Author Topic: Excuse me!  (Read 57956 times)

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MerryRaven

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Excuse me!
« on: December 05, 2006, 04:16:16 PM »
I had an employee tell me a few weeks ago that she wanted me to make sure she had all the information to do her job and to keep communicating with her.

Okay.

So today our server went down and there were new procedures to deal with for that contingency and I was trying to make sure everybody knew them and helping people so they didn't make mistakes.  This particular employee was about ready to make a boo-boo.  Not a big deal, but it was and easy mistake to make and I had almost made it myself until anotherone of my employees pointed it out to me.

So I was going to return the favor.  I opened my mouth to say watch out for X, and she turned to me and said "Stop hovering over me. I can't work when people hover over me." 

So I shut my mouth because there was a customer there and waited and watched while she made the error.  Afterword I pointed out that I was trying to give her information she requested in a new situation.  She said that I 'made her nervous' and that is why she made the mistake.

The only reason I was hanging around everybody that this was an emergency using a procedure that I am more familiar with than everyone else.  There is a high probability for mistakes and as I am responsible for the operation of my department I am suppose to see that mistakes do not happen.  That means sometimes I have to hang around and peak over other people's shoulders.  I didn't mind when my own potential mistakes was pointed out.

I just told her I thought she was having a problem and to get over it which wasn't very nice but sheesh.

Slartibartfast

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2006, 05:04:22 PM »
Hmmm . . . when I'm in a situation where I'm not sure what to do, I tend to want one of two things: either the information to do my job, or the lack of supervision to make an error and not get blamed for it.  Sounds like this employee would have rather just made the small error and let you clean up afterwards.

platys

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2006, 05:24:51 PM »
People hovering over my shoulder makes me very nervous as well, especially when its someone who is an authority figure.  I pretty much lose all ability to think.  If I had a manager who did it on a regular basis, I'd be the ditziest, most nervous wreck.   

When she said she wanted more communication, she might have meant that she wanted to have things written down so that she could refer to things, for example.

Lisbeth

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2006, 06:38:20 PM »
I'll admit I don't like it when people look over my shoulder.

I guess in your situation I would have asked her what kind of help she wanted in making sure she had everything she needed to do her job.  Then, once you gave it to her, I would have let her make her own mistakes and take the consequences for them.
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bostonbetty

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2006, 06:47:11 PM »
I also don't like it when people hover over my shoulder, and I probably wouldn't want to be corrected in front of anyone. BUT I also wouldn't tolerate her speaking to you like that in front of a customer.

gjcva1

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2006, 06:56:03 PM »
So today our server went down and there were new procedures to deal with for that contingency and I was trying to make sure everybody knew them and helping people so they didn't make mistakes.  This particular employee was about ready to make a boo-boo.  Not a big deal, but it was and easy mistake to make and I had almost made it myself until anotherone of my employees pointed it out to me.

So I was going to return the favor.  I opened my mouth to say watch out for X, and she turned to me and said "Stop hovering over me. I can't work when people hover over me." 

usually i don't care for anyone looking over MY shoulder either.  but in this case, the OP was going around to ALL employees to instigate emergency work-throughs for a server issue.  it's not like Merry Raven haunts this chick's cube watching her every move.  her attitude was very rude to you.

ZipTheWonder

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2006, 08:01:22 PM »
How about just saying "Let me know if you need some guidance on/help with XYZ while the server is down" as you breeze past your employee's desks. 

amiboo

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2006, 10:57:13 PM »
"How about just saying "Let me know if you need some guidance on/help with XYZ while the server is down" as you breeze past your employee's desks.  "

This approach would be more hands off and maybe people would be less nervous but chances are no one would ask for help and multiple mistakes would be made which the OP would then have to spend the day tomorrow fixing.  Most likely the mistakes wouldn't be the sort that the employee who made them would be able to fix - it would fall on the OP and increase her workload. 

If it were a choice between making some people a little nervous and saving me a ton of work - well, the people are just going to have to live with being nervous and get over it. 

FolkRockFan

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2006, 11:24:57 PM »
This was an unusual situation. The more mistakes you prevented today, the less work everybody would have to do later.

I don't normally want people hanging out around me while I work - I'm introverted and prefer being left on my own until I have a question. When I don't know what I'm doing, though, I like having someone with knowledge nearby.

MadMadge43

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2006, 12:18:12 AM »
Merry Raven I am so annoyed for you. But it could be I'm just fed up with incompetence right now.

