to think this woman is patronising me?

[Moomin]

In what circumstances would you ask a colleague, in a meeting with other colleagues, to do your stapling for you?

I know for a fact that there are other colleagues she would get very short shrift from if she asked them to do the same but I was so speechless I just did it, fuming as I did so.

Rather than the actual issue (which isn't actually a crime against humanity, I will admit) do you think this indicates that she thinks she is my superior in asking me to do this? It wasn't a "shit I'm never going to get this done - Moomin could you help me please?" "It was a "Moomin can you do this please - I'm doing something else"

she gets paid the same as me but has some responsibility within our dept and my promotion is for something else which we both started recently. It's her first time of being promoted as well I think, whereas I've had responsibility previously (not wanting to boast but am just saying I've learned a bit about managing people in the past- the hard way!) How to deal with it? If I grit my teeth any more they will crack and fall out.

When you are having another meeting perhaps say in a jokey way "are you going to be organised enough to work your paper work out, or will you be wanting me to bail you out again with my stapling?"
Or simple say "I'll put it on my pile of to do after I've done my stuff."
Or hand out her paperwork and announce "xx needs our help again folks lets all muck in and sort her out, this time."
"or have a pile of papers in your case and when she asks you again either say "no thanks, I have enough of my own" or "I'll do yours if you do mine"

Failing that go with cyteen suggestion of
staple the words FUCK OFF into a piece of A4 and give it to her

Message withdrawn

lol at the legal-speak of "staplee"

I am dying to know more about where you work now Moomin! Are you academic staff or admin?

Message withdrawn

Laugh and say "you really must get yourself more organised before these meetings", then playfully tap her on the head with some paperwork in the kind of way that says I'm joking but you are a dumb fuck.

LOL Daphnemoon.

Staple everything to her forehead...

or....

Staple bits of her clothes to the desk when she isnt looking

or....

tell her her you are out of staples and 'pop to woolies to get some more, there's a love' and then turn to the person on the left and talk about your last holiday.

lol at Daphne - spot on!

Our job is academic: she's just been given reponsibility for one aspect of our curriculum (paper-shuffling and results) so she really shouldn't be thinking that this puts her in anyway above anyone else. My responsibilty is for managing trainees throughout the whole place. Which doesn't mean that I think I'm superior to her; it just means that we're equally busy.

And I should say really that there are some lovely people in our dept - but we are perceived as a 'weirdo' dept because of these 2/3 people in charge and because they have dominated the others for so long they have retreated into their shells a bit. It's criminal really...

I think she's getting the message anyway. I've been very alpha-female with her in the coffee room and it's un-nerved her a bit I think.