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Dear
Annette,
I
am having some issues with a coworker who thinks I am there to do her job. How
do I tactfully tell her I have a job of my own to complete, and don't have time
for hers?
Thanks,
Nice
Guy
Dear Nice
Guy,
This
is an issue about People. And I don’t mean just people, I mean
People.
As I go about my daily
routines - salons, color consulting, wardrobe, appointments for my dog Dickie -
I travel with several hand-picked People. I have People to handle my schedule,
People to introduce me to men, even People to write my columns for me. I trust
my People and I pay them well. So I expect them to get along.
If a problem develops among
my People, I want to be the last to know about it. But if someone else tries to
take advantage of my People, a gift basket of Stilton cheese and salt cod is
usually enough to make them stand clear.
Your challenge is to be less
Nice yet keep your self-respect intact. If you don’t say something directly to
your coworker, she will not only continue to treat you as if you were one of her
People, but she will also by example encourage everyone else to do the same. You
can’t have that. You have Things to Do.
If you are firm, direct, yet
collegial, but you still get nowhere with your coworker, you can always ask your
boss to intervene. Whatever else can be said about bosses, they are great for
handling unfabulous situations because almost all of them want to protect their
People. If they don’t, they have to do more work themselves. It’s your boss who
sets your priorities and holds you to the results, not your coworker. So if you
must escalate, approach your boss diplomatically, describing the situation as
neutrally as you can. Your boss should diffuse it, in ways you and your coworker
might never even notice.
It seems as though your
coworker might need a job makeover. Don’t let her make you over too. After all,
you are one of your boss’s People.
Stay
fabulous,
Annette
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