Does people really like innovative new colleagues?

[Sandalison]

So this woman (let’s call her Lucy) is new-ish in the office (since 18 months ish). She is friendly and confident. She is always talking in meetings and stepping forward with suggestions, ideas, new information, etc. She is the ‘new and fresh’ person, who has been given a special project, made a big success of it, delivers lots of training and also seems to send lots of emails. She likes to make jokes about her “unruly” hair (gorgeous and curly) and “unhealthy dependence on lists” (which I interpret as showing off about how ultra-busy and ultra-organised she is.)

The bosses love her, and so it seems does everyone else. Eveyone except me! She reeeeally gets under my skin.
Now, Lucy isn’t even in my team, so it’s not like I’m in direct competition with her, but nevertheless I have come to terms with the fact that I am just being a jealous cow here.

To emphasise: I KNOW I am a jealous cow!!

What I am wondering is, am I alone in my bovinity (and suck as a human) or do other people feel the same way about the Lucys in their offices ( I still suck but feel a bit less like stabbing her with a pencil).

YABU - you’re on your own hun.
YANBU- yeah Lucy annoys all of us.

whats even worse is when you come up with a really good idea or practise it gets ignored and when the lucy in the pack suggests the same thing everyone praises lucy as if it was her idea

Then, a year or so later, the bigwigs realise actually the work can't be done with fewer people.

Do you actually use the word ‘bigwigs’? Do you also talk about ‘fat cats’ and ‘the powers that be’?

You've [Lucy] moved on so someone else is brought in to hire a new team. The remains of the old team will be the ones who have to train them. A new team is hired, someone else gets a pat on the back and promotion for setting up the new team.

The old team sit back and wait for the cycle to start again - because, guess what, this happens every two years.

It couldn’t possibly be that those ‘bigwigs’ of yours saw an opportunity to clear out the miserable, passive aggressive, change-resistant dead wood, could it? Surely not.

It couldn’t possibly be that those ‘bigwigs’ of yours saw an opportunity to clear out the miserable, passive aggressive, change-resistant dead wood, could it? Surely not.

They 'clear out' the people who are most expensive and/or who they perceive as a nuisance such as part-timers/job sharers. I've always survived and I'm openly cynical, but I am relatively cheap and rarely off sick. I don't have children, so there's none of that annoying emergency time off for sick DCs or having to finish early for school pick up. Corporations care about one thing when push comes to shove - money. Leaping around and being enthusiastic counts for absolutely nothing when something that actually matters to them is at stake.

Yes, I talk about bigwigs and fat cats. Not 'powers that be' though - I think that's more of a public sector concept than a corporate one.

Corporations care about one thing when push comes to shove - money. Leaping around and being enthusiastic counts for absolutely nothing when something that actually matters to them is at stake.

Do you understand that people like the OP’s ‘Lucy’ are enthusiastic about solving problems and improving processes? Which is precisely why they are popular with their management teams.

Do you genuinely believe that anybody showing enthusiasm for those things is not ‘leaping around’ for the sake of it?

I’d take one ‘Lucy’ in preference to five whining, cynical stick in the muds.

Christ alive. I'm a 'Lucy' and now I'm envisaging all my colleagues hating me :(

In fact, I'm fairly sure at least one colleague does. He never wants to get involved in anything, and certainly not improve anything, but whinges constantly about everything being rubbish and doesn't want others to get involved in stuff either. And he pinched my idea (which was just a throwaway comment made in passing, but quite specific all the same) and presented it as his own after I'd only been in the job a month or so.

Thing is, I love my job. I've really enjoyed getting involved in side projects and seeing the difference they've made, and now my role has moved into that area. I work in a huge organisation where there's loads of capacity for working with other areas as well as getting involved in stuff that's based on the place a nicer working environment. I try very hard not to be the Hermione Granger leaping up and down to volunteer for everything and being irritatingly enthusiastic, but I worked in the corporate world for a really long time where no-one gave a shit about making things better or improving stuff, so this is like a breath of fresh air.

