Often I notice that If you let others take advantage of you they will.  I am thinking of this behavior more in the context of the workplace; however, it does seems to be an innate human behavior (as far as I can determine)

Maneuver/ Manipulate

The” stuck in the middle”  title of this post refers to my observation of how co-workers will take advantage of the ability to pass accountability on to others if allowed to do so.   This includes the famous “upward delegation”.

Separately,  co-workers pass their views onto another (could be a manager, team lead or other interested party) expecting them to champion the cause.  This unfortunately creates a difficult situation for the poor person who ends up with the task, something that is neither under their control nor which they can directly influence.   The real difficult part comes when another colleague, with a different view on the matter steers them in an alternate direction.   They are now stuck in the middle and it’s not easy to escape.

Avoid this

Upward or backward delegation is not a situation you want to be in.  Accept direction and tasks that are within your authority and designated accountability.  Be polite but firm when refusing to accept tasks which are not within your preview, remember to do otherwise can lead to uncomfortable situations, frustration and even negative feedback from your reporting manager.