I need suggestion form you for this issue, i have recently recruited by my company as a Receptionist. I am a fresher having a little knowledge about the actual work related to reception. My boss has asked one of my colleague (who was taking care of admin related work with her MIS work) to give me more responsibilities related to admin. I was very much excited to get a new responsibility and learn new things, but i observed that after asking for so many times my colleague is not giving me the exact details, neither she is teaching me how to do it.
Since 1 month she is doing it by her own telling me that she will handover me from next month. next month has started still she is not interested in giving me the work. I don't understand what is stopping her from doing this. Moreover i can not even mail my boss for it because she gets angry that why i take everything to my boss, and with that anger she behaves weird like not talking or co-operating (She is the oldest employee of this company!) Please help me to deal with this situation. what kind of action i should take.
From India, Mumbai
Since 1 month she is doing it by her own telling me that she will handover me from next month. next month has started still she is not interested in giving me the work. I don't understand what is stopping her from doing this. Moreover i can not even mail my boss for it because she gets angry that why i take everything to my boss, and with that anger she behaves weird like not talking or co-operating (She is the oldest employee of this company!) Please help me to deal with this situation. what kind of action i should take.
From India, Mumbai
Dear Anuja,
First and foremost, you deserve appreciation for writing your workplace challenge clearly. The problem with this forum members is that they do not write clearly and give half-information. On reading such posts, we seniors ask few more questions. After series of question and answer session, the real issue emerges. In contrast, you have written your post in sequence. Yes, some improvement in grammar and spell-check is required but considering that you are a junior-level employee, you deserve appreciation. Keep it up!
When you write your next post, I recommend you writing it on MS Word and then copy and paste it on this forum. This will improve the quality of your post. Secondly, divide your post in multiple paragraphs.
You have explained your problem about delegation. You also have written that the long-serving employee is clinging to her job and not transferring that part of her duties to you. Though we do not know what is going on in her mind, it can be surmised that if that part of the work is removed, her very existence could come under question. The second surmise could be that if she gives up this task, then she might be required something new which she is not prepared to do that. The third surmise could be that she perceives that you have high take-off level. She could be thinking that your high grasping power could give you more visibility. By the way, does she have good command over English?
Your challenge is how to do the task, without antagonising the long-serving employee. For this, sometime I recommend you talking to MD but without the knowledge of that senior lady. Explain your challenge that you are still waiting to get the additional work. Let us see whether it works.
The second method is to find out who is close to MD but not close to this lady. Can that person transfer your message to MD? However, this has to be done with great caution. That person should not back stab you by disclosing your requirement to the lady.
In the meanwhile, just because of this senior lady, I recommend you not allowing your motivation level to go down. Whatever surplus time is at your disposal, utilise in improving knowledge of MS Word, MS Outlook etc. Learn keyboard shortcuts. Improve your grammar and vocabulary as well. For the job of receptionist, all this is quite essential.
All the best!
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
7884First and foremost, you deserve appreciation for writing your workplace challenge clearly. The problem with this forum members is that they do not write clearly and give half-information. On reading such posts, we seniors ask few more questions. After series of question and answer session, the real issue emerges. In contrast, you have written your post in sequence. Yes, some improvement in grammar and spell-check is required but considering that you are a junior-level employee, you deserve appreciation. Keep it up!
When you write your next post, I recommend you writing it on MS Word and then copy and paste it on this forum. This will improve the quality of your post. Secondly, divide your post in multiple paragraphs.
You have explained your problem about delegation. You also have written that the long-serving employee is clinging to her job and not transferring that part of her duties to you. Though we do not know what is going on in her mind, it can be surmised that if that part of the work is removed, her very existence could come under question. The second surmise could be that if she gives up this task, then she might be required something new which she is not prepared to do that. The third surmise could be that she perceives that you have high take-off level. She could be thinking that your high grasping power could give you more visibility. By the way, does she have good command over English?
Your challenge is how to do the task, without antagonising the long-serving employee. For this, sometime I recommend you talking to MD but without the knowledge of that senior lady. Explain your challenge that you are still waiting to get the additional work. Let us see whether it works.
The second method is to find out who is close to MD but not close to this lady. Can that person transfer your message to MD? However, this has to be done with great caution. That person should not back stab you by disclosing your requirement to the lady.
In the meanwhile, just because of this senior lady, I recommend you not allowing your motivation level to go down. Whatever surplus time is at your disposal, utilise in improving knowledge of MS Word, MS Outlook etc. Learn keyboard shortcuts. Improve your grammar and vocabulary as well. For the job of receptionist, all this is quite essential.
All the best!
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
I think, it is an act of company power game.
