Annoyed by super ambitious coworker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d say she and I are probably the star performers on our team. We have different strengths but I notice that she is ambitious and competent although very very competitive.

I was feeling pretty good about my career progress until I discovered that she is several steps ahead of me in getting noticed and developing influence. Our team recently started using Asana and while we were all figuring it out and learning to use it, she jumps in and decides to be the Asana expert. Now she is creating templates and boards for everyone. And our boss is eating it up.

I’m so annoyed!! I don’t want to use her templates as I make great templates on my own!

You can only control you. Quit your whining or do something about it but it sounds like you have already been eclipsed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So just start using your own great templates and let people see them. Go be an expert in a different program. Don't worry about tracy Flick.

This reference is EVERYTHING!! LOVE IT!

[Anonymous]

Spend your time being good at something that she is not doing or not doing well. There's no point in making marginal improvements to Asana templates or chasing after other administrative "wins." Be good at something that really matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of competing with her, collaborate. I did this and we ended up having a blast working together. And we both got recognition!

Yeah, unless Tracy Flick steals your ideas and makes it look like you're riding her coat tails.

Better would be to identify what the bosses want, i.e, improve profitability or efficiencies. And then focus on those things.

[Anonymous]

get gud scrub. L2P

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of competing with her, collaborate. I did this and we ended up having a blast working together. And we both got recognition!

Yeah! Teamwork!!

[Anonymous]

Is she so competitive with you that she posts about you on message boards?

[Anonymous]

If I was being judged on my Asana template capabilities I would find a new job. Any idiot can watch a few YouTube videos and handle this.

Just remember a few years after retire then next generation isn’t going to remember you or your coworker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She’s going places whether you like it or not. Your best bet is to make friends with her and hope she takes you along.

Wise advice

+1. If you want to go far in most fields you will need a network. If she’s going to be successful she will be a good person to be friends with. Not even just from a “take you with her” angle, but being friends with high powered people generally opens doors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh, I have a coworker like this but choose not to compete. She works 16h days, I work 7.5. She gets more recognition and praise, I don't mind. We get paid the same.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[Anonymous]

Get a professional makeover - new wardrobe, hairstyle, etiquette lessons. Dazzle them with the new you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d say she and I are probably the star performers on our team. We have different strengths but I notice that she is ambitious and competent although very very competitive.

I was feeling pretty good about my career progress until I discovered that she is several steps ahead of me in getting noticed and developing influence. Our team recently started using Asana and while we were all figuring it out and learning to use it, she jumps in and decides to be the Asana expert. Now she is creating templates and boards for everyone. And our boss is eating it up.

I’m so annoyed!! I don’t want to use her templates as I make great templates on my own!

Your second paragraph contradicts your initial statement, which apparently is wrong. You are not the star performer at all, not even close it seems. Just accept it for what it is and see what you can learn from this woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh, I have a coworker like this but choose not to compete. She works 16h days, I work 7.5. She gets more recognition and praise, I don't mind. We get paid the same.

…for now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Work harder and do something exceptional to make yourself stand out. Don’t let someone else’s drive and success keep you from developing your own. This is not an either/or situation.

Op here. I have a lot of projects I am working on, so my brain capital is spend trying to do the best job I can in those. She seems to not have much actual work so she keeps creating work for herself and doing work that others don’t have time to do as they’re busy. She is also in my bosses ear and has become her second in command as she probably has much more free time to do extra stuff that I don’t.

Is this actually true or simply your perception based on jealousy? If it is true then you already have a huge leg up on her

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d say she and I are probably the star performers on our team. We have different strengths but I notice that she is ambitious and competent although very very competitive.

I was feeling pretty good about my career progress until I discovered that she is several steps ahead of me in getting noticed and developing influence. Our team recently started using Asana and while we were all figuring it out and learning to use it, she jumps in and decides to be the Asana expert. Now she is creating templates and boards for everyone. And our boss is eating it up.

I’m so annoyed!! I don’t want to use her templates as I make great templates on my own!

Adjective choice says more about the person making the description than the person being described. Sounds like you are the competitive one - you no longer feel good about your career progress because you are comparing yourself to her? So weird to me. Your career progress should not be diminished by another’s progress.

Taking initiative to become an expert on something everyone is learning and has to use and then sharing templates to help others sounds collaborative to me, not competitive. Sounds like it was something you could have done, but didn’t and now you’re annoyed at yourself.