How would you approach this situation with colleagues?

[ShyCrab]

Hi all,

Not sure what to think of this so I’d be grateful for opinions. I was recently redeployed to another strand of my team; same job role just different workload. I am meant to have ‘oversight’ of the three colleagues who are a grade lower than me, and they should escalate any complex queries with me in the first instance. However they are both approaching another colleague (same grade as me) who I sit next to. My colleague is more experienced than I am which I assume is why they are asking her, but it’s making me uncomfortable. I am planning on speaking to all of the colleagues involved tomorrow to explain that they should be approaching me with issues so I can assist, but I’m not sure if this is the correct approach. Am I being overly sensitive?

I don’t line manage either of them; but have been asked to provide a general oversight to help them. I get on with them both personally. I’m not a particularly authoritative figure but would like to raise this. What would you do? Thanks for reading

What does the other person think? Do they mind? Can they tell them to go to you? Who line manages them?

She doesn’t mind but finds it odd that they aren’t asking me their questions. We all sit close together :/ there is one line manager for all of us (around 10 in the team altogether). I’m not sure if I’m best off speaking to my manager in the first instance, although I don’t want to make it a big thing

I think your line manager/team leader needs to remind the team in the next meeting please take your queries to ShyCrab as that’s part of her role.

As a manager, if you mentioned it to me I’d be more than happy to remind them that they should go to you int the first instance. Easy win as a manager, no feathers should be ruffled.

Is she answering their questions or sending them to you? If she’s answering she needs to stop.

Thanks all, I don’t want to cause a drama where it can be avoided. My manager isn’t in this week but I’ll speak to them next week. I’m happy to take them both aside and remind them to come to me but don’t want to appear heavy handed.

I used to be bother about such issues now I breathe a sigh of relief when people stop bothering me with questions.

Perhaps they are more comfortable with asking your colleague of the same rank? Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things who they seek advice from?

I'd ask the colleague to say "you need to ask ShyCrab" every time they come to her with questions, until they get the message! Although, if she's happy to answer them, not really a problem.