To think you can’t have everything you want at work?

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m a manager of a small team - me and two other people. We work in a small, busy office. We are a professionally trained team but don’t work in a corporate environment - we work in a school.

We are a support function and we get a lot of callers into the office. It’s busy.

We are all part-time with different patterns.

I am perfectly comfortable with the team saying ‘Sarah will be in at 10 and she deals with the petty cash - can you come back then?’ Or ‘Lisa can do that tomorrow morning no problem’ when there are non- urgent things. Most are non-urgent.

The only person who really has urgent stuff is me by dint of my role.

Lisa is becoming frustrated as she feels she’s picking stuff up she shouldn’t have to.

I’ve told her she doesn’t have to, there is zero expectation of that. She feels we aren’t offering the support the team should if she tells them to wait.

There are not three full time roles in the team.

This is a bone of contention. There is no solution that suits her.

I basically think that she wants to work in a corporate environment but doesn’t want the hassle of finding a new job with less flexibility.

Because we’re part time she can do things like message me the night before and ask if she can swap days to accommodate personal things. She loves very nearby etc - it’s very convenient.

One issue is she’s overqualified for the job she’s doing. I raised this at interview and she was clear it was about work life balance and suiting her family life etc. We all make choices like this from time to time so I don’t mind that. But I think she may be hoping I’d have left and she could have my job. Unfortunately for her this job suits me very well and I like it so I’m not going anywhere for a while.

AIBU to think I cannot solve this? She wants to turn our workplace into something it isn’t and that just isn’t going to happen.

I think you’re doing the right thing by having the conversation about the fact things aren’t going to change. I also think it’s fair to say that continually pushing for things to work differently is not ok and to remind her she knew the craic when she joined and that she took the role for balance not for a career move.

Thank you @CatOnAHotRadiator

I appreciate that it’s very different environment-wise - I was shocked at how busy it was when I started.

I have had this conversation at least 4 times in the last few months, last time I was quite firm, so I think it might be time to add in it’s not fair to keep on if she brings it up again.

To confirm I’ve discussed with my manager and he agrees with me and is happy with how I like my team to run.

Someone in my team has a bee in her bonnet about something too. It can be really draining trying to manage it. The silver lining is she is excellent at her job and has great ideas and insight. It’s just this one issue that we go over regularly. 😭

You’re right - it IS draining. I’m just bored with it.

I appreciate that it’s the minority but I’d like to hear why IABU because I want the team to work well together and I’m willing to make changes if appropriate.

I just think her expectations are unreasonable but if I’m wrong I’m happy to hear it.

At the end of the day, you're the boss, and this is how the team works. You're happy with it, and your boss is too.

I certainly wouldn't be telling her it's 'unfair' to keep bringing it up. I'd just be shutting it down politely but firmly.

@Cyanometer maybe unfair is the wrong word but it’s certainly pointless.

I’m a bit happier given the general consensus is I’m not being unreasonable.

I didn’t think I was but that’s no guarantee!

Sounds good @Merryoldgoat

I always wonder what my boss would say about me @CatOnAHotRadiator. I think it might be similar to what you're saying - can be a PITA about things I don't value at times, but is also experienced and really useful to have around for some things.

Are the people coming to the office working for the same school, or is it a mixture of parents, children and staff?

It drive me crazy calling to a workplace and being told to come back if I couldn't do a simple task because the right person isn't there, especially because staff chop & change their working hours regularly.

Surely that's an issue you are ignoring for everyone but you as your request have to do done urgently.

Surely, it would help callers to the offuce if it was clear hours of operation i.e. Tuesday = all petty cash items, etc.

Other than that, if she wants flexibility shown to her, they she needs to accept that she needs to grant flexibility to others too.
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@MounjaroMounjaro All staff - no children or parents.

@DoYouReally it’s not really like that. I’ve used vague examples but essentially, our office is adjacent to a staff room so staff will wander in with non-urgent questions if they happen to be there.

There are defined times they can get certain stuff like PC done.

The issue for her is she doesn’t want to tell people to come back but she also doesn’t want to do it. She can’t have it both ways.

She's being ridiculous then.

Why not have notes up on your office door: "Petty cash - Tuesday and Thursday 2-4.30 pm" that sort of thing? You could have an in tray for anyone to put requests in, if it's not done via email.

I agree she is after your job, so you need to tackle this carefully, OP.

