Work situation have no idea what to think

[Anglewannabe]

OK, I have made several posts about Sally. She just can NOT work independently. 2 days ago, she was continuously interrupting me with trivial things. I was at the end of my rope and I sent her a polite email where I said ‘I know your questions are important but please save them up and we can meet and go over all of them at once since frequent interuptions are stressful for me, please let me know if you would like to get together this afternoon’

She did not reply. 30 minutes later she sent me an email over a trivial thing. I responded, she immediately sent another email over a trivial thing I responded ‘With all due respect, emails are just as much of an interruption, save your questions’.

Later she sent me another email asking if I had received a certain file yet. I responded ‘I am Totally aware you need the file, I will send it when I get it’

Well… that was the straw that broke the camels back. ! The next day I took her to the cafeteria for a talk

ME: ‘I would like to find a workable solution where you can have your questions answered and I am not constantly interrupted’

Sally: ‘I don’t know where my boundary is with you’

ME: Let me explain. Coming to me to ask if you are allowed to talk to Lisa is not necessary, just go over and talk to her’

Sally: How was I suppose to know that?

ME: You have been here six weeks these are the things you should know by now. And I proceed to list things she should be able to do on her on

Sally: Can I defend myself?

ME: When you make a mistake, my duty is to show you the solution so you can learn. It is not my duty to listen to why you made the mistake

Sally Can I defend myself

ME: ‘NO’

Then as we walked back to our desks she said ‘Thanks for the talk’ and lifted her coffee mug for a cheer with mine. The day proceeded OK

Today I was brought into a manager’s office to be told someone from the employment agency called to say a temp employee is concerned their questions are not being answered and I will go back to my duties and someone else who is capable of answer all questions as they come in will be taking over.

I was told that I was very open to giving a process and trying new things and trying different approaches

So I told her that I found it difficult because Sally confided in me her abusive past and that was TMI and her insecurities show. I also told her that I did not like being interrupted over things like ‘Can I go talk to Lisa’ to which my manager replied ‘You drop your work for ALL questions and that was a good one’

The worse is, for 2 days in a row, I SPECIFICALLY asked Sally to do particular task with where very high priority for the project and very easy to do and at the end of the day when I asked her how it went she did not do them and said 'Oh I must have misunderstood :banghead:

I really need to know, do I work for a place that is really inefficient ? Or do most managers welcome questions such as ‘Am I allowed to go talk to someone’?

Angie

 

[Lorelei12]

It sounds like supervisory roles are not really your thing. Perhaps your workplace really is inefficient, but managers should be polite and patient with their employees. I do believe that there is such a thing as a stupid question, but refusing to listen to what she wanted to say was, in my opinion, not very polite. If your manager is telling you that you are supposed to stop working and make yourself available for questions, then that is what you do.

I also do not think it was appropriate to mention her “abusive past” to the manager.

It can be difficult to be working on something and have a question and have to wait for an answer. If Sally was supposed to be working on something and couldn’t complete it because she was unsure but couldn’t get her questions answered, that’s wasted time. It may very well be that this company gave you more responsibilities than your time allows, and that is their fault. But it sounds like it worked out for the best- you are relieved of having to supervise her and don’t have to be annoyed anymore.

 

[Rence]

What other types of questions does she ask that you consider trivial? Are they work related? Task related? I get interrupted all the time at work by coworkers with questions, problems, etc. It’s non-stop. However, I work in healthcare and I prefer many questions over someone flying by the seat of their pants.

I can totally understand you not wanting personal problems that she brings from home. When I’m precepting someone at work, I don’t usually respond and/or return the person to something work related.

It sounds to me like she has to be hand held though everything. Unfortunately, people differ in how independent they are under their managers. Depending on your line of work, some managers would welcome many questions.

I wouldn’t be giving her any jobs that would reflect on you. Only going by what you said alone, she seems quite incompetent.

And I don’t know how you deal with your boss. You made it sound like he is returning you to your previous job and letting someone else manage the temps. Right? To be honest, if someone was distracting me with truly trivial matters all day, I’d gladly give that person to someone else, but that’s just me. If she truly is incompetent, the next person will get frustrated too, and perhaps may go to the boss themselves first before the temp does.

