Training a new employee who is inpatient

[Anonymous]

I am training a new employee. I could tell early on, she is someone with a Type A personality.

As soon as she sends me an email, she sends me an instant message to let me know she's sent me an email. For things that need to be taken care of right away, I usually respond promptly. For other things, my response time is a little slower (a day maybe) because I have my own workload in addition to training. However, the instant message in addition to the emails and all the "friendly reminders" is starting to drive me crazy. Thoughts on how to handle this?

[Anonymous]

in·pa·tient
?in?p?SH(?)nt/
noun
a patient who stays in a hospital while under treatment.

im·pa·tient
im?p?SH?nt/Submit
adjective
1. having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
"an impatient motorist blaring his horn"

2. restlessly eager.
"they are impatient for change"

Maybe this is why she feels the need to follow up so much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:in·pa·tient
?in?p?SH(?)nt/
noun
a patient who stays in a hospital while under treatment.

im·pa·tient
im?p?SH?nt/Submit
adjective
1. having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
"an impatient motorist blaring his horn"

2. restlessly eager.
"they are impatient for change"

Maybe this is why she feels the need to follow up so much?

Relax. Do typos cause you this much stress?

[Anonymous]

I'm type A, but I DO let people respond on their time. That type of impatience would drive me up the wall, so you have my sympathies, OP. I would let her know verbally that she doesn't need to send so many reminders. She's perhaps not so much type A as highly anxious, which is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm type A, but I DO let people respond on their time. That type of impatience would drive me up the wall, so you have my sympathies, OP. I would let her know verbally that she doesn't need to send so many reminders. She's perhaps not so much type A as highly anxious, which is different.

Agree. I would go as far as to bluntly say that you know what items take priority and you'll respond to her when appropriate so she needs to stop with the follow ups unless more than 24 hours (or whatever you think is appropriate) has passed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:in·pa·tient
?in?p?SH(?)nt/
noun
a patient who stays in a hospital while under treatment.

im·pa·tient
im?p?SH?nt/Submit
adjective
1. having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
"an impatient motorist blaring his horn"

2. restlessly eager.
"they are impatient for change"

Maybe this is why she feels the need to follow up so much?

Relax. Do typos cause you this much stress?

Not PP, but yes, obvious typos are a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:in·pa·tient
?in?p?SH(?)nt/
noun
a patient who stays in a hospital while under treatment.

im·pa·tient
im?p?SH?nt/Submit
adjective
1. having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
"an impatient motorist blaring his horn"

2. restlessly eager.
"they are impatient for change"

Maybe this is why she feels the need to follow up so much?

What an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm type A, but I DO let people respond on their time. That type of impatience would drive me up the wall, so you have my sympathies, OP. I would let her know verbally that she doesn't need to send so many reminders. She's perhaps not so much type A as highly anxious, which is different.

Agree. I would go as far as to bluntly say that you know what items take priority and you'll respond to her when appropriate so she needs to stop with the follow ups unless more than 24 hours (or whatever you think is appropriate) has passed.

+1. This. If it's less than 24 hours and she's already sent reminders that is quite frankly ridiculous (unless it's an urgent request).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am training a new employee. I could tell early on, she is someone with a Type A personality.

As soon as she sends me an email, she sends me an instant message to let me know she's sent me an email. For things that need to be taken care of right away, I usually respond promptly. For other things, my response time is a little slower (a day maybe) because I have my own workload in addition to training. However, the instant message in addition to the emails and all the "friendly reminders" is starting to drive me crazy. Thoughts on how to handle this?

OP, it's time to sit down with her and tell her to stop this. But before you do that, does she have a workload other than this training? One of the reasons she may be doing this (reminding and messaging you) is that she has nothing to do other than the training assignments.

I was in a training relationship with a not very good trainer at a federal agency that lasted for months. Other than meeting with her and being given random tasks by her, I had no work to do. It literally drove me crazy. Establish this woman's assignments and tasks.

So, meet with her.

"Do you have enough regular work to do, Larla?" Find out.

If she does, then tell her: "Larla, I want you to stop emailing me and messaging me when you finish assignments and following up your emails with instant messages. I cannot give you instant attention, and it's not appropriate for you to do that. Is that clear to you?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am training a new employee. I could tell early on, she is someone with a Type A personality.

