Work issue AIBU?

[WTAFF]

I work in an office with many multi-disciplinary teams. My team slightly overlaps with another team in terms of work. However, it was decided years ago that my team would deal with a particular element of work because it required specialist knowledge that only my team has.

I have been working on a particularly complex case for a number of years and something has now happened which needs further input. Our new head of department mistakenly thought that this was being dealt with by the other team and copied them
into the email.

One of the other team members has now, for want of a better phrase, latched onto this project and won't let go. I have told her that I am OK to deal with this one, as I have been for years but she is accepting meeting requests despite me saying there is no need for two of us to attend.

How do I deal with this?

Sounds like you're being a little turf protective here. Why can't she attend the meetings? Someone is inviting her to them. The head of department got her involved. Mistakenly or otherwise in your view. If they don't feel her involvement is necessary, they will tell her.

Are you worried you will lose the project or not get the recognition or something?

It can be a good idea to spread specialist knowledge wider.
Is she interested and it could be a good part of her personal development, without impacting negatively on the running of the project?

In that case, I would consider including her but making it clear she's shadowing / training / developing.

But I have no idea from your post what your relative levels are, whether she innocently wants to get involved or this is done political project grab pre redundancies. In which case, I'd give a different answer

Hmmm, perhaps I am being a bit possessive of my work.

The case is one that I have been working on for years. There is nothing that I need in terms of input from her team. I have had experience in the past where you allow someone to assist you and before you know it, they have muscled in.

The person in question is on a temporary contract and is clearly trying to do as much high profile work as possible. However I had to fight hard to get this case and I don't really want to be in a position where I have to take a back seat when the project is coming to an end.

I would be happy for her to assist me but I strongly suspect she will just go behind my back and attempt to take over.

The new manager copied her in by mistake. The rest of the clients are not aware of this mistake and are just replying to all.

I don't know- possibly I'm projecting my past issues onto this current situation. Thanks - will see how it goes

Get the new manager to tell her that it was a mistake and her input is not needed.

Has she not got enough work? Can the project t afford two people doing one person's job?

That's the line I'd be taking with my manager.

I'd also casually drop into conversation with her about it looks like her current role doesn't have enough work to keep her busy.

If she is on a temporary contract and worried about her job she might then become conspicuously too busy to attend.

Just to clarify - does your new manager know that this particular case is specific to your team? If the manager does, then perhaps an email to them saying "Hi X, I noticed you copied Y in on the email you sent yesterday. As the work in relation to Case ABC is specific to the team I'm in, was that done in error?"
Once you have your reply, you can contact the colleague in the other team with that information.
I also like the suggestion that RunRabbit has made, that perhaps she isn't busy in her own team, she is trying to make a one person job into a two people job which is completely unnecessary as you're more than capable of covering the work.