to not want to collaborate with annoying co-worker?

[russetmellow]

My line manager invited expressions of interest from colleagues for an individual to undertake a specific project with a very fast turnaround. It's an area I've a lot of experience in (more than colleagues) and I'd love to do the project and could do it super-fast. I applied, outlining experience etc.

I got an email today saying two of us applied and as such what would I think of sharing the project? The other person is notoriously tricky and hasn't even 10% of the experience I do in the area - our line manager even indiscreetly described them as 'a very difficult person.' Think someone who gets very huffy if they feel overlooked, walks out in a temper at times etc. I haven't had to work very closely with them before but have seen how they behave and have been at the receiving end of their deeply intemperate behaviour.

I asked the line manager if we could split the task and they said 'well wouldn't you like to work as a team?' I said something along the lines of thinking it would be quickest to work individually - but let's see what the other person thinks.

AIBU to be a bit pissed off that the terms have changed from an individual taking on the project, and that if I have to work with this other person it's likely to take much longer and be trickier (due to their personality) than if I just did it alone? NB I work in a sector where individual projects are the absolute norm and I rarely if ever work as part of a team on this sort of thing. Any advice for how I can handle this?

I think not being able to work with others isn't a great trait to have, so I'd probably not be shouting too loudly about it, especially when the manager has alluded to wanting it done collaboratively.

You can either agree to the work or not, but you'll win no fans if you cause issues.

Ok thanks HotDogJumpingFrogHaveACookie - and I guess I know that. I can work with others fine and have done many times in other capacities, I'm just a bit annoyed that this is likely to be a lot more hassle than I reckoned with when I applied.

I think it would not be unreasonable to say that you think the project would be completed more easily and efficiently by just one person, @russetmellow, and that’s how you’d prefer to do it.

Individual projects are the norm here too.

It sounds like your company wants you to deliver the task together. You could meet and discuss how you can divide the task into tasks and milestones. You could set out terms and agree progress meetings with your line manager.

This is work not school

outing yourself as someone who can’t work well with others is a bit of a silly move.

Could they be using you to develop this person?

That’s not what you signed up for.

Will this person just ride on your coat tails then take the plaudits for your work?

If your line manager has already alluded to their difficult nature then I don't see you as outing yourself as someone that can't work with others. I'd push to do this one yourself - thereby "outing" yourself as someone that can get the job done!

I haven't said I can't work with them (or anything to that effect, just asked if it might be split). The line manager will definitely not want us reporting milestones etc - they just want it done and delivered. It will be on top of work I'm already doing but I'll get time in lieu later on.

I don't know if they'll ride on my coat tails as such, I guess as they've less experience maybe I'd need to contribute more which I don't really mind doing. I suppose it's just I could have delivered it myself quickly and in my own time, but now it will turn into having to meet the other person frequently, reach consensus etc. It's the sort of project I did numerous times in a previous job which is why I'm confident I could turn it around relatively painlessly. The other person hasn't done a project like this before but is likely to have strong views on it nevertheless.

I agree with this approach.

Is the priority to get the project completed to a good standard within stretching timescales or to collaborate in order to develop colleague.

These are not naturally complementary objectives.

I'd clarify which is more important. If getting it done is the priority, I'd be confident that I could do it and be open to doing providing some means of sharing the approach and key success points etc with the rest of the team.

If the development goals are more important I'd suggest that I was not the right person on lead on this, this time round.

This is based on my view of myself as a technical specialist so doesn't aspire to develop difficult colleagues. If I wanted to move into management I would need to grab this as an ideal opportunity to demonstrate my management skills

Perhaps. And I'm a bit irked that they'd be relying on experience I built up over 3 years in a previous job. Maybe I'm being a bit churlish - but the key issue is not even about this person's difficult nature (I think I've done ok before working with tricky people) but that it will now take much longer and be more hassle because it involves working together.

To be honest, I'd call their bluff and say you want to withdraw your application as you understood it to be an individual project, not collaborative and you don't have the time for the necessary meetings, etc that a group project requires. There's a risk they'll award it to the other person but given your experience, is it not likely that they'd backtrack and give it to you? Especially if the other person is going to need a lot of help.

I'd say 'name that tune' and let them get on with it.

then pick up the pieces when they fuck it up.

Thanks FinallyHere, I don't really want to move into management - I like what I do, and would like to use the experience I acquired in my previous role for this project - I haven't been able to use that experience directly before.
The tricky thing is that I've looked at my email just now and see that my line manager has written to the other person suggesting sharing the project and is waiting to see what they think.

Thanks - do you think that would make me the difficult one?! I'm sure it would make an enemy of the other person who applied and not sure I want any drama whatsoever. I'd much rather get my head down, get on with it and deliver...I get very very anxious about work-place conflicts

I would just be factual.

Thanks for your response, happy to complete solo to deadlines with my training and background.

Excellent y is looking to contribute and learn. Happy to conduct a training session from this or have y on board as a training experience. Obviously that will slow the task and increase my hours.

This is exactly what I would do.
Due to the changing nature of the brief. I will withdraw my expression of interest.

Sounds like your manager doesn't want to have to say no to your colleague to avoid their bad behaviour and is happy to throw you to the lions for a quote life.

I would just say, well, I have tons of experience in this and that person doesn't really have any. Now do you want me to spend the next few weeks training her or doing the actual job? You do realise I can work much quicker on my own unless I'm with someone who has equal skills.

Yes - I think you're right, line manager doesn't want to say no to them due to not wanting to enrage them so now they've made it much more complicated and difficult for me. What a PITA! I haven't said yes or no yet but tbh w/o being cocky, I know if it was a properly competitive process between the two of us I'd be 99% more likely to be asked to do it - going on track record etc.

Maybe it'll look better for you if you do work with the colleague - promotion, perhaps?

After all, they'll know it'll get done whatever happens, because you can pull it together, but they'll also know that you can engage/bring around the other person - who might actually turn out to be quite good at it, by the way.

Then there will be two people who can do the job, which means it's less likely to always be put onto you and your previous experience, plus one who can manage/train others.

It sounds like all you stand to gain from this is time in lieu. Who cares about time in lieu, especially when co-working on this is clearly going to be a fucking nightmare. Your manager is weak and would rather appease the pain in the arse co-worker than actually manage. Withdraw, and see how the manager likes them apples.

This is what I would do too.

I spent years fitting in and trying to do the right thing to my detriment. Now I don't bother making great statements, I just do what suits me. A huge part of this is actively avoiding people at work who make my life much harder than it needs to be. My life has improved ten fold.

The goal posts have changed. Your manager knows they're hard work or they wouldn't have asked you if you'd mind splitting it... they're the boss, they'd just go ahead under normal circumstances.

If this is going to stress you out withdraw your application.

There's been a man who annoys the hell out of me hot desking near my team lately.. he butts into conversation, tags along to social, overrides the conversation etc. i walk in of a morning and my heart sinks. Obviously I'm civil but if I didn't have to work with him I sure as hell wouldn't put myself forward for it!

i care about time in lieu a good deal (thought it’ll be split in half if the work is shared) as it frees me up to do something fairly pressing. I also care(d) about taking on this project as I want to be recognised as expert in this area - one of the reasons I don’t want to share it tbh as I spent so much time developing the expertise.

Thanks, that’s an interesting way of looking at it. I guess I’m not super keen to spend all the extra uncredited time on it but you’ve given me some food for thought!