And I'm good at what I do, I get things done (but I do them myself rather than dumping it on others because there is nothing worse than having the graft of someone's new initiatives dumped on you so they can achieve their goals). And yes, I like post-it notes/highlighters/lists because I like being organised, and I'm deprecating because that's how my humour works could be worse, I could mock others instead like my colleague- So I'm just going to keep on keeping on, but it makes me sad that there are those who are genuinely dog in the manger about anyone else succeeding with what they don't want to do.

Superfluous ‘not’ there! Should read:

Do you genuinely believe that anybody showing enthusiasm for those things is ‘leaping around’ for the sake of it?

Should be "self-deprecating" at the end there...

Oh thanks for the input here. If it makes a difference, ‘Lucy’ is not particularly young. She is in her 30s (so am I). I agree she’s not really new after 18 months but it feels it because this year has been so weird.

And I have nothing against keen-ness per-se, I think that those who have spoken about lack of teamwork and glory-hunting have nailed it- I thank that’s the thing I find difficult about her.

She doesn’t seem keen for the team, she doesn’t ask other people what they think or seem interested in what they have to say. She is not rude or bitchy to anyone but she does seem to take it for granted that she has all the answers. She just jumps in first every time and volunteers for everything and snaps up all the opportunities before anyone else gets a look-in. And because she’s good, her ideas are picked up and she DOES get everything done. And as she is high profile, more and more gets thrown her way.

I’m not a lazy coaster, shooting down new ideas: I want to work hard and be good at my job and I’d be happy with a small fraction of the recognition she gets. But I’m not quite bare faced enough to go about it like she does, and I suppose I resent her. It feels like there’s no room for anyone else to be good while Lucy is around.

Poor Lucy. I suppose you’re right that she’s just doing the best she can. Still winds me up though .

I want to work hard and be good at my job and I’d be happy with a small fraction of the recognition she gets. But I’m not quite bare faced enough to go about it like she does, and I suppose I resent her. It feels like there’s no room for anyone else to be good while Lucy is around.

Here's the idea:

Work hard, come up with ideas, take opportunities and create new ones. Stop making up excuses for what it "feels like" that supposedly makes it impossible for you. What you're describing is perfectly achievable for you, a Lucy or five of them, are irrelevant. It isn't about getting a fraction of the recognition she deserves, it's about getting your own recognition for what you actually do.

Sorry OP, I find people with your attitude difficult to work with and not my first choice personally. Too hung up on others and making up excuses for themselves.

She just jumps in first every time and volunteers for everything and snaps up all the opportunities before anyone else gets a look-in. And because she’s good, her ideas are picked up

So what’s to stop YOU jumping in first? What’s to stop YOU having good ideas and getting things done? Maybe she isn’t “bare faced”, she’s just not held back by whatever it is that holds you back. Honestly, you sound jealous and bitter of someone who is better at something than you. Either you’ve got the oomph to get on and go for it or you haven’t, but don’t bitch about someone who has.

@PurplePansy05 @BrightYellowDaffodil
Ooof you flowers don’t pull your punches do you? Fair enough, I asked!

OP it sounds like she gets on your flat because she makes you feel insecure about your talents and drive. I sympathise as I used to feel the same way when I came across similar colleagues (male or female). But then I decided to change tack and embrace them / try to become more like them. Unless you’re in a tiny organisation there’s always room for a few types like this and it’s helpful to have others around to inspire you and to bounce off of. I’m much happier in my job since I took this approach! Unfortunately praise and opportunities don’t just fall into your lap at work - you have to fight for them!

Sorry, typo : gets on your goat

I’m a Lucy too, I love change. I’ve recently come into a new team and oh my gosh, after getting my feed under the table for a few months there will be lots.
I am young but I do have children & tbh yes I am creating work for myself but I like to ‘fix’ things.
I think I’m a marmite, you will either love me or hate me. I’m good at what I do, I know that & I am willing to put the work in to make things better.
I don’t understand people who don’t like change

@NovemberR

Is she creating extra work for other people with her fab ideas?

