confused person at work
Aug. 18th, 2009 02:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
burntcopperRunning afoul of rules I didn't know about, and it doesn't help that new parent company is starting to get a lot stricter. problem being that we're not getting to know about said tightening until we do something that runs afoul of it, like non-work topic emails. And me being me, it seems I'm the person most likely to and thus get the telling off.
The latest one is... we work as a team. Or at least we used to. If you're not sure, you ask. Only it didn't used to matter *who* you asked. And at the section I'm in, everyone used to ask me, because I've been doing it the longest. Only now I've been told off for answering questions from the newer people (all of whom passed their probation) because 'they must ask the person in charge of their training it is very difficult to evaluate their work and plan their training if they are not approaching the correct individual'. I didn't even *know* people were still assigned to the person that was training them during probation. I didn't know training went beyond the 'this is how you do this', that it was formal now. And when I said I wasn't aware of this, that I never remember being told, I got a 'Yes, well you never listen.' (doesn't help that I'm from before the time of formal training, when you picked everything up in dribs and drabs) Since it is a wee bit difficult to remember something you didn't hear, have asked for all of the rules and so on (including the unwritten rules that I have no clue about which are apparently incredibly obvious to someone who worked at a more restrictive workplace previously) in writing so I have a copy.
Because of all this, I'm seriously confused and don't know if I'm getting it in the neck because I'm screwing up or getting it in the neck because I'm easy to get at. And starting to get paranoid that they're trying to push me out because I'm difficult. Someone advised me to set up a meeting. I don't *want* a meeting. I clam up during formal meetings where someone's telling me off and then I spend a good few minutes crying in the loos because I don't handle it well.
Just hoping that getting this lot in writing will at least give me an idea and somewhere to stand.
The latest one is... we work as a team. Or at least we used to. If you're not sure, you ask. Only it didn't used to matter *who* you asked. And at the section I'm in, everyone used to ask me, because I've been doing it the longest. Only now I've been told off for answering questions from the newer people (all of whom passed their probation) because 'they must ask the person in charge of their training it is very difficult to evaluate their work and plan their training if they are not approaching the correct individual'. I didn't even *know* people were still assigned to the person that was training them during probation. I didn't know training went beyond the 'this is how you do this', that it was formal now. And when I said I wasn't aware of this, that I never remember being told, I got a 'Yes, well you never listen.' (doesn't help that I'm from before the time of formal training, when you picked everything up in dribs and drabs) Since it is a wee bit difficult to remember something you didn't hear, have asked for all of the rules and so on (including the unwritten rules that I have no clue about which are apparently incredibly obvious to someone who worked at a more restrictive workplace previously) in writing so I have a copy.
Because of all this, I'm seriously confused and don't know if I'm getting it in the neck because I'm screwing up or getting it in the neck because I'm easy to get at. And starting to get paranoid that they're trying to push me out because I'm difficult. Someone advised me to set up a meeting. I don't *want* a meeting. I clam up during formal meetings where someone's telling me off and then I spend a good few minutes crying in the loos because I don't handle it well.
Just hoping that getting this lot in writing will at least give me an idea and somewhere to stand.
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no subject
Date: 2009-08-18 04:53 pm (UTC)I've worked places that they just assume knowledge, and have a go when you show a lack of, by saying that it was all told to you.
It could be that they are assuming you know everything they're on about, when it may never have been told to everyone, including you *shrug*
Either way, I'd just tread a little carefully around the specific accusers, as anything could set them off against you, again.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-18 02:07 pm (UTC)Seriously, that specific example in particular seems...really inefficient. What if the person they're supposed to be asking is in a meeting, or out sick? Does their entire progress just halt until they come back? Unless you're working with extremely sensitive information that as few people as possible are supposed to see, I can't imagine it's more disruptive to productivity for someone to simply ask the person who knows what's going on.
Is there someone immediately above you and sympathetic you can talk to? Asking for everything in writing seems like a good idea, "since I don't remember these things when I hear them, and it's easier for me to remember if I've got it there in front of me" or something, maybe adding in apologies if you've given the impression that you don't ~care~. If face-to-face is dangerous for you, maybe do it via email? That'll help keep the whole tone of the conversation a bit more casual; just be respectful and polite and you'll do fine.
Also ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-08-18 02:07 pm (UTC)Ugh. That's crap and weaselly blame-shifting.
If you have a manager and the procedures change, then it is part of their job to make sure that you know the new ground rules you're supposed to operate under: in writing and in advance.
A casual 'oh, things are a bit different now' in passing conversation *does* *not* *qualify* - because people at work generally have their minds on other things anyway; unless you want it to go in one ear and out of the other, you need to introduce procedural changes in an environment without distractions (such as a training room or similar).
Yes, I personally may have made snide comments about largely pointless bumpf when presented in previous jobs with The Operating Manual (version 9587291, revision C) - but it beats the hell out of the RMS Titanic iceberg-location method (carry on regardless until something goes crunch).
Your instincts are correct: get it in writing. You can point out with perfect justification that the shift in corporate culture and practice is not something that can be left to the peons to work out on a trial-and-error basis.
This situation was to a certain degree inevitable; as the most experienced person there, you've been functioning effectively as a team leader; so it's entirely understandable that a) newbies came to you for advice and b) you wanted to make sure that the team learnt the ropes as quickly as possible.
If the person you'd be having a meeting with is the same person who has said that you don't listen, I doubt that you'll get a fair reception anyway; it sounds as though you're getting it in the neck because there's been a breakdown in the chain of communication above you.
Think of it this way: in the lack of hard-and-fast procedure, you've been doing your level best for the team as a whole. You are perfectly willing to change your way of working as and when you are given clear direction; and if the corporate culture has changed significantly, then experienced hands like yourself are as much in need of retraining as the rookies are in need of training, so how about some?
no subject
Date: 2009-08-18 02:22 pm (UTC)Also, you are generally well within your rights to have someone accompany you into meetings, even if you aren't a union member. It may help bring to focus off you-personally and on to the issue at hand, which is no written guidance given. Do you guys have a union rep? if not, talk to Unite and/or Unison as they give advice to non-members as well.