Unprofessional

[Kearney]

I am a 'professional'. The organisation I work for is 'heavily invested in IT' but the systems are clunky and frustrating to navigate. They are not intuitive. The organisation has no process map or instruction manual so employees are reliant on memory or seeking advice. I asked a senior 'professional' in my multidisciplinary team in a different strand a question via email with regard to how a particular process worked. Senior wrote back, did not answer my question and told me that I was 'unprofessional' and was 'surprised' by my attitude and behaviour. I simply wrote an email seeing advice, guidance and clarity regarding a particular process. I have read and re-read my question and I cannot see how it could be interpreted as being unprofessional.
I am incandescent with rage by senior's response. I am also upset and surprised by my own reaction. I simply want to get a job done, and not let the people reliant on me down. I need to do something about this but I'm not sure what. Any advice much appreciated.

I asked a senior 'professional' in my multidisciplinary team in a different strand a question via email with regard to how a particular process worked.

I’m not clear exactly what you mean by different strand, but would there be an expectation that you would seek advice first within your own strand and that going outside of “strand” is judged unprofessional?

If it is the NHS and you need advice with IT systems, might I respectfully suggest that asking juniors, or heaven forfend, admin staff might be constructive?

If what you said is true and there isn't a hidden gotcha (like, you were being rude/overcritical, or asked the completely wrong person, or have been pestering the same person repeatedly) sounds to me the Senior answered the way they did because they either didn't know the answer, or couldn't be bothered to answer. In other word, it was a defense mechanism against heir own sense of inadequacy. Maybe you accidentally pointed out the emperor was naked...

However, it's also possible you have missed something, e.g. another way to get the information you were after (if you have a question, it's often better to ask your line manger, not The Big Boss). Maybe you got told off because you bypassed the corporate chain of communication.

And it could be a mix of all this (there is no one else to ask, but there should be, and the Senior doesn't know that, or knows that but it's embarrassing to admit, and easier to blame you... And they may not immediately know the answer to your question, but don't want to admit it)
In any case, better discuss this with your line manager.

I'm not sure if you're aware, OP, but putting quote marks around words or phrases that don't need them reads as though you're being exceptionally sarcastic. If you (eg) called me a 'professional' in an email I'd find that very rude.

@Quarantimespringclean

Your language describing the IT systems at your work is highly critical but it isn’t technical which leads me to think you don’t actually know very much about IT systems. It can be very easy to criticise from a place of ignorance.

If that attitude of judgy ignorance came across in your email I am not surprised that the recipient was put out. I’d email them again, apologise for having offended them and try to reframe your request in a more professional manner. Unless you are 100% sure that you have nothing to apologise for, in which case just ask again without the apology.

You don't need to know anything about IT systems to know when they are not fit for purpose. It's the daily users who should be listened to about their experience, and improvements made based on that.

You might be proud of your programming, but if nobody understands how to use it, it's a failure.

I am incandescent with rage

The majority seem to be jumping on the idea that the tone or content of your email was somehow wrong, I can't help but feel it is more to do with you contacting someone in a senior role. I may be projecting but I've seen it once to often where chains of command treat the lowest in the chain almost as "untouchables".

It seems as though the response is saying you should have raised this with your manager/the appropriate person/at the MDT meeting for development we hold every Thursday/asked to discuss in person with a set appointment.

Have you been in the role long OP? Because it seems like this person is trying to clip your wings a little if I'm correct in the reason for his response.

I'm going to assume the email you sent was polite.

A friend of mine has something similar with a tech tool used at their work, for activities with clients as well as internally.

A lot of the staff apparently seem to just know how to use it and/or happen to have used it in previous roles; my friend doesn't. There is no training in place, or even proactive moves by management to carve out time from his (very busy) schedule of client work and other meetings etc to go online and train himself. It relies on him asking colleagues for info/help piecemeal as and when problems or new issues come up. Colleagues are sometimes too busy to give any help or anything more than a rushed few minutes, and are sometimes (understandably) a bit impatient about it.

It's just shite management. The end results are a) people like my friend might make mistakes either internally or in front of clients and b) get really demoralised and feel like they're 'not good enough'.

