It sounds like you perceive - or are afraid Tanya will perceive -the changes in the job function as criticism of the way she was doing her job before. But apparently that is not the case - it sounds like a lot of new tasks and responsibilities have been added to the job.
Thank you EllenS, that is exactly what I was concerned about.
I do not want to appear (to both Tanya and our colleagues) that I am being critical or patronizing when I explain the new procedures.
I very much want to maintain a positive atmosphere throughout this process.
My concern about her possibly not liking me is that she may take things the wrong way, leading to conflict. As I am trying to stay with this company long term, I do not want to be seen as the source of conflict.
And, as the newcomer, to be seen as causing conflict with a popular, long-term employee would not only be unprofessional, but could affect my long-term prospects with the company.
I think you should carefully consider what parts of your list are duties/policies driven by what needs to be done, vs. processes/methods that you prefer, have developed, or work best for you.
The new duties/policies of the organization as a whole, and specific tasks/deliverables that will be expected of her, are what Tanya needs to learn.
I have been giving some thought to this and trying to separate "my way" from "procedure".
It's a bit blurred because I have been creating the procedure, so "my way" *is* now the procedure for some things. So I'm trying to sort out what is essential from what is just my preference.
Tanya is intelligent and well versed in the company's jargon and overall process. Most of what I will be showing her is the day to day execution of various tasks.
Example: she knows that we transmit documents to various agencies. She knows the terminolgy and content of the documents. What's new is the forms, the process and the controls.
Our supervisor has told me to train her as though she were a new hire who hasn't seen any of these forms before.
If Tanya says "Oh, that's the way we used to do it", then we move on to the next thing.
If not, I train her.
Supervisor is going to tell Tanya that this is the approach we're taking. Hopefully, that will help convey that this isn't a criticism of her former work, but rather an evolution.
