an interesting dilemma...

[lawgrad91]

The Minion has just about pushed me over the edge. The B!tch sent an e-mail to me late this afternoon, copying my boss, asking me to "help her" process her data files. "Help her" means do it for her, especially in this case - it's not something she can do. Being a responsible person and on top of my job, I started processing her d@mn data files this morning. It was all I could do to NOT say something about not taking my orders from her. The response was a simple, "The files have been processing since early this morning."

My co-workers and I are fed up with The Minion. She comes into our lab and issues orders like she owns the place. She expects us to drop whatever we're doing and help her when she asks. She has actually started issuing orders to me when I'm literally in the middle of typing a sentence, and I'm not the only person she's done that to. When we don't immediately start helping her, she whines to her boss, who then gets on our boss. In fact, she got one of my co-workers in trouble because he didn't drop everything the instant she asked.

It seems to me like my boss shouldn't like someone other than him issuing orders to his employees, especially since she's somewhat deceptive when she does it. She tells people to do things, saying my boss said to do it, when he has not done so. I'm not sure why the heck he hasn't issued a cease and desist order for her, unless he's afraid of ticking off Pushy PI. I still say that it's not her place to order us around, and my boss shouldn't let her do so.

Okay, sending a hefty round of shin kicks and ending rant now...

Major pointy-toed shin kicks to the Minion and Pushy PI.

[DukieInKansas]

I have sharpened my pointy toed shoes and am aiming many shin kicks her way.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

AD, screw the shin kicks, simply tell her "I'm busy right now". Or, I'll get to it when I can, I have other priorities. And when she says "this is important", you can tell her "not to me!" After all, they are still paying you to do a job and it's not hers! Her crisis is not your priority! Have a great weekend!

[CathyCA]

How are those job applications going for you? I would be so ready to walk out of there.

You need to put Minion and Pushy PI on your ignore button.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Ozzie is right.. Dr. Phil likes to point out that "There are no victims --- only volunteers." We frequently train people how to treat us. It's time to gently remind her that you have your own job to do and that you're busy doing it.
Love, Ima

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Ozzie is right.. Dr. Phil likes to point out that "There are no victims --- only volunteers." We frequently train people how to treat us. It's time to gently remind her that you have your own job to do and that you're busy doing it.
Love, Ima

I have never used it myself, because my situation is totally different, but I have always liked the bureaucratic phrase

Your emergency is not my emergency.

In fact, as a salesman, their emergency is my emergency! I own their emergency. It's my opportunity to earn a customer (and make some money!) So it's a totally different situation. I'd tell the Minion to stuff it!

[windsor]

Although she deserves it, I wouldn't tell her where to go...not while you need to be employed. What works better is making asking you for help more trouble than it is worth. Sour the milk, as it where. Agree to assist. Then ask questions (yes, even ones you know the answer to) the best kind are clarification questions that require an answer from her. "I was in the middle of blah blah when you asked me to stop and do this, and I don't recall if you wanted it this way or that way. Please let me know so I can take care of this for you." Do not proceed one step further until you get the answer. Be slow, be annoying...and communicate how much of your time she's taking. Send your useless boss an e-mail and tell him that xyz might be delayed because Minion needs you to abc for her...even if there is no chance xyz will be delayed (if what you were working on isn't for your boss e-mail who ever is responsible for it and tell them.

[DukePA]

Although she deserves it, I wouldn't tell her where to go...not while you need to be employed. What works better is making asking you for help more trouble than it is worth. Sour the milk, as it where. Agree to assist. Then ask questions (yes, even ones you know the answer to) the best kind are clarification questions that require an answer from her. "I was in the middle of blah blah when you asked me to stop and do this, and I don't recall if you wanted it this way or that way. Please let me know so I can take care of this for you." Do not proceed one step further until you get the answer. Be slow, be annoying...and communicate how much of your time she's taking. Send your useless boss an e-mail and tell him that xyz might be delayed because Minion needs you to abc for her...even if there is no chance xyz will be delayed (if what you were working on isn't for your boss e-mail who ever is responsible for it and tell them.