1. Your boss might be thinking of replacing your colleague with you
2. Your colleague might we aware of boss's thought or having a fear that if she handover the work to you, she will become replaceable
3. By considering the seniority, none of the management guys might be in a position to tell your boss - it is time up to leave the job
The only workable solution is to talk to your boss without any fear and tell the truth without losing respect to your colleague.
You have to face it and also please note that this kind of resistance to change is quite reasonable.
You can do this
From India, Bangalore
1. Your boss might be thinking of replacing your colleague with you
2. Your colleague might we aware of boss's thought or having a fear that if she handover the work to you, she will become replaceable
3. By considering the seniority, none of the management guys might be in a position to tell your boss - it is time up to leave the job
The only workable solution is to talk to your boss without any fear and tell the truth without losing respect to your colleague.
You have to face it and also please note that this kind of resistance to change is quite reasonable.
You can do this
From India, Bangalore
Dear Dinesh,
Thank you so much for your suggestion. I will surely improve myself. This is a great forum where we can update our knowledge.
Talking about my issue, i really don't have anyone trustworthy whom i can rely up on. She has great experience in her field for which i respect her a lot. We are a small startup so we don't have much work to do right now. I find our management working really slow, as i have spoken about this issue with my HR Manager, but no response from her. May be she is also afraid of the anger because she is also a new employee.
I think i should suggest her to just tell my senior to use her powers and authority to make me work, and just lend all the extra work to me as i can be a loss to company if I am unable to perform my activities. What do you think will this reverse psychology work?
My senior has unable to complete her graduation which is why she couldn't improve her English and other skills (though it shouldn't be the reason not to have com skills!). May be because of that she might be feeling little insecure and i really don't want to make her feel inferior by any way.
Thanks again for your valuable suggestions and if nothing works i will surely take some strong action mean while i am learning new things which will eventually help this company's productivity.
From India, Mumbai
Thank you so much for your suggestion. I will surely improve myself. This is a great forum where we can update our knowledge.
Talking about my issue, i really don't have anyone trustworthy whom i can rely up on. She has great experience in her field for which i respect her a lot. We are a small startup so we don't have much work to do right now. I find our management working really slow, as i have spoken about this issue with my HR Manager, but no response from her. May be she is also afraid of the anger because she is also a new employee.
I think i should suggest her to just tell my senior to use her powers and authority to make me work, and just lend all the extra work to me as i can be a loss to company if I am unable to perform my activities. What do you think will this reverse psychology work?
My senior has unable to complete her graduation which is why she couldn't improve her English and other skills (though it shouldn't be the reason not to have com skills!). May be because of that she might be feeling little insecure and i really don't want to make her feel inferior by any way.
Thanks again for your valuable suggestions and if nothing works i will surely take some strong action mean while i am learning new things which will eventually help this company's productivity.
From India, Mumbai
Anuja,
If you report to HR Manager, then I recommend you writing the mail to her and tell her facts. Write in the mail, when MD told to transfer what type of duties and what is the status now. Your timely communication will lift burden off your shoulders. Once you send the mail then for non-implementation of the MD's orders, your manager will be responsible and not you.
Lastly, I request you to address seniors appropriately.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
If you report to HR Manager, then I recommend you writing the mail to her and tell her facts. Write in the mail, when MD told to transfer what type of duties and what is the status now. Your timely communication will lift burden off your shoulders. Once you send the mail then for non-implementation of the MD's orders, your manager will be responsible and not you.
Lastly, I request you to address seniors appropriately.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Dear Mr Dinesh Sir,
Thank you so much for your suggestion, we had a meeting regarding the same issue as many other employees were facing similar issue. One of my colleague who was closely working with her has also resigned due to non cooperative behavior.
The recent update is that my senior went for a long holiday and she had to handover work as it was necessary. My problem got solved and i also got some more responsibilities.
After analyzing this issue, i think Mr Consultme Sir has guessed it correct.
Thank you once again!
Regards,
Anuja
From India, Mumbai
Thank you so much for your suggestion, we had a meeting regarding the same issue as many other employees were facing similar issue. One of my colleague who was closely working with her has also resigned due to non cooperative behavior.
The recent update is that my senior went for a long holiday and she had to handover work as it was necessary. My problem got solved and i also got some more responsibilities.
After analyzing this issue, i think Mr Consultme Sir has guessed it correct.
Thank you once again!
Regards,
Anuja
From India, Mumbai
Community Support and Knowledge-base on business, career and organisational prospects and issues - Register and Log In to CiteHR and post your query, download formats and be part of a fostered community of professionals.
Delegation-the_ forgotten_mange ment_tool_220.p df
BM-Sept. issue highlight.zip
BM-Dec. issue highlight.doc