Latest / New Manager Conversations with Fexingo: First 90 Days, Managing Former Peers, and Leadership Basics / How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is Overqualified
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, you've been a manager for what, three years now? When was the last time you had a direct report who was, on paper, overqualified for the job? Luna: Oh, that's a good one. Actually, I had a guy last year — he'd been a senior engineer at a big tech company, then he took a role on my team that was a step down in title. I remember thinking, why would he do that? Lucas: And I bet your first instinct was to assume he'd be bored out of his mind or that he'd leave in six months. But you know, that's not always the case. In fact, I've seen a lot of new managers mishandle exactly this situation, mostly because they don't have a framework for it. Lucas: So today I want to dig into that: what do you do when your direct report has more experience or seniority than the role requires? How do you keep them engaged without assuming they want your job or a promotion? Because the answer is often not what you think. Luna: Right. And I think the first trap is assuming they're miserable. I mean, my guy, let's call him Dan — Dan had been at a startup that was acquired, he'd done the whole intense grind, and he told me he took this job because he wanted to focus on his family. He was happy to be done with the pressure. Lucas: That's exactly the nuance. Overqualified doesn't automatically mean disengaged. But it does mean you have to be more deliberate about understanding their motivation. Because if you assume they're bored and you start pushing growth opportunities at them, you might actually create a problem where none existed. Luna: Yeah, and that's a real risk. I remember I almost offered Dan a lead role on a big project, and he politely declined. He said, 'I appreciate it, but I'm good.' And I had to recalibrate. Lucas: So let's talk about what to actually do. First, you have to separate the two categories of overqualified reports: the ones who are bored and want more, and the ones who have deliberately chosen a lower-stakes role for lifestyle reasons. And the way you find out is a conversation, not a guess. Lucas: In your one-on-one, you can ask something like, 'What made you interested in this role?' and then really listen to the answer. Are they talking about wanting to do more, or are they talking about wanting a different pace? That tells you a lot. Luna: That's a good question. And I've also found it's useful to ask about their long-term goals, but not in a leading way. Like, 'Where do you see yourself in a couple years?' If they say, 'I don't want to manage people,' that's a clue they're happy where they are. Lucas: Exactly. And once you understand their motivation, you can tailor their work. If they're bored, you can give them stretch assignments, let them mentor juniors, or involve them in strategic planning. But if they're after a different pace, you have to respect that and find other ways to make the work meaningful. Lucas: For the lifestyle-oriented person, meaning can come from autonomy, from being the expert, from having a low-stress environment. The key is to not treat them as a flight risk and to not push them into things they don't want. Luna: Right. And I think that's where a lot of managers mess up. They see someone with a senior title on their resume and they immediately think, 'This person is going to be unhappy, I need to promote them fast.' But that can be a huge misread. Lucas: And it can also backfire because you might lose them. If you push a promotion on someone who explicitly doesn't want it, they might feel you're not listening to them. And that can erode trust. Lucas: Now, there's another layer here, which is the team dynamic. If you have an overqualified report who's happy to coast, the rest of the team might wonder why they're on the team. You have to manage that perception. Luna: How do you do that without throwing your report under the bus? Lucas: You don't have to explain their personal choices to the team. But you can make sure they have a role that's clearly valuable. Maybe they become the go-to person for a specific technical challenge, or they help with code reviews. You can frame it as leveraging their experience without making it about their title. Luna: And I think it's also important to check in regularly. I made the mistake of assuming Dan was fine because he said so once. But a few months later, he started showing signs of boredom — he was quieter in meetings, he wasn't volunteering for things. I had to have another conversation. Lucas: What did you do? Luna: I asked him directly, 'I noticed you seem a bit quieter lately. Is everything okay?' And he admitted that he was a little bored, but he didn't want to go back to a more demanding role. So we found a middle ground — he took on a mentoring role with two junior devs, and that gave him a new challenge without the time commitment of a lead position. Lucas: That's a perfect example of the kind of compromise you can reach. And it shows that even the 'lifestyle' person might need variation. So the lesson is to keep the conversation open, revisit it periodically, and be flexible. Lucas: Before we go further, I want to mention something that's been on my mind. We do this show completely ad-free, and that's thanks to listeners who support us. If you've found even one of these episodes helpful in your own career, you can help us keep going by buying us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It truly makes a difference. Luna: And it's a nice way to say thanks for the free advice. We appreciate it more than you know. Lucas: So back to that team dynamic. Another thing to watch out for is if your overqualified report starts to feel like they're being micromanaged. Because they've been there, done that, and they might have strong opinions about how things should be done. Luna: Right. They might push back on your processes or suggest better ways. That can be intimidating for a new manager. Lucas: Absolutely. And the instinct might be to clamp down and say, 'I'm the manager, we do it this way.' But that's the worst thing you can do. Instead, you should welcome their input. You can say, 'I appreciate your perspective, let's test it.' That builds trust and shows you're not threatened. Luna: And it might actually improve your team's workflow. I've seen that happen — Dan suggested we move to a different code review process, and it cut our cycle time in half. Lucas: See, that's the benefit of having an overqualified person. They bring wisdom. But you have to create a space where they feel safe sharing it. And that starts with you being open and non-defensive. Lucas: Another common trap is performance reviews. If your overqualified report is doing their job well, but you have a rubric that expects them to take on leadership tasks, you might unfairly rate them low. You need to adjust your expectations and evaluate them against their actual role, not their potential. Luna: That's a really good point. Just because someone could do more doesn't mean they should be penalized for not doing more. You have to recognize that their choice to be in this role is valid. Lucas: Yeah. And it's also worth remembering that overqualified people sometimes bring a unique perspective that can help you as a manager. They've seen other teams, other processes, other cultures. So you should actively ask for their feedback on how you're running things. Luna: That's a bit scary, but it's also a great learning opportunity. I once had a report who was more experienced than me, and I was nervous about asking for feedback. But when I did, he gave me some of the best advice I've ever gotten. Lucas: So the takeaway is: don't treat overqualified as a problem to solve. Treat it as a resource to understand. Have the conversation, find out their motivation, and then tailor your approach. Lucas: One more thing I want to mention is the flip side: what if you're the overqualified report? If you're listening and you've taken a step back in your career, you have a responsibility too. You need to communicate your intentions to your manager so they don't misinterpret your behavior. Luna: That's a good point. It's a two-way street. If you're happy with a lower-stress role, you should be upfront about that, so your manager doesn't worry about losing you. Lucas: Right. And if you're bored and want more, you should also speak up, because your manager might not assume that. So the same conversation benefits both sides. Luna: So to circle back, what's the one thing you'd want a new manager to remember about managing an overqualified report? Lucas: I'd say: curiosity over assumption. Don't assume they're unhappy or that they want to move up. Ask them what they want, and then respect it. That's the foundation of a good relationship with any direct report, but it's especially critical with someone who might be misread. Luna: Yeah, and I'd add that it's not a one-time conversation. People's motivations can change, so keep checking in. Lucas: Exactly. And until next time, remember that the best managers are the ones who truly see their people — and that starts with listening.