Why can only one person do specific jobs like petty cash? This really should be something that all of you should be able to do and jobs should be picked up as they come up, in order not saved for specific days.

No, we can ALL do those things but a particular person is the junior member whose responsibility it is.

Lisa is irritated that if she’s alone she has to do it. I’ve said that if she is busy doing something that she’d rather not be interrupted then she can ask the person to wait.

But she doesn’t want to do that either.

Essentially I think she wants never to be alone so she doesn’t have to ever be interrupted.

@Shedmistress It’s a small team. We can all cover the junior role so petty cash, placing orders, making payments, checking the bank etc. I can do everything (obviously) - Lisa can do most things but not my specific role.

The vast majority of stuff is via email requests and works fine.

It’s just people will call in because they’re there, see the office and pop in.

My manager is aware and I’m not worried about her usurping me but it’s bloody irritating.

I suppose I’m the sort of person who doesn’t stay in a job that doesn’t suit me, I don’t understand staying when there’s so much that you seem to be irritated by.

This really should be something that all of you should be able to do and jobs should be picked up as they come up, in order not saved for specific days.

Also - this just isn’t true. Team members in lots of organisations have different responsibilities. Some bits will be shared/picked up, but some stuff is an individual’s responsibility - we’re not a team that all do the same job.

It’s line having an HR team - the HR administrator won’t pick up thing that are the manager’s responsibility but all the team could pick up a sickness question even if it’s the officer’s responsibility to record and maintain sickness records.

The entire team/work tasks/flexibility seems like a mess tbh.

I couldn't work in an environment where the team seems to struggle with extremely basic things.

How? Because one person is complaining about it?

People come in. We can help them or ask them to come back. They never mind coming back.

This one person neither wants to cover junior tasks nor wants to send people away but wants to enjoy the flexibility of the role and workplace.

Explain how it’s a mess?

No one is struggling - she just doesn’t want to do it but doesn’t want to pass it on - does that sound reasonable honestly?

They never mind coming back.

I’m a teacher. We don’t say we mind coming back but we do.

Only one person is responsible for keys in our place. Three times I’ve visited the office to get a particular key this year (huge school, different block). All three times Queen of the Keys has been out. I still have no key to my classroom door and it’s the end of the year in three weeks! Will she nip across to me to pass on a key when she’s in? Nope! 🙄

Tbh @Cyanometer the colleague I’m thinking of is someone I really value. If I’m honest I can find her tricky as she views things very differently to me. But it’s actually really useful as it’s very helpful to have an alternative view when it comes to problem solving. Because she’s very capable and a decent human I always take care to listen carefully to her thoughts. It’s stood me in good stead in what is my first line management role and a think she’s brilliant for continuing to professionally challenge when it’s appropriate.

We don’t have a ‘queen of keys’ - or anything like that.

And I WOULD bring you what you were looking for if you needed it.

My issue is she CAN help, she thinks people SHOULD be helped there and then, but she resents having to do it. So I tell her she doesn’t HAVE to, but then she is not happy.

The more I type this the more I realise how ridiculous it is.

You don't really seem receptive to feedback and seem defensive of the place.

You appear (based on your own words) to manage a team where

1. no one really knows when they can respond to requests (they very their hours and days)
2. "Customers/service users appear to have no clue when certain things can be done
3. These customers/service users often have to come back because of unexpected or unclear absences - that's hardly efficient and just because you don't hear the complaints doesn't mean they don't exist
4. You have a staff member who is clearly unhappy and you think it's completely her fault (it may well be)
5. You have a staff remember who really doesn't seem to know what her role includes/excludes
6. You don't seem to have any proper contingency in place to deal with illness or other leave (surely there should be an overlap on dome of the most common tasks and it should be understood that everyone should carry put these tasks when necessary)

I am also a teacher who often gets turned away from the admin or estates office because the one person who can do the thing isn't there.

My God it drives me mad.

I've actually cut down down how many trips out of school I do to avoid:

3 x trips to get the phone (one because the charger doesn't work)
3 x trips to get the first aid kit
3 x trips to get the parent contacts
Multiple attempts to check they've actually booked the free train tickets (not allowed to do it myself)
Probably into double figures if it involves anyone paying for anything (not allowed access to the database to check myself)

And I've been waiting for a key for an office I'd like to be able to use for about 3 months now.