I know how to do my job. If something should come up, pertaining to it, and I am not sure how to tackle it, I take it upon myself to figure it out. After all, it is MY responsibility. What is not my responsibility, is figuring out your job. This is where I butt heads with my coworkers.
I don't mind helping people. But when I am constantly interrupted because my coworker(s) encounter something they don't know how to do or are just nervous about doing themselves, they come to me. Now maybe this appears to be a good thing. Obviously they think I have the knowledge to deal with whatever it is they need to resolve. But when it comes in the way of my pile of jobs, I get frustrated.
During my busy time, I can have anywhere from 6 to 16 jobs running at a time. These jobs are usually at various stages of completion. Brochures, newsletters, letterhead, business cards...and more. It is my job to juggle these things. And I actually do quite well.
Here's my beef: Christian, non-profit organizations
They seem to be run so poorly. They should be run like a business. However, the ones I and others I know have encountered are horrible. Because these organizations employ Christian people, coworkers seem to think that everyone is there to help them with their job. Now, it is nice to help each other, but you should know how to do your job. When I say "no, I can't help you with that", they look at me in awe. Like the answer should always be "yes" and I am going against God's unwritten "yes" rule. I am juggling my own work load and rarely have time to pick up the pieces.
The things I am asked to do are simple, but seem to be never ending. Like today for instance. I was asked to follow instructions to go online and download an up-to-date Microsoft program. I could do this no problem. But this is the job of the front desk personnel. BUT, the front desk personnel is nervous about doing it. So she asked if I would. When I told her that I wasn't sure when I'd be able to find the time to do it between the 12 jobs I have on the go, I could almost see the terror in her face. Terror? Yes actual terror.
In my opinion, she needs to find a job that has less to do with technology. If you are that scared of it...you need to resign so someone with the proper qualifications can replace you.
Thankfully I will be going on maternity leave soon, and wont have to deal with these situations much longer. Although, I wouldn't put it past them to call me at times to ask how to do something or to ask me to come in to help. This is where caller ID will be my life-saver. My husband doesn't have a job at the moment and I am worried about finances, but I am perfectly willing to forfeit cable to avoid anymore frustrations from coworkers.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
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2 comments:
It's tough to reason with people who think being a kind and pleasant person is the only prerequisite for keeping their job.
On the plus side, as you mention, I have no doubt that most people in your office revere you as a heroic figure.
Possibly you should consider what kinds of paeans are most often requested of you, and see if management can hire someone ELSE who actually has those skills. If nothing else, it might help them realize that some of your colleagues either need replacement or further training.
By "actually", I mean "also".
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