LurkerXX Posted November 26, 2012 Posted November 26, 2012 So competition is a part of work life, and certainly is in the ecology field, being highly desired, and in a period of slashed budgets. I am worker in a position where the higher up left, and the position has yet to be filled, if it will at all. So final approval of all decisions and other necessary things are being split between other higher ups, and my co-worker and I have more room for judgment calls and independent work than is usual for the role. Good and bad to that, in that there is communication issues, and underpaid for the work I am doing, and also less protection if a judgment call is particularly bad, in that it is not officially my role to be making some of the decisions I am making. Good in that I can quickly get this experience, even though it is a limited term job (temporary) that finishes once the bulk of the field work for this project is done. So my question is what to do about my coworker, who is overall, competent, who when gets frustrated by lack of leadership, then seems to want to boss me around. She gets frustrated when I don't do things the way she would, even if it is on tasks that allow a matter of preference. She'll find ways to make me look bad. She'll ask why it takes me so long to do this or that, when she knows I started the position two weeks earlier, and am not quite as far along in some projects. Always in front of the boss; she has a light mocking tone to her voice. I have been busting my ass to close that gap, and of course she saw that, and now it has become this petty race. I would much rather collaborate with co-workers and boss, but found that I need to follow her example, and bring up ideas directly with the boss's instead; she will often exclude me from important work conversations, and the only way I can be seen as having some initiative and at least half a brain is to go this route. It upsets her when I do this, but she never feels the need to discuss her ideas with me prior to trying to initiate them. Any suggestions on how to be more effective and visble in this environment.
plee61 Posted December 5, 2012 Posted December 5, 2012 Since it is a temp job and finishes once the project is done, don't be too worry about your co-worker. Avoide conflicts, try do things her way and when she realise you are not racing with her she will lose interest in you. If she is difficult to you, she would be difficult to someone else. So just don't get into her path (and do the wrong things like her). As far as you do your part and not into any sort of trouble, that is all you need and might get your temp job extended.
Author LurkerXX Posted December 6, 2012 Author Posted December 6, 2012 You are right. I have also been more communicative about my ideas, not pushy, just working them in here and there, with other coworkers/supervisors. All that said, I have tried taking the initiative on more tasks that she seemed to control with an iron fist, and she seems to be OK with it, so maybe she is just a perfectionist who can't let go ubless it seems obvious that I can do the task. We really do need to work together the best that we can, and it is for the best just to chalk it up to personality conflict! Oh, and also, I meant to say I started two weeks later than her.
Recommended Posts