If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a messy tangle of user permissions, wondering who can see what (and why), you’re not alone. Managing team roles and permissions is one of those jobs that seems simple—until it isn’t. This guide is for anyone juggling a team in Getlia who’d rather not get burned by accidental data leaks, missed deadlines, or the infamous “I can’t access the thing!” Slack ping.
Let’s cut through the confusion and get your team running smoothly, with just enough structure to keep things safe—but not so much you need a full-time admin.
Why Roles and Permissions Matter (But Don’t Overthink It)
Permissions aren’t exciting, but they matter. Give too many people too much access, and you’re opening yourself up to mistakes (or worse, data leaks). Get too strict, and you’ll have a frustrated team that can’t do their work. The trick is finding the right balance.
- Security: The fewer people who can touch sensitive stuff, the better.
- Productivity: Don’t make your team wait around for approvals they don’t need.
- Clarity: People should know what they’re responsible for—and what’s off-limits.
You don’t need a 40-page policy. You just need a system that makes sense for how your team actually works.
Step 1: Get to Know Getlia’s Roles and Permission Levels
Before you start, you need to know what you’re working with. Getlia isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here, but their system does have a few quirks to keep in mind.
Common Getlia Roles (as of early 2024):
- Owner: Top of the food chain. Can do everything, including billing, integrations, and nuking the workspace.
- Admin: Almost everything except the most sensitive org-wide settings.
- Member: Standard user. Can see and edit most things, but not user management or settings.
- Guest: Limited access, usually to specific projects or data.
Pro tip: Don’t invent a bunch of custom roles unless you absolutely have to. The built-in options cover 90% of real-world cases.
What to Ignore: Don’t bother micromanaging permissions for things your team never uses. If you’re not using advanced features, don’t waste time locking them down.
Step 2: Map Out What Your Team Actually Needs
Before you start clicking, sketch out who needs access to what. This saves you from endless permission tweaks later.
Quick mapping exercise:
- List your core workflows. What does your team actually do in Getlia? (e.g., manage projects, handle client data, run reports)
- Identify sensitive areas. Where could things go wrong? (e.g., billing, integrations, deleting data)
- Group your users. Who needs full access, who needs limited access, and who just needs to see stuff?
Template example:
| Team Member | Needed Access | Sensitive Areas? | Suggested Role | |-----------------------|----------------------|---------------------|---------------| | CEO | Everything | Yes (billing, data) | Owner | | Project Manager | Projects, reports | No | Admin | | Regular Team Member | Assigned projects | No | Member | | External Contractor | One project only | No | Guest |
Honest take: Don’t bother running a full audit for a five-person team. But if you’re over 20 people, write this stuff down—future you will thank you.
Step 3: Set Up Roles in Getlia (Without Making a Mess)
Now it’s time to actually assign roles. Here’s how to do it without stepping on a landmine:
- Start Small. Set everyone to the lowest practical role. It’s much easier to add permissions than to claw them back.
- Assign Owners/Admins Sparingly. Only give Owner/Admin roles to people who really need them. There’s no badge of honor in having more admins.
- Use Guests for External Folks. Contractors, clients, or auditors should always be guests. Never bump them up “just for now.”
- Review Default Permissions. Getlia sometimes updates what each role can do—double-check if anything looks off.
- Document Who Has What. You don’t need a fancy spreadsheet, but keep a running list somewhere.
Pro tip: Do a quick “sanity check” by logging in as a regular user (or asking someone to) and making sure they can do their job—but can’t nuke the workspace.
Step 4: Handle Exceptions (But Don’t Let Them Pile Up)
There’s always someone who needs “just one extra permission.” Here’s how to handle it:
- Use Project-Level Permissions. If someone only needs access to a specific folder or project, don’t bump their whole role—use granular sharing.
- Set Time Limits. If someone needs extra access for a sprint or review, set a reminder to remove it later. Seriously, otherwise you’ll forget.
- Say No When You Need To. It’s okay to push back on permission requests that don’t make sense. “Just in case” is not a good reason.
What doesn’t work: Creating a new custom role every time someone asks. That way lies confusion and a permission system nobody understands.
Step 5: Review Roles and Permissions Regularly (But Not Obsessively)
Permissions aren’t “set and forget.” People come and go, and your needs will shift over time.
Simple review process:
- Quarterly Check-ins: Every few months, skim through your team list. Remove anyone who’s left and downgrade people whose roles have changed.
- Offboarding: When someone leaves, remove them from Getlia right away. Don’t wait until “after the transition.”
- Look for Orphaned Guests: Old contractors and clients often hang around longer than they should. Clean these up.
Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder for your review. It takes 10 minutes and saves a lot of headaches later.
Step 6: Communicate Clearly (No Surprises)
The best permission system in the world falls apart if nobody knows what’s going on. Be up front with your team:
- Let people know their role and what it means. Saves you from endless “why can’t I see this?” questions.
- Explain changes. If you tighten up access, give people a heads-up. It’s about trust, not control.
- Keep it simple. Don’t drown people in details they don’t care about.
What to ignore: Don’t send out a big “permission update memo” every time you tweak something. Most people don’t care—just tell the ones who are affected.
Step 7: Use Getlia’s Audit and Activity Tools (But Don’t Rely on Them Alone)
Getlia offers basic auditing features—activity logs, last login times, and so on. Use them to:
- Spot suspicious activity. If someone’s poking around where they shouldn’t be, you’ll see it.
- Track down mistakes. If something gets deleted or changed, you’ll know who did it.
But don’t get lazy—tools can’t replace common sense. If your permission structure is a mess, no amount of logging will save you.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works:
- Keeping roles as simple as possible.
- Using built-in roles instead of custom ones.
- Regularly reviewing and cleaning up access.
- Communicating clearly.
Doesn’t Work:
- Micromanaging every permission setting.
- Giving everyone admin “just to make things easier.”
- Ignoring permissions until something breaks.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Managing roles and permissions in Getlia isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to let things slip. Start simple, revisit your setup now and then, and don’t get sucked into endless permission debates. You can always tighten things up later—but it’s a lot harder to untangle a mess.
Keep your team focused on their work, not fighting with access controls. And remember: the best permission system is the one you barely notice.