Office managers, I need you opinion

[Anglewannabe]

Update,

I asked the manager if we could have a 5 minute meeting with Helen to which she replied ‘No I already told her she would be helping’. I did not feel comfortable telling her my plan after that.

Helen did help and I spent the whole day training a new girl. Then I heard from the grapevine that one of the new girls broke down crying today she was finding is so hard:banghead: Honestly I felt it was gossip especially since Sally is the one who told me. Then Sally went on and on about how she helped the new girl.

Hopefully things will get better soon

 

[underacloud]

Here is another perspective to consider…

If the people who have been hired are unfit for the task, and the project is problematic regardless, I would stear clear of changing the approach management have chosen. At the moment, when the project stalls, runs behind, or even fails, it is their responsibility. If you take over and take a new approach, the fingers will be pointed at you. You will become the scapegoat for management’s failings and the unsuitable staff they have brought in.

I know this advice may sound cynical and self-serving, but sometimes the best way to effect change in an organisation is to allow failures to become apparent.

 

[Allegra]

Update,

I asked the manager if we could have a 5 minute meeting with Helen to which she replied ‘No I already told her she would be helping’. I did not feel comfortable telling her my plan after that.

Helen did help and I spent the whole day training a new girl. Then I heard from the grapevine that one of the new girls broke down crying today she was finding is so hard:banghead: Honestly I felt it was gossip especially since Sally is the one who told me. Then Sally went on and on about how she helped the new girl.

Hopefully things will get better soon

Maybe you would have better luck getting through will Helen privately. Explain the situation to her and maybe she will help reorganize the project so it can get done.

 

[Anglewannabe]

I know this advice may sound cynical and self-serving, but sometimes the best way to effect change in an organisation is to allow failures to become apparent.

Sadly, I have learnt that being cynical in an office is more often than not the right way to go. I agree, I should let management do as they wish and que sera, sera. My only beef is the constant interruptions from unqualified people. However, I do suspect it will get better

 

[Anglewannabe]

Maybe you would have better luck getting through will Helen privately. Explain the situation to her and maybe she will help reorganize the project so it can get done.

Sorry, if I gave the wrong impression, Helen did not make a new girl cry. At least I don’t think she did. I suspect the new girl just got frustrated. Today she seemed to be doing better. What annoyed me is Sally told me about it. I found it out of place

I know Helen enough, she just will NOT listen to anything I say. She has agreed to help and it is taking a lot of stress off of my plate. I think my best bet is to be grateful for what I have

Angie

 

[Anglewannabe]

Not a good update. Sally’s work is full of errors. I was asked to show her how to check it which I did a couple of days ago. I though she understood.

I then told her to re-check her work now that she knew how. She told me she rechecked everything. So as I was reviewing it, I found still some mistakes :banghead: I told her next week we would have to sit together and check it again (it is one thing to email her a mistake here and there. But when every file I check is wrong, it is time to have another training session)

Well, she really got nervous and felt bad that I said that. It made for an uncomfortable 5 minutes.

There is another new girl I will call Nancy. She is catching on very fast and usually when I check her work, it is correct. I am toying with the idea of asking Sally to have her work checked by Nancy and then have Nancy send it to me for the final review. The only reason I hesitate to do that is Nancy was hired almost 2 weeks after Sally (who has only been in our office a month). I suspect Sally will feel very slapped in the face if I do that. However, I am fed up with checking the same file 3 times. Also, I can’t help but think that if after all this time, I was not able to make things clear to Sally, perhaps someone else will have a better method

Angie

 

[Cat]

Not a good update. Sally’s work is full of errors. I was asked to show her how to check it which I did a couple of days ago. I though she understood.

I then told her to re-check her work now that she knew how. She told me she rechecked everything. So as I was reviewing it, I found still some mistakes :banghead: I told her next week we would have to sit together and check it again (it is one thing to email her a mistake here and there. But when every file I check is wrong, it is time to have another training session)

Well, she really got nervous and felt bad that I said that. It made for an uncomfortable 5 minutes.

There is another new girl I will call Nancy. She is catching on very fast and usually when I check her work, it is correct. I am toying with the idea of asking Sally to have her work checked by Nancy and then have Nancy send it to me for the final review. The only reason I hesitate to do that is Nancy was hired almost 2 weeks after Sally (who has only been in our office a month). I suspect Sally will feel very slapped in the face if I do that. However, I am fed up with checking the same file 3 times. Also, I can’t help but think that if after all this time, I was not able to make things clear to Sally, perhaps someone else will have a better method

Angie

Or perhaps Sally isn’t really a good fit for this particular job?