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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Concerns about this colleague, who to be honest, is doing my head in.

10 replies

Quirkyme · 20/01/2022 19:41

Hello

So my main issue with this colleague, who is also a senior like me, is that there as aspects of her role that directly impact mine - and if she hasn't done what she is supposed to do, it means the service group we work with is unaccounted for and I have to spend time chasing her and investigating what has happened and why certain steps haven't been done, - all of which she was meant to do , before passing onto me to do my role (I can't say too much because I don't want to out myself , but we work with children and in education). Her communication when I'm chasing things up is absolutely awful too which doesn't help such situations.

I am new to this team, not the organisation, and I have noticed this bad practice is rife particularly with her. I raised this with my manager before Xmas (started in Nov) and he said he would speak with her and understood the issue.

When I also spoke to a assistant manager , in our one-to-one- because she asked me how I was getting on and if there were any issues with the team, I mentioned it to her briefly and said I had raised it with the main manager. She then said "I'm not making excuses for her but" and then proceeded to do so saying that she volunteers a lot and is the first to volunteer when it comes to helping the team.

I also have an issue with that because she doesn't communicate with me, but then pops up in the group chat saying "give me a chat if you need!" (Which in my opinion she does to show off to the managers above ) instead of actually doing her job.

Anyway , having returned to work this year, the issues are starting to rise again, and there were some back and forth emails this week and I had to c'c the manager , as he is part of the process also, but also because like I said, her communication is non-existent to shit, unless she's popping up in the group chat offering to give a hand.

I also had to send her an email yesterday , because again she had not done something she was meant to do which means the particular child is unaccounted for and I cannot do my job so have to bring it back to her.

I've noticed that now, what she does is c'c in our manager to everything - things that do not need to involve him and are just queries. She also now doesn't address me by name in emails , and in one of the emails was unprofessional and had a condescending dig at me.

This week I raised with the Assistant Manager these issues again with regards to processes not being followed and the impact on me (and I made sure to focus on it being a process issue as opposed to being a personal/team dynamic issue because I wanted to deal with that first and then later deal with the actual issues with this colleague) and again - she did the usual , she does so much bla bla bla crap (which tbh is the reason why she's not following practice is because she's busy volunteering to do things to look good and not doing her damn job)

She's also had issues previously when others have got the jobs that she has interviewed for, and is known to give them a hard time or have issues with them for this reason.

There was also a time (just before xmas) when someone asked a question in the group chat and I answered it and she quickly undermined me by asking the person who asked the question to give her a call to deal with it!

And there was a time also just before Xmas where it was me, her and another senior and we were discussions sessions with regards to best practices guidelines , and she shot down my input despite me being asked for it, I had to really push and hold my ground to put my role (I'm in a specialism) and how it would be useful to have a best practice session related to this (based on the bad practice I've seen , mainly from her), and then she "accepted" it. Like wtf

I have no desire to be in competition with this individual, we are both seniors and she is truly truly doing my head in.

I noticed the c'cd manager email before logging off today, and will deal with it tomorrow. Upon reading it I just thought "this email doesn't even make sense, and neither he or I need to be emailed with this".
And tbh I'm also tempted after replying to that email, to c'c the manager into the email I sent her this week when i emails her to understand why something had not been done and my concern about the child, and c'c him in asking her for an update next week.

Sorry if this post is all over the place , but I need to get this out and wonder if anyone has tips on anything I've said, or even just on her c'cing and whole games 'trying to impress instead of doing her job' malarkey.

Has anyone been through similar?

OP posts:
Member869894 · 20/01/2022 20:24

Why don't you speak to her and try to find a way to work better together.

RedHelenB · 20/01/2022 21:05

You're not making much sense but you obviously don't like her. Sounds like the two of you are jostling for position and if I were your manager I'd find it annoying.

stuntbubbles · 20/01/2022 21:52

I would document this – not to use now, but to have a record if needed later. Be a bit clearer and less wordy than here, and obviously easier on a Word doc for yourself than trying to anonymise for the internet, because you can be specific:

Date, via email, Annoying Colleague failed to follow [process] – as a result, [XYZ thing happened]

You can use it to help you raise concerns with your manager again in a more “this needs sorting” way – show the pattern of behaviour, how it’s repeated and directed at you, but most of all show the impact.

Cantfindausernamethatsnottaken · 20/01/2022 22:01

Yes I know what you mean.Unfortunately,its been my experience that the people like her who are not good workers or good colleagues end up being better thought of ,usually because they toady to managers.

Quirkyme · 20/01/2022 22:14

@stuntbubbles

I would document this – not to use now, but to have a record if needed later. Be a bit clearer and less wordy than here, and obviously easier on a Word doc for yourself than trying to anonymise for the internet, because you can be specific:

Date, via email, Annoying Colleague failed to follow [process] – as a result, [XYZ thing happened]

You can use it to help you raise concerns with your manager again in a more “this needs sorting” way – show the pattern of behaviour, how it’s repeated and directed at you, but most of all show the impact.

Sure, this is a good idea, thank you.
OP posts:
Quirkyme · 20/01/2022 22:15

@RedHelenB

You're not making much sense but you obviously don't like her. Sounds like the two of you are jostling for position and if I were your manager I'd find it annoying.
I'm not jostling for anything. I joined the team a few months ago, and I'm trying to get on with my job, to the best of my ability, which is directly impacted by the lack of her doing hers.
OP posts:
Valdes · 20/01/2022 22:18

Sounds tough.

I have to say though, if I was your manager, I wouldn't want to be dragged into this by being cc'd into every email. Is this really something you can't sort by speaking to her directly and working out what the issue is? Especially if you're seniors.

Good luck

Stath · 20/01/2022 22:20

She sounds an absolute arsehole @Quirkyme

Next time she asks “give me a chat if you need!" in the group reply with ‘actually Rubbish Colleague, I need to chat to you about your lack of communication/co-ordination and the affect it’s having on service users”. And add a passive aggressive emoji or exclamation mark.

Are you in a union? If not I’d join asap in case things take a worse turn.

Also, like PP said record everything in a diary and make sure you have a paper trail. Sometimes the best way to deal with slackers like this is to make it your manager’s problem, not yours.

Good luck Wine

Pedalpushers · 20/01/2022 22:29

I think ccing your manager into a follow up email is fair enough, if she doesn't respond or complete the work within a fair time frame, it's standard escalation. Otherwise, I think the suggestion above by @stuntbubbles is a good one.

Sodullincomparison · 20/01/2022 22:42

My CEO just passed on one of his direct reports who doesn’t like to work over to me. Cheers Boss!

I’ve tried
clear accountability And expected deliverables
Checklists with dates
Agenda and minutes
Redirecting to tasks

Nothing works so far to get any work done on her end.

Think I need to learn a trick or two.

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