Brilliant strategy! I love it!

[Lavabe]

Although she deserves it, I wouldn't tell her where to go...not while you need to be employed. What works better is making asking you for help more trouble than it is worth. Sour the milk, as it where. Agree to assist. Then ask questions (yes, even ones you know the answer to) the best kind are clarification questions that require an answer from her. "I was in the middle of blah blah when you asked me to stop and do this, and I don't recall if you wanted it this way or that way. Please let me know so I can take care of this for you." Do not proceed one step further until you get the answer. Be slow, be annoying...and communicate how much of your time she's taking. Send your useless boss an e-mail and tell him that xyz might be delayed because Minion needs you to abc for her...even if there is no chance xyz will be delayed (if what you were working on isn't for your boss e-mail who ever is responsible for it and tell them.

The first line is especially important.

[lawgrad91]

Although she deserves it, I wouldn't tell her where to go...not while you need to be employed. What works better is making asking you for help more trouble than it is worth. Sour the milk, as it where. Agree to assist. Then ask questions (yes, even ones you know the answer to) the best kind are clarification questions that require an answer from her. "I was in the middle of blah blah when you asked me to stop and do this, and I don't recall if you wanted it this way or that way. Please let me know so I can take care of this for you." Do not proceed one step further until you get the answer. Be slow, be annoying...and communicate how much of your time she's taking. Send your useless boss an e-mail and tell him that xyz might be delayed because Minion needs you to abc for her...even if there is no chance xyz will be delayed (if what you were working on isn't for your boss e-mail who ever is responsible for it and tell them.

[DevilAlumna]

Although she deserves it, I wouldn't tell her where to go...not while you need to be employed. What works better is making asking you for help more trouble than it is worth. Sour the milk, as it where. Agree to assist. Then ask questions (yes, even ones you know the answer to) the best kind are clarification questions that require an answer from her. "I was in the middle of blah blah when you asked me to stop and do this, and I don't recall if you wanted it this way or that way. Please let me know so I can take care of this for you." Do not proceed one step further until you get the answer. Be slow, be annoying...and communicate how much of your time she's taking. Send your useless boss an e-mail and tell him that xyz might be delayed because Minion needs you to abc for her...even if there is no chance xyz will be delayed (if what you were working on isn't for your boss e-mail who ever is responsible for it and tell them.

Windsor, you're brilliant.

[ArkieDukie]

Although she deserves it, I wouldn't tell her where to go...not while you need to be employed. What works better is making asking you for help more trouble than it is worth. Sour the milk, as it where. Agree to assist. Then ask questions (yes, even ones you know the answer to) the best kind are clarification questions that require an answer from her. "I was in the middle of blah blah when you asked me to stop and do this, and I don't recall if you wanted it this way or that way. Please let me know so I can take care of this for you." Do not proceed one step further until you get the answer. Be slow, be annoying...and communicate how much of your time she's taking. Send your useless boss an e-mail and tell him that xyz might be delayed because Minion needs you to abc for her...even if there is no chance xyz will be delayed (if what you were working on isn't for your boss e-mail who ever is responsible for it and tell them.

Great idea, Windsor. Thanks!

[ArkieDukie]

How are those job applications going for you? I would be so ready to walk out of there.

You need to put Minion and Pushy PI on your ignore button.

Still in a holding pattern on the job apps. Hopefully something will come through soon.

And, yes, I do need to ignore them. They make it difficult. I need to get better at letting it roll off.

