People at work not volunteering to do a task but then moaning about how the task is being carried out

[Dallidalli]

Trying to keep it broad as details identifying.
In two separate situations with two different colleagues I was moaned at for the way a task was carried out. The task was on a volunteer basis. As my colleagues refused to volunteer, I picked it up just to get it done. I was then met with criticism e.g one trying to make me second guess my choices and the other telling me I added unnecessary details but in a bossy tone.

In both cases I got snappy and talked back because frankly I've done them a favour by getting shit done.

If you know you can do that task so much better than me, bloody do it yourself then!

Stop volunteering!

I was then met with criticism e.g one trying to make me second guess my choices and the other telling me I added unnecessary details but in a bossy tone.

"If you had volunteered when you had the chance you could have had a say in the choices made/details to be included, but you didn't. I took on the role and will make decisions as I see fit. If you don't like them then you are more than welcome to volunteer first next time. Until then, please keep your opinions to yourself as I do not wish to hear them"

I'm very much the "volunteer" at work because I need to be busy all the time and constantly have a running list of ongoing "busy work jobs" (IE stuff that needs doing periodically by anyone who has the time but the place isn't going to grind to a halt if it isn't done) whereas I have colleagues who are more than happy to do the jobs that need doing but anything outside of their basic job description that they aren't explicitly asked to do will not get done.

The one (and only) time someone tried to give me "feedback" as to how the job should be done whilst I was mid-task ended with me handing over all of the stuff I was doing and saying "Just because it isn't how you would do it doesn't mean my way is wrong, but since you think it is then here, you can do it instead,". When they then protested that "They were only trying to help!" I simply reminded them that I neither wanted or needed their 'help', if I had I would have asked for it, but since they were so desperate to get involved I would let them do the entire job and walked away to busy myself with a different job from my list and refused to finish the job, so my know it all co-worker had to finish it because we work in an open plan pharmacy so all of our other colleagues had seen/heard the exchange and knew what had happened and she couldn't spin it that I'd dumped it on her as they'd all witnessed me walking away from her sticking her nose in with unsolicited advice.

Nobody ever questioned or "advised" me of a better way to do busy work jobs ever again.

I just simply say something like 'you didn't volunteer so you don't get an opinion'

Or 'thanks for volunteering to take this task off me. You should have volunteered in the first place' then hand the task over.

Or as bluntly as 'if you have such a strong opinion, do it yourself. If I want your input I will ask' or 'I am confused, if you have such strong opinions why did you volunteer? I did volunteer so how it gets done is non of your business'

A colleague did that to the habitual critical moaner at a staff meeting. It was priceless. Colleague had worked hard on a draft policy/ procedure for a complicated but essential task. Moany person said she didn't agree with it, so colleague handed it over, saying she looked forward to reading moany person's version.

Was it organizing a Christmas party or event? Grrrrrr - so glad I don’t work in an office any more.

Everyone has an opinion, just like everyone has an a*hole.

Maybe tell them that and see what their reaction is? 😂

My reaction would be the same as yours - you bloody well do it next time then, as you are so full of opinions about it.

Is this the Christmas party? If so I have a similar issue and it's doing my nut in

I always make a point of thanking the person organising the office Christmas lunch and complimenting their choices as I know it's a pain and I would make a complete hash of it!

There's always some moaners though. Personally, I would "accidentally" delete them from the list.

"if you had wanted that level of input, then you should have made it known at the outset when the activity needed volunteers and you could have been involved, the time has now passed for those decisions, so moving on...."

Fortunately there are none of those in my team at work at the moment, but there are a couple at the school. Always moaning about the school fair and other PTA activities (“they should have done xyz instead”) yet never volunteering. So annoying.