As soon as she sends me an email, she sends me an instant message to let me know she's sent me an email. For things that need to be taken care of right away, I usually respond promptly. For other things, my response time is a little slower (a day maybe) because I have my own workload in addition to training. However, the instant message in addition to the emails and all the "friendly reminders" is starting to drive me crazy. Thoughts on how to handle this?

OP, it's time to sit down with her and tell her to stop this. But before you do that, does she have a workload other than this training? One of the reasons she may be doing this (reminding and messaging you) is that she has nothing to do other than the training assignments.

I was in a training relationship with a not very good trainer at a federal agency that lasted for months. Other than meeting with her and being given random tasks by her, I had no work to do. It literally drove me crazy. Establish this woman's assignments and tasks.

So, meet with her.

"Do you have enough regular work to do, Larla?" Find out.

If she does, then tell her: "Larla, I want you to stop emailing me and messaging me when you finish assignments and following up your emails with instant messages. I cannot give you instant attention, and it's not appropriate for you to do that. Is that clear to you?"

OP, print this out and follow it. Stop complaining and instead begin explaining.

[Anonymous]

She's bored. She needs more to do.

[Anonymous]

OP, do you acknowledge receiving the emails that you deem less urgent & will respond to at a later time? At my work, it is standard to acknowledge the email in a fashion such as, "Julie, I received your message requesting copies of 2016 filings. I will have those to you by 2pm Wed." Since you are also the trainer, you could include other useful information, "scanned copies of the filings are available in DM under the folder. . . or . . . Until I get you those copies, you can start entering the 2017 numbers"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am training a new employee. I could tell early on, she is someone with a Type A personality.

As soon as she sends me an email, she sends me an instant message to let me know she's sent me an email. For things that need to be taken care of right away, I usually respond promptly. For other things, my response time is a little slower (a day maybe) because I have my own workload in addition to training. However, the instant message in addition to the emails and all the "friendly reminders" is starting to drive me crazy. Thoughts on how to handle this?

OP, it's time to sit down with her and tell her to stop this. But before you do that, does she have a workload other than this training? One of the reasons she may be doing this (reminding and messaging you) is that she has nothing to do other than the training assignments.

I was in a training relationship with a not very good trainer at a federal agency that lasted for months. Other than meeting with her and being given random tasks by her, I had no work to do. It literally drove me crazy. Establish this woman's assignments and tasks.

So, meet with her.

"Do you have enough regular work to do, Larla?" Find out.

If she does, then tell her: "Larla, I want you to stop emailing me and messaging me when you finish assignments and following up your emails with instant messages. I cannot give you instant attention, and it's not appropriate for you to do that. Is that clear to you?"

Wow, the bold is way too direct & borderline rude for a first conversation about communication & expectations with a new employee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am training a new employee. I could tell early on, she is someone with a Type A personality.

As soon as she sends me an email, she sends me an instant message to let me know she's sent me an email. For things that need to be taken care of right away, I usually respond promptly. For other things, my response time is a little slower (a day maybe) because I have my own workload in addition to training. However, the instant message in addition to the emails and all the "friendly reminders" is starting to drive me crazy. Thoughts on how to handle this?

OP, it's time to sit down with her and tell her to stop this. But before you do that, does she have a workload other than this training? One of the reasons she may be doing this (reminding and messaging you) is that she has nothing to do other than the training assignments.

I was in a training relationship with a not very good trainer at a federal agency that lasted for months. Other than meeting with her and being given random tasks by her, I had no work to do. It literally drove me crazy. Establish this woman's assignments and tasks.

So, meet with her.

"Do you have enough regular work to do, Larla?" Find out.

If she does, then tell her: "Larla, I want you to stop emailing me and messaging me when you finish assignments and following up your emails with instant messages. I cannot give you instant attention, and it's not appropriate for you to do that. Is that clear to you?"

Wow, the bold is way too direct & borderline rude for a first conversation about communication & expectations with a new employee.

This is so condescending.

Is she from a different industry? In my work this type of "managing up" is critical to success.

[Anonymous]

Uh, suck it up and deal.