Tattletale at work

Anonymous

September 18,2021 at 3:18AM UTC

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Tattletale at work

One of my coworker, told her boss (my boss’s boss) that a specific task wasn’t done quick enough. Now she made both my boss and me look bad.

My boss is aware that I was swamp and got people to help me out with the task. It took a while for people to build this task into their daily routine, which explains why this ongoing task was completed slowly. And I explained all this to the tattletale.

This tattletale offered to help with the task, however, this is not her core area of work. She is always butting in when she thinks something should be done a certain way and strong-arm her boss to be on board. I don’t want to go against the directive of my boss’s boss and make my manager look bad. How should I handle this situation?

The tattletale is my director’s assistant, whom my boss, a manager also reports to the director.

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AnonymousSeptember 18,2021 at 4:33AM UTC
Don't do a thing. Don't.
You will be challenging her and she will be relentless in her management of you, your work and everything else attached to you and your boss.
AnonymousSeptember 18,2021 at 7:34AM UTC
Does this task impact this woman’s work? If so, this is a reasonable escalation.
AnonymousSeptember 18,2021 at 9:13AM UTC
No, this task does not impact this woman’s work
AnonymousSeptember 18,2021 at 7:44AM UTC
I’d like to offer an alternate view.
You clearly say that the task wasn’t done in the timeliness that was expected. You gave a reason that your calendar was over loaded. And, the migration plan was to have someone help with the task. It sounds like competing priorities are the reason for the blocker. (Using agile language.)
If this persons work is related and dependent upon yours, she is obligated to raise an issue with a task that is slow to be completed. That isn’t tattle tale. That is leadership. Observing potential blockers to work progress and raising issues… these are topics that all my teams discuss on a daily basis in meetings called “scrums.”
When the conversation shifts to one of “looking bad” and “saving face” that means that we are taking the feedback personally. It is hitting our ego. My recommendation is, don’t take it personally. Focus on the unit of work, not what is “being done to you.”
Hope that helps.
AnonymousSeptember 18,2021 at 9:24AM UTC
This person’s work is not dependent upon mine. My boss, a manager (who has the authority to make decisions) was getting this team of people to help out with this specific task. Yes, it took a while for this team to help out, however, it was a learning process that the team goes through and for them to get acclimated to helping out.
It appears to be okay for her to call out this task was slow, however, she herself is slow in other projects that I work with her in because she doesn’t want to do it. I don’t get why she couldn’t focus on completing her own task in a timely manner and stay in her own lane instead of calling out others.
AnonymousSeptember 18,2021 at 2:40PM UTC
She seems to be escalating your shortfalls and taking the focus off her own. Trust me, you don't want highlight any of the this. She is allowed, by her boss, who out ranks your boss, to bring up anything she wants. She is emboldened and feels very supported in her role. This is a power play that pays off for her.
AnonymousSeptember 18,2021 at 6:01PM UTC
I used to work in an environment where our tattle take - she called herself Office Mama- did nothing but run around acting busy.
For a year, she didn't work on a project. I started at the organization and it was my first. Long story short, it was successful, and management praised me.
So, she's angry at ME because she didn't get the love because she did nothing.
She became toxic, I ignored her. She'd gossip to others in my group and once had a meltdown because they asked me to lunch!!!
She's 60 years old.
So.... Some never grow up. Do YOUR best. Control YOUR path with management and karma will prevail
I was laid off from the organization due to Covid cutbacks. I am in a much better place and she's still with the company: stayed due to Seniority.
Good riddance to her, happy for me
AnonymousSeptember 19,2021 at 2:26AM UTC
I had someone who would tell her boss that I was mean to her. She claimed I would cancel meetings on a whim and not offer rescheduling. He went and complained to my manager. I provided documentation to the contrary. She got fired.