 

[pianistclare]

**It sounds like supervisory roles are not really your thing. Perhaps your workplace really is inefficient, but managers should be polite and patient with their employees. I do believe that there is such a thing as a stupid question, but refusing to listen to what she wanted to say was, in my opinion, not very polite. If your manager is telling you that you are supposed to stop working and make yourself available for questions, then that is what you do. **
I also do not think it was appropriate to mention her “abusive past” to the manager.

Yes.

It can be difficult to be working on something and have a question and have to wait for an answer. If Sally was supposed to be working on something and couldn’t complete it because she was unsure but couldn’t get her questions answered, that’s wasted time. It may very well be that this company gave you more responsibilities than your time allows, and that is their fault. But it sounds like it worked out for the best- you are relieved of having to supervise her and don’t have to be annoyed anymore.

And when she asked “Can I defend myself?” That was an indicator. Clearly she felt like you were in her face. This whole thing could backfire.
Take a deep breath.

 

[Allegra]

It sounds like it’s going to work out that you don’t have to chase Sally anymore.

 

[Cat]

It difficult for us to know what to think because we do not know Sally or her circumstances.

I’m getting the feeling that your company wants very much for Sally to succeed. I say this because Sally doesn’t seem especially competent, and since she is a temp, she could have been let go within a few days and yet, she’s still there!

Why?

Is there some special reason that Sally is being treated so well by the company, even though there must be dozens more people who could fill the position and do more competent work? E.g., is she a member of a minority (race, ethnicity, nationality, etc)., and has your company recently made a commitment to become more diversified, and therefore they want her to do well and stay on? Or is she disabled in some way, and your company has made a commitment to hiring more people with disabilities and helping them to become productive achievers?

I just don’t think we have enough information to help you out with your question.

I do agree with pianistclare that you may have had a close call. Other employees might have gone to HR and told them that you were “creating a hostile work environment” by refusing to answer questions or allow a defense. In this day and age, that could mean your immediate termination. I recommend that you become more empathetic to your co-workers, even if they seem to be interfering with your productivity. Do not give management any excuse to fire you. You have to be very careful to balance your work with your people skills.

 

[Anglewannabe]

It sounds like supervisory roles are not really your thing. Perhaps your workplace really is inefficient, but managers should be polite and patient with their employees. I do believe that there is such a thing as a stupid question, but refusing to listen to what she wanted to say was, in my opinion, not very polite. If your manager is telling you that you are supposed to stop working and make yourself available for questions, then that is what you do. .

I have often seen and been at the receiving end of managers who just would not entertain stupid questions or listen when they did not feel like it. In my heart, I do believe that for 6 weeks I have shown her LOTS of patience and I believe in my heart it was time to set a boundary and I needed to shown her I meant it. I explained to her that I wanted to concentrate on the solutions and she always wanted to talk about the problem which IMO is a waste of time. That is why I would not defend herself because it is always what she says before talking about the problem

I also do not think it was appropriate to mention her “abusive past” to the manager .

I did not give the details of her past, I simply said ‘She told me things about her past that I will nor repeat but it was very traumatic’. I don’t think it is fair that she gave me all this info and I am stuck carrying it and feeling like I am covering for her. It is only fair to me that management sees what she has put me through as well

It can be difficult to be working on something and have a question and have to wait for an answer. If Sally was supposed to be working on something and couldn’t complete it because she was unsure but couldn’t get her questions answered, that’s wasted time…

Sally could have easily put it aside and worked on something else while she was waiting. Sally is not competent enough to understand that. She is like a baby, the second she is hungry she will scream until you give her a bottle. Not to mention, I see her do enough social talk, I doubt that she cares if she is wasting her time.

It may very well be that this company gave you more responsibilities than your time allows, and that is their fault. But it sounds like it worked out for the best- you are relieved of having to supervise her and don’t have to be annoyed anymore.

That is a good point

 

[Lookingforjoy]

I really need to know, do I work for a place that is really inefficient ? Or do most managers welcome questions such as ‘Am I allowed to go talk to someone’?

