6:19PM UTC

   You need to step up and speak up to your manager and then also draft a how to work with "your title here" and share it with those toe steppers. Perhaps hold a weekly drop in for say 15 minutes per week where you can take their input so they feel heard and then either use or not. Also you should speak to those execs who are also stepping on your toes by approving things and going around your role. If you cannot fix this by doing all of this it's time to find a company where your role has the respect and freedom to own your work.

   Though, I will say creatives usually have to do several versions and get buy in from the stakeholders so find a place or way that you can add in others input whether you stay or go. It's all about the iterations and how you add in other opinions.

5. Joanna JiangNovember 9,2024 at 4:10PM UTC

   Hello! I will speak as a graphic designer of 10+ years, so I can empathize as I've been through some of the same ups and downs. In addition to the helpful points from the other posts, I will say - before you start eliminating bad designs (yes I feel you, they're a pain to even lay your eyes on), propose a proper process from concept to design creation to management, get them to sign off on this process, which also means every team member is obligated to stick to this process. And define what it means for people to "stay in their lane" (i.e. - other team members are welcome to offer creative feedback in meeting #1, and go over content details in meeting #2, by which point we settle with the overall design and stop going back and forth). Every once in a while, you may need to throw in a friendly reminder in a light-hearted manner: oh you know it can be challenging in my position because people try to tell me how to do my job, but I don't ever tell you/them how to do your/their job :). I know this effort isn't easy, and it will take time, but it will pay off in the long run. Good luck!

6. Christi LopezNovember 20,2024 at 12:34PM UTC

   Apologies in advance for the length. I was going to say the same and then my response just snowballed. Apparently this post touched a nerve. LOL

   Your team appears to lack a solid procedure. I have this issue in my position. It is frustrating when your coworkers don't allow you to do your job. I have an established process/one-sheet that I share with people to help explain the process and set my boundaries (if it's not in writing, it doesn't exist; "whenever" = never; etc.).

   I am the lone graphic designer in my office, and people generally take matters into their own hands for a few reasons:

   1. They don't understand what I do. They think graphic design is just printed material.
   2. They think I'm "too busy" and don't want to bother me.
   3. They have an extremely tight timeline (usually within 24 hours) and are just trying to get something that's good enough.
   4. They enjoy being creative and have been doing it themselves for a long time so they don't feel they need the help.

   The first issue is a constant struggle. No matter how many times I tell people I can do flyers, brochures, presentations, web design, photo editing, illustration, swag design, logo design, branding, accessibility checks, etc., many individuals' first instinct is to do it themselves. Many of my coworkers come from the K-12 education system and just didn't have access to someone like me in their previous roles. Retraining takes time.

   The second is often an issue with my supervisor, who wants to "protect" me. I send a weekly report to keep her in the loop, which has helped some. Often people outside our office will approach me directly, so I manage my own workload.

   The third is a constant battle. Our corner office has a bad habit of wanting things within 24 hours. I recognize that I can't do everything, and sometimes I just have to let shit go. I keep myself busy enough that I can't dwell on the projects that got away.

   For the fourth, ask questions about what they like about the design. What are their favorite parts, and focus on including those. Often when a client has a strong design idea, I'll duplicate their design so it's acceptable, and then do my version. Nine times out of ten, my version is the final version selected.

   And finally, when people bring me something and ask if I did it, I will flat out say no, I had NOTHING to do with that. And then I'll dig into the file properties and provide them with the author's name. Even if someone brings me a physical copy, there's a 90% chance a digital version exists on our website and a simple search will locate it.

   If you're still reading, good luck! Establish that process, have it approved by the higher ups, and then hold people to it. Set your boundaries and stand by them. You've got this!

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8. AnonymousAugust 25,2026 at 4:25AM UTC

   I think you’re right to talk to your boss—focus on the impact on your role and the value you can bring, rather than criticizing your coworkers’ work. You can join Geometry Dash https://geometry-dashpc.io in free time.