[ArkieDukie]

Ozzie is right.. Dr. Phil likes to point out that "There are no victims --- only volunteers." We frequently train people how to treat us. It's time to gently remind her that you have your own job to do and that you're busy doing it.
Love, Ima

Thanks, Ima! You're right, as always. Unfortunately my boss enables her, which puts my colleagues and I in a difficult position. She immediately reports to him (or her boss) if we don't jump when she says froggie. It doesn't matter what we're doing. She has even pulled people out of the lunch room when she needs something. She knows when we eat lunch, and she invariably shows up as we're leaving for lunch. So, the option is to help her or have her tattle, knowing that our boss will take her side. Not a fun situation.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

She knows when we eat lunch, and she invariably shows up as we're leaving for lunch. So, the option is to help her or have her tattle, knowing that our boss will take her side. Not a fun situation.

Just once, for the fun of it, tell her to "fuck off" and see what happens. OK, wait till you have a job offer in hand before you do it, but you got to do it at least once ... ;)

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

She knows when we eat lunch, and she invariably shows up as we're leaving for lunch. So, the option is to help her or have her tattle, knowing that our boss will take her side. Not a fun situation.

Just once, for the fun of it, tell her to "fuck off" and see what happens. OK, wait till you have a job offer in hand before you do it, but you got to do it at least once ... ;)

Love, Ima

[ArkieDukie]

Although she deserves it, I wouldn't tell her where to go...not while you need to be employed. What works better is making asking you for help more trouble than it is worth. Sour the milk, as it where. Agree to assist. Then ask questions (yes, even ones you know the answer to) the best kind are clarification questions that require an answer from her. "I was in the middle of blah blah when you asked me to stop and do this, and I don't recall if you wanted it this way or that way. Please let me know so I can take care of this for you." Do not proceed one step further until you get the answer. Be slow, be annoying...and communicate how much of your time she's taking. Send your useless boss an e-mail and tell him that xyz might be delayed because Minion needs you to abc for her...even if there is no chance xyz will be delayed (if what you were working on isn't for your boss e-mail who ever is responsible for it and tell them.

Windsor, I would like to thank you again for your brilliant advice. I had the opportunity to use this particular tactic today, and I left work with a smile on my face. The Minion came in yesterday for her daily routine of issuing requests for people to "help" her. She came in when I was in the middle of a webinar and expected me to stop and help her. Fortunately I was listening on headphones, giving me a perfect excuse to ignore her rude, inconsiderate behavior. My coworker finally told her that I was in the middle of a webinar (which should've been obvious to her), so she said she'd come back later. "Later" turned out to be 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, when she came in and asked me to "help" her search one of her data files. Worth noting: the experiment that she performed was one in which she attached a small molecule to her protein (aka a chemical labeling experiment), and she wanted me to search for the resulting modification. I told her I would need some information before I could do it. She asked what I needed, and I said, "Well, for starters, I need to know what data file you're talking about." I then told her I would need the weight of the modification, and I would need a list of the amino acids that are modified. She said that last time I had "helped" her with that; I told her that I no longer have the necessary information, so she will need to provide it. At that point she went into the lab and started working. She left 1.5 hrs later without providing me with the necessary information. She still has not provided the information. As per windsor's suggestion, I may need to write a pre-emptive e-mail to my boss to tell him what's going on. I'm sure that she has whined to both my boss and her boss by now that I wouldn't "help" her.

Editorial rant: The truth is, she doesn't know the answer to the question I asked. If she did, she would've been able to provide it immediately. Sorry, Minion, but if you're going to do a chemical labeling experiment, you'd darn well better know the answer to such a basic question without making someone else "help" you. If you were a grad student, you'd be expected to spout the answer immediately in an oral exam. If not, you'd find yourself booted from the Ph.D. program.

The beauty of this story: her modification used to be in our database and was removed by our former bioinformatician. It needs to be re-added before I can proceed with the analysis she requested. I may have the information she wants written down somewhere, but I don't feel compelled to look for it. I can honestly say that I need the information from her in order to proceed. And, as I said, she should know this information. How does it look for her to confess to her boss that she doesn't know?

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

BEEEEEEEEYOOOOOOTEEEEEEEFULLLLL! ;)
Love! Ima

[lawgrad91]

Sweet!

[Lavabe]

In regards to windsor's advice: