Difficult Situation advice

[AmyJo63]

I recently had an appraisal at work. My manager included suggesting I work with a member of the team to achieve a goal. This particular member of the team has a terrible work ethic and myself and others have complained about him multiple times. I emailed my manager after the appraisal, saying I didn’t think it was appropriate to include that particular person into my career plan. He pulled me into a meeting room and told me I didn’t need to send that email and that I’m never to raise issues about that team member again. He did this in a unprofessional manner, to the point I nearly walked out to escape the situation. His nature was aggressive and as he is a new mgr I could see it happening again. I contacted his manager advising I don’t want to take any action but I do want them aware this happened so if it happened again he knew this was a regular occurrence. I had a meeting with that manager, however he only seemed interested in me not wanting to work with that team member & not my mgrs unprofessional manner. All of this could have been avoided if my mgr had left my career path down to me and not included specified individuals, especially those who are difficult to work with. Any suggestions on how I can manage this difficult situation? All I want is to go in, get my head down and get on with my job without hassle.

in that case I would do just that...

otherwise you could escalate it through HR or a grievance.

I would politely work with the colleague and make sure your contributions were clear. To be honest working with difficult people is part of a working career.

”I would politely work with the colleague and make sure your contributions were clear. To be honest working with difficult people is part of a working career.”

Yes exactly. If your manager asks you to work with someone you might raise your concerns and perhaps ask for advice on how best to handle the person. You don’t email your manager telling them it was “inappropriate” to ask you to work with that person! Why was it inappropriate? Irritating for you, if you don’t like them, but not inappropriate. Unless you are being asked to work with this person on an IT project and their job is maintenance, or something.

And when your manager pulls you up on it, you don’t go running to his manager! You’re fast building yourself a reputation for being difficult tbh.

If how your manager spoke to you was genuinely unprofessional in some way (rather than you just not liking the content of what he said), you can raise it with him.

It’s right for your manager to be involved in your career development. Perhaps he thought your ‘working with difficult people’ skills could do with some polishing if you want to progress?!

I think a better way to approach it would be to ask how he wants you to handle that person.

I was fairly sympathetic until I read you had complained to your manager's manager.

You're making life difficult for yourself tbh - do you think he won't find out?

It was a suggestion. I'd have just ignored it and carried on working with whoever best suits the job in hand. You have made yourself unnecessarily visible there.

I think you just have to get on with it. From both managers point of view you have "refused" to work with the other person...