At my job, I would need permission and I’ve asked for permission before. They’re very into the chain of command, and it would be difficult if I spoke with someone who wasn’t my exact peer or direct supervisor. Maybe Sally worked in an environment like that.

 

[Anglewannabe]

What other types of questions does she ask that you consider trivial? Are they work related? Task related? I get interrupted all the time at work by coworkers with questions, problems, etc. It’s non-stop. However, I work in healthcare and I prefer many questions over someone flying by the seat of their pants. .

In my work, it does not matter how you go about it as long as you produce the right answer. I have given her the template to fill out. She will make a list to help her along and ask me if that is OK. At first I would say ‘Whatever you need to do to fill out the template, feel free to do’. Then she would show me how she changed her list. No matter how much I would say ‘I don’t need the play by play details’ she would insist on telling me every day how she is going about her tasks.

I had a list of cases I would assign every body. And I would review their work. On December 24th , she asked me if I needed a list of everything she completed to which I responded ‘No have a my own list’. To which she replied ‘Would you like me to go home tonight and make one up tonight’ To which I responded 'No it is Christmas eve and I want you to go home a have a nice holiday. And she repeated a third time ‘Do you want me to make a list’

It sounds to me like she has to be hand held though everything. Unfortunately, people differ in how independent they are under their managers. Depending on your line of work, some managers would welcome many questions.

Any other place I have worked, people who behaved like her would have been let go do to inability to work independently. I find it SO odd, that this place literally loves people who need to be micro managed

I wouldn’t be giving her any jobs that would reflect on you. Only going by what you said alone, she seems quite incompetent…

Well, this is where I actually catch a break. If she doesn’t complete them, I wouldn’t get into trouble. These were all my ideas on how to get things done efficiently so I could really get this project done as fast as possible. It simply means the project will take longer and management won’t hold that against me

And I don’t know how you deal with your boss. You made it sound like he is returning you to your previous job and letting someone else manage the temps. Right? To be honest, if someone was distracting me with truly trivial matters all day, I’d gladly give that person to someone else, but that’s just me…

Yes, I am going to my previous job. The reason I am disappointed is because I was hoping for the opportunity to really do a great job organizing this project in an efficient way so I could shine. But that is not in the cards and yes, it will be a relief to not deal with her.

If she truly is incompetent, the next person will get frustrated too, and perhaps may go to the boss themselves first before the temp does.

I had a private chat with the next person since we get along good. She was politically correct but if I read between the lines, she agrees with my point but is willing to show more patience that I was. Or perhaps indeed this person will the her crazy as well

 

[pianistclare]

You can’t control co-workers. You can only control yourself.
Work on not losing it every time you are interrupted. It’s a pretty good skill to develop that will serve you well in the long run, and determine whether or not you ever end up a leader at this or any other job.
It sounds like you just don’t like her. I wouldn’t talk about other employees to others. It’s just bad form. Do your job, try to be helpful, and help her to succeed where you can.

 

[Anglewannabe]

And when she asked “Can I defend myself?” That was an indicator. Clearly she felt like you were in her face. This whole thing could backfire.
Take a deep breath.

Well, that is her insecurity. She can NOT take constructive criticism. I was polite at the beginning of the conversation, but she got extremely defensive. When her computer started to act up, I told her to contact tech help. She said ‘I feel so bad when the computer acts up, I wonder what I am doing wrong.’ I tried to tell her once ‘If the computer is not working, no one will hold it against you, do not worry’ To which she replied ‘I like to worry and it is my right’ Her feeling I was in her face is all about her.

 

[Anglewannabe]

It sounds like it’s going to work out that you don’t have to chase Sally anymore.

Yes that is the up side

 

[Anglewannabe]

I’m getting the feeling that your company wants very much for Sally to succeed. I say this because Sally doesn’t seem especially competent, and since she is a temp, she could have been let go within a few days and yet, she’s still there! .

The situation is such that it looks like the project will be completed 2 years after the due date. This is an important project to the VPs and they really want it done. There is 4 temps. However, 2 of them barely lasted a week and I think management just wants this done so bad, they don’t want anymore turn around

Why? .