Because if she's great and creative and doing lots of stuff that's fine. But we have someone who's been promoted that is forever sending us new tasks to do so that she can say she's doing a marvellous job. She doesn't actually DO anything - she just decides, say, every other dept will do a massive stocktake and let her have a list off exactly what they have (a pointless exercise) so that she can show she's introduced a new initiative.

I hate her.

I've worked with a few people who draw attention to themselves with new "initiatives", yet these new initiatives just create pointless work for other people grrr

I have a colleague or two like that! In fact most who come in seem to have that “new broom” mentality, but it’s public sector so it soon gets knocked out of them!

My experience as a Lucy

"Wise heads with more knowledge who can see something won't work" = people with limited experience and exposure who don't have my skillset. Perfect example was an hour discussion with the manager of an area to get a report. Their insistence that there'd be too much info in the report that I would be wasting my time. Had to get my director to tell them to send it to me. Once I got it, it took literally 2 minutes to use it to get the information I needed. That particular improvement was something no one had ever been able to achieve and is now a copy and paste exercise that takes about half an hour.

I cannot stand inefficiencies. I make loads of improvements. No I don't necessarily consult people to see if it's ok, particularly if the improvement is automation of a task. My experience with automating things is that people are resistant initially but very quickly can't survive without what I've developed.

@Sandalison is you want to be involved on projects / improvements maybe next time Lucy snaps one up either in the meeting or after ask if you can work with her. A person like me makes a point of saying what others have contributed. I can't do things alone and if you hog the lime light people will stop working with you - plus it's just really rude. I've always said to my team if they hear me talking about something they'd like to be involved in, let me know. I'm more than happy to have them work on things and develop skills.

I'm not a newby in my current organisation (nearly 20 years) but I'm not jaded and I'm very passionate about making things better ie more user friendly and getting rid of busy work and replacing busy work with value adding. I lead a fairly large team and my passion is infectious. People say they get motivated when I talk about all the opportunities we have to make improvements. Yes, it's extraordinarily slow but I'm tenacious and they can see the changes happen.

I'm Lucy. You hate me and have shown passive aggression at every turn because it's not actually about me, it really is all about you. It's about your self esteem, your successes and career prospects.

(I'm not and you're not but I am and she(you) exist in my parallel world).

I'm just naturally talented, I pay attention, I'm better educated and make better decisions, I research (you don't at all) and I suggest, I don't demand. I am well aware of the fundamental failures of my new employers and colleagues, of all of their lazy culture and attitude.

It's really hard being Lucy. It's tough to point out all the proper and legal failures of a business without making enemies. Public sector as well.

I'm 12 weeks in. I am utterly thankful to escape in Lockdown.

Everyone should aim to be a Lucy. Even you.

@Flavabobble

I'd prefer a Lucy to: "we've always done it like that" "That's not my job" "That'll never work" that applies to an awful lot of the workforce.

Me too! How easily some people are describing themselves as old and lacking enthusiasm - how would you feel if an employer stated they didn’t want to employ older people or you because they lack enthusiasm and innovative thinking.

@DressingGownofDoom

There's two types of Lucy:

Type A: the Lucy who is full of 'great' ideas that creates extra pointless admin for everyone else. Everyone hates her and she usually flits off to another job after a year or two.

Type B: the Lucy who just really likes working hard and actually has good ideas that reduces your workload sometimes. Everyone likes this Lucy but eventually she'll take on so much extra work that she'll become as miserable as everyone else when she realises the boss just uses her to dump their own workload on.

'b' happened to me!

This thread made me smile so much

I don’t want to be a Lucy hater
I’m
But

And it’s the Type A that annoy me
We’ve had a lot
Male
And female

And ... I need to be open minded and not a ‘that won’t work here ‘ type

But that A type , my days
So many

Well she sounds slightly annoying, fresh ideas or not.