When Managers Overlook Expertise

Have you, as a manager, ever truly considered the impact of overlooking or suppressing the skills and expertise of your team members?

The effects aren’t just inconvenient—they can be devastating. In fact, when you disregard the capabilities of a colleague, you may as well rip up the psychological contract that exists between you. The damage begins the moment someone’s knowledge or experience is ignored, and often, that damage is both deep-seated and lasting.

What’s most surprising is how often this happens—and how unaware many managers seem to be of the impact their actions have. When someone’s input is dismissed or bypassed, they rarely speak up. But from that moment on, something shifts. Trust erodes. Confidence falters. Engagement starts to slip. And once that rot sets in? It’s incredibly difficult to undo.

I often find myself wondering: why does this happen? Especially when managers are fully aware of the talents and experiences that exist within their teams. Is it a fear of letting go? A lack of understanding? Or something more sinister—perhaps a belief that an employee’s voice simply doesn’t matter?

I really hope it’s not the latter.

Let me share a story.

Years ago, I was part of a large project implementation. The project lead—someone with extensive experience—put forward a clear, strategic plan. But their line manager, instead of trusting the expert, challenged every detail. Eventually, the manager appointed someone with far less experience to oversee the work.

What followed was confusion, poor communication, and a demoralised team. The new overseer skipped meetings and pushed for timescales without any grasp of the process. It became clear that the project was now being guided by someone less qualified, while the original expert was sidelined. The result? A botched implementation by one division, and a heroic salvage operation by another.

The original project team, despite being overlooked, managed to deliver results. They rose above the noise, took feedback on board, and got the job done. But the emotional and professional fallout was undeniable. Respect for the line manager vanished. The damage was done—and it ran deep.

Reflecting on that experience, what stood out wasn’t just poor decision-making—it was the wasted talent, the bruised morale, and the long-term loss of trust. And it’s not an isolated incident. Stories like this unfold every day in workplaces everywhere.

So, why do managers do this?

Here are a few possibilities:

• Fear of losing control

• Unawareness of their impact

• Ego or insecurity

• Lack of emotional intelligence

• Bias—conscious or unconscious

Whatever the reason, the consequences are real—and serious.

The Organisational Impact of Overlooking Expertise

1. Reduced Employee Morale and Engagement

   
   

   • Feeling undervalued breeds frustration and disengagement.

   • Employees who once shared ideas begin to fall silent.

   
   

2. Loss of Valuable Insight

   
   

   • Overlooking unique experience leads to missed innovation.

   • Creative solutions are smothered before they even surface.

   
   

3. Poor Decision-Making

   
   

   • Without expert input, decisions become riskier and less informed.

   
   

4. Damaged Relationships

   
   

   • Trust between employee and manager deteriorates.

   • A culture of resentment or toxicity may begin to brew.

   
   

5. Increased Turnover Risk

   
   

   • Employees eventually leave, taking their expertise with them.

   
   

6. Organisational Inefficiency

   
   

   • Projects slow down, mistakes rise, and external consultants fill the gaps.

     
     

7. Let’s not forget the emotional toll this takes on individuals.

The Emotional Impact of Being Overlooked

Being dismissed when you know you have something valuable to contribute is painful. It can feel like:

• Being invisible: You stop feeling seen or heard.

• Feeling undervalued: Your work and insight are ignored—unless someone else repeats them.

• Frustration and resentment: You ask yourself, “Why bother?”

• Isolation: You begin to emotionally withdraw.

• Self-doubt: Even routine tasks become difficult as your confidence crumbles.

• Stagnation: You feel stuck—no progression, no recognition.

One person summed it up perfectly:

“It’s like speaking in a room where no one hears you—until someone else says the same thing louder, and suddenly it matters.”

When Overlooking Becomes Bullying

Being bypassed isn’t always bullying—but it can be. The key difference lies in intent, pattern, and impact.

Not bullying if it’s caused by:

• Oversight

• Miscommunication

• Managerial inexperience

• Workload

It becomes bullying when it’s:

• Systematic

• Intended to marginalise or exclude

• Designed to undermine or isolate

Examples include:

• Being excluded from key meetings

• Having your input repeatedly dismissed

• Being denied growth opportunities without explanation

• Watching others take credit for your work

Even when unintentional, repeated bypassing has serious consequences for mental wellbeing, job satisfaction, and career progression.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Lose the Dressing Room

As a manager, the greatest damage you can do isn’t in a failed project—it’s in losing the respect and trust of your team. And the scariest part? You might not realise you’ve lost it until it’s too late.

The cost of overlooking expertise isn’t just emotional—it’s organisational. Projects derail. Good people leave. Cultures sour.

So, take a moment to check in with yourself. Are you truly listening to the people around you? Are you seeking to understand before needing to be understood?

Stephen Covey said it best:

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever been in a situation like this—on either side of the fence? Has your expertise ever been overlooked? If so, what happened next?

Let’s start a conversation. You can share anonymously, or drop us a message. After all, we don’t fix what we don’t talk about.