Apparently I Work Too Quickly!

[LuckysDadsHat]

So I have been in my job for 6 years, in all my appraisals and 1-1s I have had great performance feedback, said I am the best admin manager they have had etc.....

Until 2 weeks ago when a more senior colleague (not my line manager but a higher grade than me in the team) has complained that I work too quickly and this causes them stress. I don't even know what to do with this feedback. The way I work is to prioritise team tasks over other longer ongoing work I have to do as and when they come in. So someone may email me for something while I am doing longer term work and I will prioritise the new work, get it done and send it back.

Apparently this makes them feel stressed that I am replying so quickly, or answering emails quickly etc..... It makes them feel like they shouldn't email me.

I honestly don't know where to go with it, and I am now thinking of looking elsewhere for a job even though I love my current role. I just can't change my way of working. I am diligent, get the job done quickly and efficiently and the team is in a lot better position from when I started.

Any advice?

Could you schedule a slot in your day for ‘team tasks’ so eg 10-12 in the morning you work on those then anything that comes in after that you respond to the next day?

it’s a really strange thing for them to have an issue with unless there’s some performance metric/tracking that means a clock starts ticketing for them again as soon as you pass it back?

This is ridiculous. Talk to your line manager. Tell them about this feedback and that obviously, you are not going to become less efficient in order to soothe this person's feelings.

If your line manager is giving you this feedback without a) laughing and rolling their eyes and/or b) offering you a very easy solve (eg - you do the work as you normally would but only email this person at the end of every day), then yes, you have a bigger problem. Because if someone complained that my PA was too efficient and made them feel bad, especialyl someone quite senior, I honestly don't think i could keep a straight face.

Hilarious, that would be a them issue in my head. I am the same if it's a top of the head two minutes response I get it off my desk.

But given this is an opportunity to show not only are you professional, productive and have considerable knowledge and skill in your role.

You also take on board feedback and implemented a system to support those who may be building towards your skill set 😉.

That says far more about them than it does you!!

Ask for every request to have a delivery time. Do the work when it suits you, straightaway if you want. Schedule an email an hour or two before the delivery time to say that it's available in the project folder.

No metric or tracking. That's what I find bizarre. I get it off my to do pile. The work is done for the staff member so how can you complain that it's done in 1 hour as opposed to a week.

Just because something's been fed back to you, it doesn't mean you have to change the way you've always worked.

Just carry on doing what you're doing, and the onus will be on them to change the way they handle/react to it.

Have you asked why it’s a problem for them in that case? It’s really odd, definitely mention it to your manager incase they have any insights but otherwise keep working in the way that suits you best

This is what I have been doing since it was brought up. Just carried on as normal, but it has caused a bit of an atmosphere in emails and in person. I first thought I was reading too much into the tone, but asked husband and he said there is 100% something there with the tone.

have you spoken to your line manager/ I would absolutely do that.

And then, if necessary, don't send stuff back immediately - prepare the email and just put it on delayed send.

Ridiculous! This is exactly how I work - if something comes in that I can action or reply to quickly I do so to get it off my desk, leaving me with a clear schedule for bigger tasks. Not a chance I would be changing it after feedback and making my work more difficult to please others

Do the work but delay the send time on the email.

That way you have done your bit and it can give the other team the breathing space they need/want.

This^

Just do the work, type up a draft email and don't send it for a few days!!

But I would ask your line manager if she can shed any light on what the problem is?

I did ask when it was first brought up by the staff member and they said it makes them feel like they are taking over my time, and that they want to schedule send emails for after my finishing time so I don't send it back too quickly for their liking. They also said that when it is sent back it makes them feel like they have to deal with it as quickly as I do and they don't have the capacity to do that. I replied saying once it's sent back to you it's on you how you deal with it. I don't care after that but they still said it stresses them out.

In my head, I am here to deal with the teams needs, I do that quickly and efficiently I work bloody hard at keeping on top of everything to make my life easier as it can get out of control quickly if I don't. We have very strict deadlines on some work and I like to be in front of these by at least 3 days for any last minute changes they may want to do. Other work doesn't have deadlines, but I still get this done ASAP as it comes in. To clear time for longer projects and stuff that comes in unexpectedly (this happens a lot).

Are you public or private sector? I was told to slow down when I worked in public sector having always worked in private sector.

I am arranging a 1-1 for next week with the manager.

I think the delayed send is the way to go. I am just conscious that I will be treating this team member differently to the rest of the team this way. But I guess it is what they asked for.

Public sector. But a very high paced, lots of new work coming in daily department.

I'd feel so tempted to send any work back to this person extremely slowly from now on

I'm concerned I would then get a complaint against me. Although I have a very large petty streak so it is very tempting.

As others have suggested i'd speak to your line manager. It seems more a problem on their side, you are doing your work. I do the same - if i have a longer project i will dip in and out of it and get rid of any queries or quick responses so it keeps my emails down and doesn't back up my workload

I wouldn't be able to change as that would stress me out- why do their needs trump mine? They're known as 'quick wins' and I do the same. I don't want lots of work clogging my inbox up and I couldn't cope with a pile of emails in drafts unsent.

It's possible that they want to do less work, but want any delays to be someone else's fault. In which case having a delivery time in writing from them and sending it just before the delivery time will hopefully prevent you from being a scapegoat.

Mention it to your line manager in a sense of adapting your working style to suit someone else's anxiety so that someone else knows that you are making this change with good intentions.

I wouldn't change how I worked - especially not for that sort of reason!

Their preferences for how they receive work doesn't trump my preferences for how I want to work.

That person needs to manage their stress by doing things within their control - not expecting you to change a process just for them. If your work is getting done and you're happy with it, then they need to change their end.

OP you are probably showing them up as being overly slow. They probably email you for information hoping they can say they can't get their task done because they are waiting on you for information by sending it straight across to them you are taking their excuses away. 🤣🤣

Just feedback that this is the way you work to help YOU feel less stressed.