AIBU Work Colleague

[Tiredofthisshitugh]

Name changed in case my colleague is on here!

I'm working on a project for my boss with one other colleague. Myself and my colleague both have set roles, with each of these given to us because our boss believes it is what we are best at.

I've been working a lot on my part of the project and making a fair bit of progress. My colleague however is doing very little and what she is doing is not of great quality. She's also missing out on some really good opportunities to make the project more successful.

I wondered at first if she might be stressed or have other things going on but after having a chat, she said she is all good and excited about the project. I would help her in any way I could if I thought she was struggling.

My boss is quite frankly near to clueless when it comes to our roles, so I don't know whether I gently point out that her work is actually holding the project back. Her role is something that she constantly claims to have a passion for and to be an expert in. I've also been in situations at work where I've had to step in as other colleagues either did a poor job or did very little, and I just cannot do this again as although I want the project to go well, it means that yet I have to pick up someone else's work and they're not affected.

What is also annoying me is that he praised her a couple of times in yesterday's meeting and yet what I did was mentioned as being critical to the success of the project but my name wasn't mentioned at all. I don't need praise but it's really wound me up.

I'm 38 and I've never felt like this before! I don't want to go running to my boss telling him my colleague isn't doing a good job but at the same time, it's having such a negative impact on all the other work going into it.

Any advice would be great.

If it were me I'd request a meeting to discuss progress with your boss. In the meeting I'd provide a factual summary of exactly what had been achieved and by whom, together with 'options and opportunities' for the project. I wouldn't express an opinion on your colleagues contribution, merely show it in black and white for your boss to judge for themselves. I'd ask if they thought the opportunities should be taken, and if so, by whom. If at the end of this your boss doesn't address your colleagues performance you will have to conclude its satisfactory to them. Then concentrate on your own parts. Its frustrating when you can see something could be better, but ultimately your boss decides what good enough looks like.

Thank you, this is great advice. I will request a meeting and present them with the facts. He has said previously to just me that my colleagues work isn't great and yet he's now praising it. Just makes me feel like not bothering very much and then getting told how wonderful I am, as seems to be the way.