How To Deal With A Grumpy Assistant

Inc.com columnist Alison Green solutions questions on office and administration issues–everything from the best way to take care of a micromanaging boss to the best way to discuss to somebody in your workforce about physique odor.

My workforce’s administrative assistant, Olga, is extremely impatient, and expects me to rapidly full issues that I haven’t got any management over. For instance, I work typically together with her on finalizing the contracts for freelancers that we work with. She will create the contract and I’ll e-mail it to the freelancer, as I’m their most important contact for the group.

Freelancers produce other shoppers and will take a number of days to get again to us, however Olga is impatient. She will ask me if one thing has been returned to me just a few hours or sooner or later after I’ve despatched it out. I’ll say, “I understand that we need to have Fergus’s contract returned for him to be paid, but we just sent it to him on Friday and it’s now Monday. I am planning on following up with him later this week if he doesn’t return it.”

Her response to that is typically defensive, like, “Okay, but all he needs to do is sign it.” I perceive, however I’m not in the identical room with the contractor and I am unable to pressure them to finish a activity for us instantly!

This occurs not solely with contracts, however with many alternative duties. She will demand to know why somebody hasn’t responded to my e-mail, or why I have never completed a non-urgent activity she requested me to do solely an hour prior.

I feel that Olga is simply grumpy and is taking out different frustrations on me. I do not know what to do to cease being the goal of this, and though I inform her that I am unable to management what one other particular person does, the issue is not going away. It additionally feels awkward that though I’m senior to her, I’m additionally a lot youthful. What ought to I do?

Age does not matter right here! Olga is your workforce’s assistant, and you’ve got the authority to inform her the way you need these items to work. You simply should be clearer.

For instance, when Olga bugs you about freelancer contracts, say this: “In general, assume that it may take a few days or even a week to get freelancer contracts back, and sometimes longer. They have other clients and we’re not their only priority. Plus, we want peole to take the time to carefully read over contracts. If we rush them, it looks like we’re trying to push our terms on them without giving them time to think. I follow up if I haven’t heard back after a week, but please assume that I’m on it.”

Then if she does it once more, say, “Like I said before, I don’t expect it back by now. You often follow up on these quickly, but please don’t check back unless it’s been more than a week.”

If she asks why somebody hasn’t responded to your e-mail, say this: “I’m not concerned since it hasn’t been very long. Is there a particular reason you need this urgently?”

And maybe: “I’ve noticed that you often check in on items I’m waiting for from people, but I prefer to track these myself. If there’s something you need to hear back about and it’s been several days, feel free to check with me. But otherwise I prefer to manage this stuff on my own.”

If she asks why you have not completed a non-urgent activity from earlier that day (!), say this: “I’ve got a bunch of other priorities that I need to deal with first. Did I misunderstand the urgency?”

And if that retains taking place: “I’m on top of everything that’s on my plate. Going forwad, can you assume that if you’ve asked me for something, I’ll get it to you, and you don’t need to keep checking back with me? Of course, if it’s time-sensitive, please tell me that initially so that I know from the start and can prioritize it correctly.”

In different phrases, be calm, clear, and direct about the way you need her to deal with issues in a different way.

I do know that it is easy to really feel awkward about telling somebody older than you that you really want them to do one thing in a different way. But actually, age will not be presupposed to be a think about working relationships — expertise and authority and relative roles are what rely. You most likely don’t desire individuals altering how they take care of you based mostly solely in your age, proper? Same factor right here — do not do it to different individuals. Good luck!

Want to submit a query of your personal? Send it to alison@askamanager.org.