Updated September 2026: this 2019 post described an offshore delivery lead escalating against me to my manager, after rejecting a slide that the onsite team had already accepted. I have rewritten it into advice on handling a colleague's escalation against you.
During one call, the offshore delivery lead asked for a slide on a particular topic. I searched our repository and other sources and found the latest version. Everyone was satisfied except him; he wanted other options. In a separate call, the onsite team told me the slide was fine and we could move on. That became a new source of conflict, and he escalated against me to my manager, who wanted me to keep supporting the opportunity anyway.
What should you do when you learn a colleague escalated against you?
Pause before reacting. Find out exactly what was raised, from your manager, rather than guessing. Then respond to the specific points, calmly and in writing if the escalation was written. Defensiveness confirms the complaint; facts usually answer it.
How do you present your side?
- A short timeline: what was asked, what you did, when.
- Evidence: the slide shared, and the onsite team's confirmation that it was acceptable.
- What you would do differently, if anything. Acknowledging one small point builds credibility for the rest.
How do you handle conflicting direction from two leads?
The root of my situation was that the onsite team and the offshore lead gave different answers about the same slide. When that happens, do not choose silently. Put both on the same email: "The onsite team has approved this slide; do we proceed, or is an alternative needed?" That moves the disagreement to the people who own it and protects you from being blamed for either choice.
Should you keep working with the person?
If your manager asks you to, keep it professional and documented. Communicate in writing, confirm decisions after calls, and keep the onsite team copied where appropriate. It is tiring, but it prevents a second escalation built on "he said, she said".
What if your manager does not see the conflict?
Raise it specifically: how many times direction has conflicted, how much time was lost and the effect on the work. Ask whether someone else can be the single point of direction on the opportunity. Managers who miss conflicts usually respond to evidence of cost, not to descriptions of personality.
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