“Which formatting file to choose when running this report?” Randy asked Clara who still has one more day to serve on her notice period.
After spending nearly two months, Randy received an offer to join a new company as the Finance Manager. Like most of the team leader would do, she tried to understand the process flow of the work, how the system application operates as well as the job scope of each of her team members. She got to know that Clara has tendered her resignation and tomorrow will be Clara’s last working day in this company. Randy didn’t have a chance to talk to Clara on her section of job scopes; reason being Randy’s boss, the Chief Financial Officer, Kenneth, has already assigned one of the team members, i.e. Jessie, to do the handover from Clara. So, Randy set her focus to learn on the urgent matters above all.
Today, Randy needed to run a report from the system and Jessie didn’t quite sure which format to choose from the long list shown in the system. Randy, with her work principle – to do things right in the first attempt – went straight to the right person, Clara, to get some clarification on this. Randy walked towards Clara’s work station, standing next to her, she asked Clara which format to choose in order to run the report right. Randy then shifted her position to stand behind Clara’s seat so that Randy can have a better view of Clara’s laptop screen and observe what Clara clicked or chose.
“I don’t like people standing behind me and talk to me from behind. Could you bring a chair instead?” Clara said that the next minute.
What?
Randy was caught speechless.
What kind of comment is this? I only need a straight forward answer to my question. Yet, I need to pull a chair to sit next to her, then only would she tell me? Who the hxll she think she is? If I remember it correctly, she holds the post of Accounts Executive. A resigned Accounts Executive, to be precised.
Randy had a quick analysis on the situation in her monkey mind.
She (Clara) has one more day of notice period to serve. Jessie still needs to pick up the handover tasks from her… Let me see if I have any more items that I needed Clara to advice upon. Oh yeah, two more subjects that I need her to tell me. Let me take this opportunity to clarify is her in one go. Fine, I’ll pull a chair then.
Without causing much drama in that situation, Randy quickly grabbed an unoccupied chair from the nearest work station, and wrote down a few notes while Clara gave her explanation by showing what to select or click in the accounting system, on her laptop.
“Thanks.” Once that less than one-minute conversation was done, Randy stood up and intended to head back to her office in the next second.
“Why were you the one asking this? Who’s in-charge of this report going forward?” Clara asked Randy.
“Huh?” Randy paused her body action of pushing the chair and returning it to the workstation earlier, for a moment.
What again?
“Who will be performing this job going forward?” Clara repeated her question.
“… That’d be Jessie.” Randy said.
“Then why would you ask? Shouldn’t she be the one?” Clara continued. “Just find it weird. To have Finance Manager come over and ask me this.”
And, why not? You have a pretty sickening mindset, do you know that?
“I need to run the report now.” Randy replied her without any facial expression.
“Then I won’t have to teach her (Jessie) again. Once I resigned, I’m not posting anymore transaction into the system.” Clara continued adding her decision, at her own will.
As long as you are still the employee of the company who draws a salary, you are still responsible to get the job done, even when you are serving for your notice period. What you are required to do or prepare at work, you have to get it done. Who are you to set your own rules?
Randy didn’t answer Clara but heading back to her office.
It’s a waste of time entertaining this person.
In just less than a week’s time after Randy joined the company, she already heard some negative feedback (gossips) on Clara from the colleagues. Randy just listened and took note about that; she didn’t add any comment as neither was she be present or involved in those past incidents that her new colleagues just mentioned over the lunch break conversation.
But now, with Randy’s first conversation and interaction with Clara, and hearing such demanding requests came from Clara, the Accounts Executive, to Randy, i.e. her newly joined Finance Manager, in person…
She (Clara) has some guts there or should I say she has attitude towards her colleague(s)?
Randy quickly ran the report from the system and submitted the task to Kenneth. Afterwards, Randy approached Jessie to understand how was the job handover progress go. There’s only one more day to ask or get Clara to guide Jessie.
“Well…” Jessie carried a smile with frown eye brows.
Urgh…that can’t be called a smile.
“What? She didn’t cooperate to teach you?” Randy needed further clarification from Jessie, so that she can give an appropriate order and work arrangement within the team, or to even discuss with Kenneth, if needed, before any issue ballooning up and becoming out of hand.
“She teaches a bit, here and there. Pretty brief…” Jessie let out a long sigh. “I am going to continue the handover learning from her now.” Jessie grabbed her chair and excused herself politely. It was already three p.m., i.e. the scheduled handover training she agreed with Clara.
“Okay. Anything, let me know, we find ways to solve it.” Randy assured Jessie.
Randy looked from the window from her office towards both Jessie and Clara.
If Clara reluctant to guide Jessie, then, worse case, we just pay a small fee to the external System Consultant to give the team a training; everyone learns from scratch then.
She searched for alternate solution to the potential issue they might face.
After two weeks of observations from the interaction and working atmosphere in the finance team, Randy grasped a little bit more about working patterns of the team that she was going to lead and work with.
Looks like some people put themselves at the pedestal for their long service in the company.
Not only Clara but the other two young women that hold the post of Accounts Assistant as well, were showing their attitude of being the pioneer team that have worked in the company longer than the rest of the finance team members. They were not willing to teach or share more information to the other team members.
Kenneth has already reshuffled the work and assigned some new scopes of work to both Jessie and the newly hired replacement post. Yet, these few pioneer people wasn’t giving their cooperation towards finance team’s objective(s).
“You look for it yourself.”
“That’s the report. You go understand it yourself.”
These were the common answers I heard from the team’s conversation and even received it myself from those two Accounts Assistants in my team when further information was sought from them. Randy noted such non-supportive attitude in them.
Who do you think you are? To even dare to tell your manager to look for the answer themselves? I think you need some work disciplines, ladies. Seems like you don’t know what your role and job responsibilities are.
With the findings found from her observations, Randy already has some planning work formed in her mind. She wasn’t the type that would allow or tolerate with such arrogant yet no teamwork-focus (no manner) person, especially within her team.
Thank goodness that Clara has left the company. Else, she would be part of my team. Perhaps, her leaving was a blessing in disguise to the us (the finance team).
There’s a pro and con of having an open-concept office. Although it encourages open discussion in the office, other colleague(s) could over-hear the conversation of other colleagues as well. Since she (Clara) thought of herself so highly and mighty, and not valuing her ‘reputation’ in the office, I won’t hesitate (and have no issue at all) to tell her nasty attitude to her face, openly, if she persists on showing her attitude at work that causes uncomfortable feelings to colleagues. That’s just the last option that I might take in letting her learning the lesson.
But as a manager, I am aware and I should take the proper route instead. First, to initiate a talk with my team member if any of their way of doing things causes an issue at work, 1-to-1, in a closed meeting room. Secondly, to involve Human Resource personnel in the same discussion. Lastly, to issue an official warning letter to the said team member. If still no avail, out he or she go. There’s a bunch of candidates that would like to have the opportunity to get the job and ready to do the job properly.
As for the two pioneer team members, I would call for a team meeting to align the work arrangement, deadline(s), and re-emphasise on the work coordination required among the team. If issue persists, I would further discuss with Kenneth if he wants to do something about it or get them replaced. I trust that he would go for the former.
No one is forever be hired or valued for their long service in a company. With the changes happened every day in the current corporate world, employee(s) could be laid off or an operation site could be shut down anytime based on a decision from the management team; irrespective of the job position one holds or how long one has worked in the company. Be it the one that holds the post of a Chief Executive Officer (top management level) or Operator (lower production team), he or she could be given 1-day notice and asked to leave immediately.
Randy learnt all these the hard way, through her past working experiences.
The simple life quotes, she kept in mind were:
– Nothing stays forever or unchanged. Change is a sure thing. So, try to adapt to change is one could do for themselves.
– Other than the regulations & requirements set by the authority of the country or the sort, no one is obliged to fulfil other’s wants and desires. Therefore, don’t try to show your attitude, especially at work. Every employee is hired to get the job done (as required by the company) with a salary (earn a living) in return; no one is here to please or make any individual happy.
You may try that at home or at your personal space. If you want to be people-pleasing and entertaining those desired to be pleased; well, that’s your choice.
In short, “GET LOST”.