To find this colleague a bit annoying

[halfacupofjuice]

Hello everyone,

I have been working at a particular company for a number of years and over the years things have changed but mostly have stayed the same. We have recently recruited a new person temporarily, as our previous colleague is off long term sick but will be back soon, but we are all finding her a bit... much...and I don't know if I should discuss this with her ( of course in a diplomatic way). Here are the reasons:

1. She comes across that she doesn't know much about our field, but when you speak to her and talk about certain practices and policies, she knows ALOT but tends to die this down but only brings up her knowledge when I challenge her about her practice. The reason why I'm saying this is because I can tell that she is a keen learner but has been using some of her working days to go on training (to be far- only two) but she has just started with us. Also, she has recently asked the company to pay for a course that she would like to attend, we of course declined as we don't pay for trainings for temporary staff and plus there are a number of us in the office who are very specialist and have worked in the role for many of years with who she can seek advice and support from, so it's not an efficient way of using resources.

1. In our company, we have been doing the same things, pretty much, for many years and then she comes in and has begun to ask us whether she can change some of our practices when working with clients.

3.She has only worked for a company for a month, but already she is speaking to similar companies to try and increase our own resources. This is amazing for our company, but I am finding her a bit much.

What should I do? Some of the colleagues feel that she is a bit much and should just take a seat back. How can I advise my new colleague?

I've worked in places where the opposite view is favoured. You don't know what she's been told, presumably, and you won't know until you have a chat with her. Poor woman. You all sound bitchy and cliquey.

No, I read that years ago and I remember it was good! The one I've got is called You're the Manager (I got it on Kindle). It's really hot on trying to understand different people's perspectives on situations and it's helped me pause to think before jumping into things saying what's right and what's wrong. Just looked at it - written by Simpson and Minkowski.

You sound like a poor manager.

If she's leaving soon I'm sure you can tactfully tell her to get back in her box and unfortunately there isn't the time or money to implement her changes.

What was the point about talking to other companies to increase your resources, amazing for the company but a bit much? If she's doing all she's supposed to be doing and has time for more, sounds like a good thing?

She will be made permanent and progress rapidly.

Energetic, forward thinking self-starter enters company and has fresh ideas to challenge company that hasn't reviewed its ways of working for years. Send her my way!

If you are honest I think you feel threatened and insecure. You're the manager and this person is challenging the status quo.

I’m slightly of two minds on this.
On the one hand, I have had the experience (several times) of a newbie arriving at a company and saying “We should do it this way” when the existing team know that “this way” has been tried before (possibly more than once) and there were reasons why it didn’t work.
On the other hand, I also think this new employee is clearly showing great initiative and enthusiasm which should be harnessed in some way. As a temp, doubtless her next job will be one where she can develop more. OP, please give her a glowing reference!

You sound threatened and jealous.

Also, if I hired someone and they decided to “take a back seat” from day one and simply observe how things are done before copying them, they wouldn’t be coming back to work for me.

Do you know the latest research? Have you shared it with her?

I agree with PP, she sounds proactove and creative and you're lucky to have her.
I think you need to consider how to make the best uze of her creativity.
When she has an idea - what's the problem she's trying to solve? How might she experiment with the idea safely? How could its impact be measured?

As you are a company who has been doing the same thing for years, she's quite possibly correct in thinking that.

If this isn’t a reverse then you are a pretty poor manager for a couple of reasons. One, not understanding that fresh perspectives are healthy and two, not knowing how to manage what is a very minor issue (regarding the training) without having to ask for advice

There has been plenty of evidence that “this is the way we have always done it” costs companies a hell of a lot of money per year. So actually if you have finite and limited resources maybe listening into something could be done better would be an advantage

It sounds like she is trying to make a good impression so that if a permanent job comes up you will hire her. If she is seems to be coming on too strong but she clearly has talents your company can use, talk to her and give her a way of getting her ideas out that is more appropriate for your company's culture.

If she isn't working for your company, she will be the competition in a few years. Do you want that?

She probably doesn't seek your advice and looks instead for outside training because she can tell none of you like her! You probably come across as unapproachable and stern if this is how you think of her.
I can see she is probably over enthusiastic and needs to show some humility being new, but I think you've drawn some cruel conclusions about her character based on what is probably just youthful drive and ambition.

She's showing you and your colleagues up, isn't she? You've been coasting for years, doing what you do, not extending yourselves — and now she's arrived and shaken you up and made you realise that you've got very complacent. How much more successful could your company be if they recruited more people like her, eh?

It's clear from your grammar and spelling you aren't native OP. I think that's why someone asked are you based in England.

I feel very sorry for her. You constantly refer to 'she' and 'we', making it clear that you as her manager don't consider her part of your team. That must be isolating for her.

She isn't giving it large and boasting about her superior knowledge. She's working hard, trying to get on and do a good job but her supposed 'team' and line manager are carping about her behind her back. The poor thing can't do right for doing wrong.

It's hard coming into an established team. It's hard being a temp. Cut the woman some slack and try and make her time with you mutually rewarding.

This.

Every company has a “this is how it’s done and we don’t like change” rump. These are the people who never notice the way the world is changing around them and shut themselves off to new ideas until it’s too late.

It sounds like this person has come in and correctly identified a lot of stick in the mud people who don’t like change and think length of service makes them untouchable. They are not.

I would be grateful someone has joined who doesn’t have their head in the sand and is open to new ways of doing things and listen to her.

I was born in the UK and brought up here. I type very very fast and can't be bothered to correct my grammar. Also, my iPhone automatic keyboard is playing up!

Dear temporary colleague.. I can see that you are keen to add to your already extensive knowledge on our business area, we are the business experts in this field and working here and learning from what we do, will give you that knowledge. We create our training plans every year based on gaps in knowledge within our existing teams and company policy does not include temporary employees in that plan, beyond any training necessary to them carrying out their immediate roles in the short term and most of that training should be in house and be given by other colleagues. You are here to cover X, who we expect to return to work in the next few months. It does not make sense in that time to change our existing practices. However, you are welcome to bring any suggested changes to my attention at our weekly / monthly review but please do not suggest these changes to other staff members who do not have the resources to implement these changes. Should a permament position become available, we would consider your application but in the meantime, your temporary role does not include any organisational or procedural changes.

Fair enough. My apologies OP.

To be honest, it was more for her benefit than for us as a company. She wanted to do something for a client that we don't have the resource for. She could have, in theory, done this herself, but she said that this will take a long time and that's she's part of some kind of network that regularly hands out resources to their members- so she thought she might as well ask them and see what they can offer.

It’s hard to reconcile your assertion that you are expert in your field with the reference to ‘some kind of network’ - as if you are unfamiliar with the context that you both work within. Your tone is so hostile (do you realise that?) that I feel very sorry for this person who is being line managed by you.

You clearly have no sound reason to go 'discuss this with her in a diplomatic way' hence you are looking here for justification to cut her down.
Sounds like shitty management to me, instead of trying to derail her ambition and downplaying the value of her contribution you could nurture that and use it to advance the team.

Seems like it's you that needs more training in management.

That's a good one!! Thank you! I have a supervision meeting with her next week- so I will definitely relay this to her.

About the training, I had already told her what most of you have suggested that we don't pay for trainings for temp staff members, she replied this morning stating 'That's fine. I will be more than happy to fund this myself. But will it be ok if I used one of my working days to attend the the training as it falls on my working day....'