This is a bit vague, it's hard to really comment without knowing more

Is the senior professional an IT person?

I'd assume the senior manager had no idea so turned it back on you.

Yeah - he / she doesn’t know the answer.

I think the issue was who you sent the email to.

I frequently have to deal with companies frustrating processes to use IT systems and have learnt to ask someone who I should contact about a particular system. I then contact that person mentioning who told me they were the "expert", act like it is my own incompetence as why I am contacting them and then ask my question. Nine times out of ten I get the answer I want.

I would apologise, say who who said they were the person to ask, reword the question and ask them if the know who could help you answer it.

Yes, they definitely don't know. Best form of defence is attack, as they say, although it should come with the ending 'if you're a complete plonker'.

Send the exact email to someone else who may be able to actually help, and see what response you get.

Ring him up, apologise that he got that impression from your email and then ask again. Things are very different on the phone.

I had sought advice from my line manager who didn't know the answer and requested that I sent the email.

@IntermittentParps

I'm going to assume the email you sent was polite.

A friend of mine has something similar with a tech tool used at their work, for activities with clients as well as internally.

A lot of the staff apparently seem to just know how to use it and/or happen to have used it in previous roles; my friend doesn't. There is no training in place, or even proactive moves by management to carve out time from his (very busy) schedule of client work and other meetings etc to go online and train himself. It relies on him asking colleagues for info/help piecemeal as and when problems or new issues come up. Colleagues are sometimes too busy to give any help or anything more than a rushed few minutes, and are sometimes (understandably) a bit impatient about it.

It's just shite management. The end results are a) people like my friend might make mistakes either internally or in front of clients and b) get really demoralised and feel like they're 'not good enough'.

Thank you. I had sought advice from a colleague and also my line manger, neither of who knew the answer. My line manager asked me to send the email. The email I sent was polite and was copied into my line manager. I now do feel completely demoralised

Asking on Mumsnet isn't the most professional thing to do to be honest.

Forward email chain to his senior and ask what you did wrong? State that you clearly Can’t ask the person directly as they are unreasonable ( or words to that effect).

And people wonder why the NHS is inefficient.

I would suggest you speak to your line manager about it.

I have every sympathy, but I have to ask - do you permanetly speak in that sort of business-speak way? Why are you doing it now?

Forward email chain to his senior and ask what you did wrong? State that you clearly
Can’t ask the person directly as they are unreasonable ( or words to that effect).

This is terrible advice!

OP if your line manager is aware then talk to them about it. If you're not able to use the system in question as required to do your job and you can't see an alternative solution you'll need to discuss it with your LM anyway

pm me, I'll give a private opinion if you want one.
I also work 4 organisations with bad IT support.

i agree with those saying discuss it with the line-manager.
It was on their advice that you approached the senior manager and have been rebuffed and so it goes back to them.

Forward the reply that you got to them with a quick e-mail.

@MashedPotatoBrainz

Have you stepped outside accepted protocols by emailing them? It's a very strange response.

No. My line manager asked me to send the email as they didn't know the correct procedure either.

@IntermittentParps

I'm going to assume the email you sent was polite.

A friend of mine has something similar with a tech tool used at their work, for activities with clients as well as internally.

A lot of the staff apparently seem to just know how to use it and/or happen to have used it in previous roles; my friend doesn't. There is no training in place, or even proactive moves by management to carve out time from his (very busy) schedule of client work and other meetings etc to go online and train himself. It relies on him asking colleagues for info/help piecemeal as and when problems or new issues come up. Colleagues are sometimes too busy to give any help or anything more than a rushed few minutes, and are sometimes (understandably) a bit impatient about it.

It's just shite management. The end results are a) people like my friend might make mistakes either internally or in front of clients and b) get really demoralised and feel like they're 'not good enough'.

Thank you for your reply. That makes some sense to me.

I had already sought advice from a colleague and my line manager. My line manager actually suggested I send the email. Which in retrospect they should have done themselves.

I know really do feel demoralised and not good enough which I guess is the result the senior wanted to achieve