I think you handled the situation tactfully, but you need to do a follow up.  Take her aside and say; About yesterday, I understand you were frustrated, but so was I and I needed to look over your shoulder because of the system and wanted to prevent mistakes. The next time I need to help you I need you to let me. It's much easier to avoid mistakes which I knew would happen because of the system than go back and fix them.  Give her a big smile and hug if needed and let her say her peace.

I hope this helps!

MerryRaven

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2006, 02:39:40 AM »
What drove me crazy is a couple of weeks ago this same employee told me she didn't feel she was getting all the information she needed to do her job.  She felt left out of the loop.  So I have been trying to make sure she gets any changes and have gone out of my way to make sure each employee knows and understands any odd things that crop up.

So I have been hovering a bit because something comes up and I am kind of waiting for this employee to finish a transaction with a customer so I can tell her personally what is going on.  I would e-mail everyone but this employee seems to have an issue with getting things by e-mail.  She doesn't check it and then says "How was I to know?"

I have a log book on the main desk that I put changes in too.

This was a case where we were doing business off-line that would have to be uploaded once our server came back on.  We have been having a  bunch of server problems lately and that is a whole other story.  The problem is there have been errors made, not serious but enough to change the way we do a couple of things and there wasn't time to let everyone in on it before the server went down again today. 

By the way, I didn't speak to her in front of customers.  I explained what I had been trying to do and she still said I made her nervous.  That's when I said "It's my job to supervise you, you have asked for extra help and that is what I am trying to do.  I think this is your problem and you need to get over it."

I wasn't very clear in my OP as I was on my lunch.

The last-line probably puts me in e-hell but between staff illness, plumbing and computer problems I had about had it. 

Thanks for all the perspectives.  It is good to see this in a different light.

ShadesOfGrey

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #11 on: December 06, 2006, 08:48:49 AM »
sounds like she is being a finicky employee.  Are you a superior of hers? Then you just have to deal with her attitude (while of course admonishing her professionally, which it sounds like you did) and let it go.  Lot's of employees are never happy no matter what you do.  As long as you are doing your job appropriately (which may involve hovering at 'emergency' times such as this one), just let what she says roll off your back. 
If you are at her same level (which it doesnt sound like), then I would tend towards a passive strategy for helping her - like other posters have suggested a simple "let me know if you need any other info or clarification" this way you are in the best of both worlds, you are offering her the help she requested, but not "hovering" - I say this only because she sounds like someone that will not be happy no matter what you do, and making her actively seek the help (while making sure she knows it is readily available) is a good strategy for avoiding a "walking on eggshells" behavior around her. 

ETA: The only other thign I would suggest is saying something like "There's a new process for when the server goes down, which involves X, are you familiar with it?" This heads off at the pass her "hovering issues" and clearly explains from the get-go why you are standing over her.  In this case if she says yes - you have recourse to discuss the issue that she said she was familiar and wasnt, or that she said she was familiar with the process and was (praise her).  And if she says no, you then jump in and offer her the info she needs, and you arent 'hovering' Again, if she is still displeased, just let her know that you are doing your job the best way possible (assuming you have looked into ways of dealing with different types of employees work styles, perhaps some advice from a mentor/superior would help you here?) and she is just going to have to find a work-around for the way things are done here. 

anyway, I'll stop now...
« Last Edit: December 06, 2006, 08:58:41 AM by rdge »
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Chocolate Cake

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #12 on: December 06, 2006, 11:00:14 AM »
The next time she says "How would I have known?" when she has chosen not to read an email, you need to address it immediately and firmly.   Blowing off accountability like that is unacceptable and junior high school-ish.   Your response needs to be, "It was in the email I sent you.  You are responsible for reading it so you understand the procedure.   Don't let this become a repeating issue."

ShadesOfGrey

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2006, 11:01:52 AM »
The next time she says "How would I have known?" when she has chosen not to read an email, you need to address it immediately and firmly.   Blowing off accountability like that is unacceptable and junior high school-ish.   Your response needs to be, "It was in the email I sent you.  You are responsible for reading it so you understand the procedure.   Don't let this become a repeating issue."

Amen to that!
Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning. - Maya Angelou

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou

Buffy2424

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Re: Excuse me!
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2006, 01:56:06 PM »
She might have mentioned to keep communicating as a way to subtly stave off what happened (hashing out procedure in the moment).  Certainly doesn't excuse the rudeness, of course.