This company has VERY low standards for performance. I have seen many contract people (that I did not have to train) who obviously did not know up from down and they were kept on. The only thing I can think is since they don’t pay well, they don’t feel they can enforce standards. If someone says on their resume they know Excel and they show up and don’t know how to cut and paste, management will write notes to give to them thinking this is management’s responsibility to train

Is there some special reason that Sally is being treated so well by the company, even though there must be dozens more people who could fill the position and do more competent work? E.g., is she a member of a minority (race, ethnicity, nationality, etc)., and has your company recently made a commitment to become more diversified, and therefore they want her to do well and stay on? Or is she disabled in some way, and your company has made a commitment to hiring more people with disabilities and helping them to become productive achievers?.

Not to all of the above

I just don’t think we have enough information to help you out with your question.

I do agree with pianistclare that you may have had a close call. Other employees might have gone to HR and told them that you were “creating a hostile work environment” by refusing to answer questions or allow a defense…

The manager who told me today I was suppose to drop everything every time she had a question, is the same manager who told me to 3 weeks ago to ask her to save all her questions and meet once a day to make things easier on me. Apparently the temp agency will be sending a report to give more feedback

In this day and age, that could mean your immediate termination.

Since only me and Sally heard the conversation, I think it would be best for me to deny what I did.

I recommend that you become more empathetic to your co-workers, even if they seem to be interfering with your productivity. Do not give management any excuse to fire you. You have to be very careful to balance your work with your people skills.

I have done an awesome job at still having pleasant conversations with her despite how much I wanted to shove her against a wall. And I was very careful to make sure I NEVER blew my lid in public

 

[Anglewannabe]

At my job, I would need permission and I’ve asked for permission before. They’re very into the chain of command, and it would be difficult if I spoke with someone who wasn’t my exact peer or direct supervisor. Maybe Sally worked in an environment like that.

I don’t know what type of environment Sally worked in before. But where I work, if management sees people asking me for permission to do things, there is a concern I will look like I am being too controlling of others and I could be brought in for ‘bossing around where I have no authority’ Her questions are not only annoying but they make me scared people will think I am bullying her

 

[Anglewannabe]

You can’t control co-workers. You can only control yourself.
Work on not losing it every time you are interrupted. It’s a pretty good skill to develop that will serve you well in the long run, and determine whether or not you ever end up a leader at this or any other job. .

Yes, but I have been patient for 6 weeks. I really felt like it was time to talk about how to move forward. And knowing me and my temper, I am sure although not perfect in human standards, God sees the progress I have made with my patience

It sounds like you just don’t like her. I wouldn’t talk about other employees to others. It’s just bad form. Do your job, try to be helpful, and help her to succeed where you can.

No I don’t like her and I keep my comments about other people minimal. I simply asked the next girl for feedback since I am still relatively new there and I wanted to know the culture of whether or not micromanagement was the core value

 

[acadiANNA]

It doesn’t sound like a good fit for Sally. And sometimes new employees walk into a job where everyone knows what they are doing and they are amazed that you don’t. When I left my job, I trained my replacement for two weeks on the duties. Of course, I had to repeat things until it became routine for her. The only way she would learn is if she was taught from the beginning. You cannot learn as you go along. You can’t just give someone a position with no guidance. Then there is interaction that requires patience, self-control, and consideration in giving a person a chance to learn. Still things happen but you need to encourage and motivate. Good leadership skills help here. I worked with 30 people. 30 different personalities, 30 ways of doing things, 30 confident or panic prone. A lot to consider but priority is making a good employee who will benefit the company.

 

[Anglewannabe]

It doesn’t sound like a good fit for Sally. .

Agreed

And sometimes new employees walk into a job where everyone knows what they are doing and they are amazed that you don’t. .

I am extremely reasonable and I even wrote 14 pages of notes to give everyone. I told them all to write in the margin hints that will help them. When I showed her stuff, anytime she was stuck on something, I told her to write a reminder and patiently waited as she wrote it. I have no problem explaining business concepts that are new more than once. However, there comes a point where it is evident the person understands or they or not competent enough to understand. She is not competent enough

. You can’t just give someone a position with no guidance. .

