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Question
How do you tell a cooworker that their way is not the only way of doing things?
I have a co worker training me and she is telling me how she does things which is fine I need to learn. But she acts as though her way is the only way to do it. For instance the capital vs. lower case punctuation, I am told how to write words in emails. I have been in an office environment for over 16 years, I know what to write in an email to be effective in getting a reply, as well as where to use punctuation. Every thing she does is remarked with "well I do it this way", that's fine but it's not the only way of doing it as far as I'm concerned. Also this office has paperwork for everything dating back to 2000, the problem is they don't do electronic storage of records everything down to emails is printed and filed away in the abyss of storage file cabinets. This is a sales rep agency and certain things need to be kept for a long time but why do I have to have my work area subjected to there standard of mountain high paperwork. I need a clean work area in order to function properly.
5 months ago - 5 answers
Best Answer
Chosen by Asker
You agreed to work there, that's how they run their business, don't like it leave,..period.
by Nickname
5 months ago
Asker's Rating: 
Other Answers
Please accept my recommendations as a possible solution to your problem: First, You go and learn WHAT they are doing, and WHY. At first, you are just a silent SPONGE, absorbing information. Once you fully understand why they are doing things a certain way, THEN and ONLY then are you able to make recommendations for improvement. (Make lots of notes as you note things that can be improved, modernized, etc. DO NOT discuss these with your trainer at the time she is showing you things. In fact, the TRAINER might not even be the right person to be talking to!!!!!!! You might need to be discussing improvements and such with higher level managers. If the Trainer IS the higher manager, then like I said...Listen, take in infomation, formulate a plan and strategy about how to recommend inprovements.) Second: If this lady is training you, and she trains you on things like... "And now, whenever we start to write a sentence, the first letter of the word is always in Capital letters...... Then you have every right to go to the people who hired you and say " I was hired on the basis that I have almost 20 years of top level experience, plus a masters degree...and your "trainer" is training me on grade one grammar!!!!!!" Its possible that the Trainer was just shoved into the role, and doesn't really understand HOW to train people. She thinks that if she doesn't teach you grade one grammar, she will be in trouble!!!! Finally: If its a case where your trainer is insisting that someone's email address is DaveBrown@CompanyX.com and this addess MUST be typed exactly like this because she has only been typing it this way for 5 years....... Well guess what.....pick your battles more wisely. You know very well that internet addresses can be typed in all lowercase letters at any time... Dont waste even a second even talking to this lady about it. When you are doing YOUR work later, just set it up in your email directory as davebrown@companyx.com SIMPLE stuff!!!! Why get off on the wrong foot by insisting to your trainer, who might have been with the company 20 years that she is wrong; it doesn't really have to be typed with the capital letters, you know better...etc..... You are going to be known as MISS LA DEE DA know it all, and your trainer will be expressing her views of you to everyone else. JUST CHILL OUT :) As Bill Clinton says. I have read the answers below. A a general rule, I moderately disagree, or completely disagree with their suggestions...Esp lady's. I have been in senior management and have also worked in lots of places where I created change. I have learned by trial and error what works and what doesn't.
by zanthus100- 5 months ago
well you can just say...mhhmm well maby it would be better if we did it this way ,. or say hey wait lets try it this way it might be better..or be ful out and say im sorry but i personally think that there this way of doing it to ( give an example )
by Kristie S- 5 months ago
There is no nice way to tell her to back off... If she is your superior, it's time to look for a new job. If she is just an equal just ignore her way of doing things.
by Merri Tan- 5 months ago
Don't ask. Just do it the way you want to do it. Chances are noone will notice anyway. Plus it's sometimes easier to apologize later than to ask in the first place. You can always use the excuse "I'm sorry. I'm new and I didn't know any better."
by LadyLu002- 5 months ago