Tuesday, October 20, 2009
need to vent
so, at work I have been working over the past year to become somewhat of an expert in a certain field. Coworker A started working on this field a few years ago and was ahead of the crowd. In the past few years, I have worked hard to learn about this field, become professionally certified as an accredited professional and have been doing my own research, reading professional journals, and trying to give presentations to different organizations about this topic. Coworker B has also been doing this and we work together often. Recently, coworker A has been giving presentations on the subject, but has not really kept up her knowledge base over the years, hasn't gotten professionally accredited, and does not read journal articles. Coworker B and I have edited some of her papers and presentations and tried to kindly suggest she keep up her knowledge b/c we are constantly correcting her information. Part of me would like to let her fail and be recognized as not knowing her stuff, but when she goes out and makes presentations I feel that it reflects poorly on the office if she looks uninformed and stupid. So I'm torn, she's constantly asking coworker B and I about things that she should know, and should take initiative to learn and I feel like I can't confront her. I want to tell her off and tell her to stop taking credit for our knowledge- she'll take the info we give her and then go off and act like she discovered it herself and she's such an expert, when in reality she doesn't even understand the basics. It's so frustrating. I don't know how to solve the problem without being rude and refusing to help her, but at the same time I feel like I am going to explode and yell at her one day for being so selfish and rude. She always has the have the last word and look like the expert in the room, when often, she isn't and I feel like I may not get the respect I deserve for the work I've done. Ugh. It makes me super mad when I think about it, but I have no idea what to do. Tell the boss when I have my performance review next month? Then I feel like I'm acting like a cry baby. Otherwise I have no idea how to talk to her personally about it without ruining the professional relationship we have going now. Any suggestions?
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you could go the passive aggressive route (not that this is always the best way to go, but sometimes it works...) and next time she asks you for information, you can hand her a paper on which you have typed out a list of websites, journals, and other places where she can go to get the info. When she asks you or coworker b for info, you can say "I compiled this list of resources for you, so you don't have to trouble yourself by asking us anymore" or something like that. then she'll know you're on to her bs (and i think it gives you the upper hand). don't know if that helps...i've worked at so many jobs where someone else has taken the credit for my work, so i totally know how you feel!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, that helps. I'll have to see how things go from here. I want to just stomp my feet and tell her to do her own work, but I want to be professional too. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteSara had good advice! I was thinking of something very similar... something along the lines of handing her the journal and saying that you think the answer is in there but that you can't be sure because you already read it for yourself SEVERAL days/weeks/months ago.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I need to work on not being as nice/accommodating with her. I'm sure she'll get the drift if I pretty much tell her [in a nicer way] to find out for herself...and the problem is she's not so good w/ people disagreeing with her and she has to have the last word. So...this will get interesting.
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