Annoying colleague(s)

[Kimi]

..

[stabber]

From what I've rea from your post, it seems that your new colleague is a down-right backstabber. Some people actually do that to achieve a promotion or look good and that makes you look 'ugly' or 'less-productive'.

Why not try speaking to your colleague as in to ascertain why he/she is doing that...?

[Guest]

There are those sort of people everywhere....what you need to do is to confront her once and she'll be a quiet mouse for good. I had a colleague who got angry at me and get nasty when her computer have a problem. one day I just said "Hei listen!! X@$$#@!!!!" After that she became quiet and now er are good friend. Some people just need little direct confrontation.

[Oriental]

Dear Kimi,

It is a bit difficult to give you advice as the information you provide is quite limited. We do not get any sense of the culture, norms or values that are prevalent at your workplace. That kind of information is very important as it will tell us something about the context in which your experience is taking place.

Coming form a Scandinavian country I have a lot of experience with organisations where continuous critique and discussions among employees and managers are thought to be a very good way to improve and get better results.

Now, If it is customary at you workplace for colleagues to help one another to improve their skills by actively correcting and guiding each other, it may be a quite sensible that the manager is being informed about errors and corrections as it is the manager who eventually has to make judgement about how to improve the system in order for all to be more productive and efficient. In this light your colleague is just doing her duty. And in fact, you should do the same.

On the other hand, it may also be that your colleague is just trying to undermine your position in the company.

Either way, I would advice you to have a serious talk with your colleague as to determine if her action is of deliberate ill intent. You may also ask your manager to clarify if mistakes and corrections are to be reported.

[Kimi]

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[ksl]

*sigh* same colleague actually.
To make it short, I have this dodgy feeling she is trying to push me around but in a very subtle way which is typical Japanese way and I'm the only non-Japanese in the team *sigh*.
What would you do in that kind of situation?
I don't reckon in the Japanese way, they fancy being confronted directly as Oriental suggested.
To be honest, this colleague will most likely give me this dumb look, blink heaps of times quickly, and say,"Me?"
Arrggghhh I wish she just shouted so I can shout back

Ask her politely if you could have a word with her in private, then ask her, what her problem is, if she says i have know problem, then just put it bluntly, if she back stabs you again, you will rearrange her looks, with a yossa hughes kiss.

[cinder]

As long as I know, Japanese dont appreciate frankness. Another thing is that new comer and 'outsider' definitely need to prove themselves (through a period of time) before being accepted as one of them.

I think you have to bear this for the time being - pointing out her mistakes to your superior will only make you look worse in your superior's eyes. Explain what was really happening to your job in a way that you look like sorry about it and will work harder and harder to do better. Sounds like a jerk, I know, but in the end of day it will gain their trust and once you got it, they will listen to you.

Anyway, that's only my two cent It was based on my own experience working for Japanese construction company with Japanese colleagues and superiors (but not in Japan itself tho..)

[Steve Austin]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your difficulties. You should just take one of them office chairs and smash them over the head with.......they'll never ever behave this way again! For good measure, you could shove a few ten dollar bills in their mouths, since that's what they use the most(er their mouths...not the dolar notes!)

But on a more serious note, its better to let them know rather than to suffer in silence. I mean if you have to suffer at least let it be known and who knows, they might feel gui;ty and chnage their behaviour. Anyway, hope hings work out for you. God bless.



Steve