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OK, a few things are important for you to realize here:
1. She is not really your co-worker-she is higher above you on the ladder, which means, you have to proceed carefully.
2. If your manager is social with this person outside work, it means your manager likes her and you should not dare to destroy this bond, it will backfire.
3. Your best strategy in the particular situation of helping with the party would be not do anything until you are directly approached, and if you are, smile sweetly and say "Gee, I would love to help but I have to take care of this and that so I am not able to be her earlier/stay late"
4. If she continues to volunteer you on other projects, just ask your boss what the priorities are, act like you want to help, be like "I am just confused as to what I should tackle first"
5. For your own sake, don't try to sabotage her, I dealt with someone like that and till she left, my life was miserable. Upper management likes this kind because these people appoint themselves as crusaders for the greater good of the company, the jacks of all trades who are ready to solve all the day to day operational issue that the big wigs are too busy to handle, so while not doing much work themselves, they are very good at finding those who can help and exploiting them, and they only act as go in between. We have someone else on staff now where he literally does nothing much but whenever a request comes up, he is the point person who takes it, and then finds someone else to do the actual job, the execs love him because he always has answers, I am OK with it because by nature, he is not an ******* like that other person. Yours sounds though like the one I dealt with before and it's a nightmare.
So I work in an office with a woman that is a manager in her department. But she is not my boss. She is a control freak and tries to be the "queen" of the office. You know the type: upper management loves her but in reality she is a passive agggressive control freak. Well she is friendly with my manager outside of work.
Today for the 3rd or 4th time she "volunteered" me to help with something that can't and don't want to do. The company is having a lunch next week for the employees. She told my boss she would love to help set up and pick up the food but she would be out the day before. Then I overhear her saying "Maybe Terri can help you". Um no. I work different hours then my manager and helping do this would mean I have to come in early and I can't. Nor do I want to go grocery shopping. How do I nip this in the bud? This isn't the first time and I'm tired of it. I want to say something but I feel it will cause waves.
I wish they would let me do that. I would spend the entire budget on Pop Tarts and marshmallow fluff. Last time they picked me for that job.
So I work in an office with a woman that is a manager in her department. But she is not my boss. She is a control freak and tries to be the "queen" of the office. You know the type: upper management loves her but in reality she is a passive agggressive control freak. Well she is friendly with my manager outside of work.
Today for the 3rd or 4th time she "volunteered" me to help with something that can't and don't want to do. The company is having a lunch next week for the employees. She told my boss she would love to help set up and pick up the food but she would be out the day before. Then I overhear her saying "Maybe Terri can help you". Um no. I work different hours then my manager and helping do this would mean I have to come in early and I can't. Nor do I want to go grocery shopping. How do I nip this in the bud? This isn't the first time and I'm tired of it. I want to say something but I feel it will cause waves.
When your boss tells you to do it, be a team player and do it, but explain to her that another project that she wants done will not be able to be done until a later date. Even if you don't need the time, withhold the hand-in date. Eventually she will learn that she can't volunteer you freely, there is a cost to her work getting done.
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