I give guidance, but I also begin in giving freedom. If she wants to talk to someone, I don’t think it is necessary to ask for my permission. If she wants to takes scratch notes as to what she is doing while she is doing it to remember where she is, she is free to do so. I don’t think it is for me to evaluate her organizational methods, which she constantly wants me to do

. A lot to consider but priority is making a good employee who will benefit the company.

I have done just that. These people were hired to do the first and easiest part of the project. One girl pick it up right away. So I took the initiative and trained her on the second part so tasks would be reasonably assigned by level of competence. The managers are very happy that I did that since they now have another resource to do the complicated things. Not to mention, I think it is Sally’s responsibility to make herself a good employee

 

[Anglewannabe]

When I left my job, I trained my replacement for two weeks on the duties. .

Two weeks I can handle. I have been training her for six. And if everytime Sally wanted something, I helped her, when would I ever find time to help the other 5 people?

After thinking about it, I think management would have been wiser if instead of replacing me with someone else, they would have ask me and the other person to both answer questions giving the new people more help

 

[schaeffer]

My room mate was the manager of a store and he had a “Sally” as an employee.

I totally understand the bizarre extent their needy tendencies can disrupt the workplace and keep a manager from doing the many tasks that need to be accomplished.

She also would talk…and talk…and talk for hours about her personal life etc.

It was a small establishment, he did not have an office with a door he could shut. He just had a small desk in the back room. It would sometimes take him hours to finish a simple email because every few minutes she would turn up with an interruption.

No matter how many lists, templates, explanations and demonstrations given to her, she would keep coming to ask if she had did it properly, or she did it her own way, was that OK (after spending hours making sure she was doing it according to his plan…she would then decide to do it her own way anyway)

While coming off as needy, sometimes these types are actually controlling. They will run and snitch on anyone who doesn’t cater to then with accusations of mistreatment, saying the manager doesn’t train them properly, that they can’t work “under these conditions”, or that the manager is incompetent. And often they do this early on, walk in and in a few weeks are telling upper management what’s up…and because they are good at the helpless “I’m just trying to be the best that I can be and they are stopping me” sob story…the manager whom they’ve been bothering, and who has tried to help them ends up getting reprimanded, or the employee gets transferred to a more preferable position and the manager is accused of being a big meanie and not recognizing potential or building team moral.

I’ve seen this and worked with these disruptive people myself. And no matter how anyone bends over for them…it’s never enough.

The new person they’ve put over her is likely to wind up having the same issues…but the employee is likely to spend the first few weeks bending their ear about what a meanie you are and how you would never answer her questions, etc etc. and priming the pump of their new superior about their personal tragic history and setting up another super to feel sorry for them.

I’m surprised that others here having worked with a person exactly like this before, and been driven to distraction (and sometimes murderous thoughts) by them. Then again, sometimes they primarily do this to their boss…and tittle tattle to the other employees about what a meanie the boss is etc. and try to find sympathetic ears.

I’m sorry you have to deal with this, and glad you are out of the situation because this behavior is very deep seated and is unlikely to change. They don’t want patience or explanations or to be good at their job, they want attention.

 

[Lorelei12]

Sally does sound really annoying. And it sounds like the company is rather inefficient and I am sure there are many things they could do better. But it also sounds like they are mostly interested in results, and not on the career paths of their temp employees. That makes sense, too.

I think it would be best if you could find a way to let this and other interpersonal work issues go. I think most of us have probably worked somewhere that is run poorly, or had annoying coworkers, or had to manage frustrating people. It’s hard to deal with day in and day out, of course. But in this economy, it’s best do just deal with it and do what you’re told. Not only to keep your job if you need it, but also to ensure that you will have references who will tell future employers that you worked well with others, even if you didn’t feel like it and even if they were annoying and you consider dealing with them a waste of time. Part of managing projects is organizational skills and results, of course, but part of it is managing actual people too. That part is just as important to get things done.