<p>There is a person above me who routinely says she will get her work in on time and then fails to do so…which slows down the process. She also does things in ways that I feel are not using time well and I often disagree with how she runs things.</p>
<p>How do I approach her and improve things without creating a bigger problem?</p>
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<p>There are many personality types in a work setting. The most important thing to understand is that different people will work differently and sometimes there isn’t a “right way” and a “wrong way.” It might be best for you work as a team to smooth out the process if there is a bottleneck. Do you use any project management tools?</p>
<p>I’m struck by your comment “how do I approach her and improve things”…how are the deadlines set? How is work assigned? Do you all set your own deadlines, are deadlines set as a team, are you working the deadlines backward from a delivery date? Not really enough information in your post to pinpoint any suggestions.</p>
<p>As an example…I can’t stand to do things at the last minute. I never studied the night before a final when I was in college…couldn’t stand that pressure and I know I drove my housemates crazy wandering around during finals or watching TV…but now everyday I work with people who can’t do things early…they need the pressure of a deadline to produce and we all need to be sensitive to different workstyles. People are different and generally outcomes are “better” if the team can work through the personality difference through tweaking the system rather than one person being confrontational with another person.</p>
<p>The deadlines are preset by our client so we all know what the date is. I find myself waiting for her input which is required to complete my work and she is late all the time…yet we still have to get the product out by the set date.</p>
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<p>But she’s your supervisor. Her opinions hold more sway, and your job is not to judge her, but to work with her for ultimate success of everyone. I suggest you try to look at it from a different perspective. Take the personalities out of it for a moment. You don’t know exactly why she’s behind on her deadlines (could even be that her supervisors are giving her things to do that you don’t even know about - that happens with me all the time). </p>
<p>Think of the goal and project. Then think of her as the quarterback, not as an obstacle. What can you do to help the team win? Making the team win and your supervisor look good is the real goal, just as much as the actual work goal. If you were her, what would you want you to do? Setting up a project time line, so all the parts function together? If you see her deadline looming, ask her if there’s anything you can do to help her if there are other things on her plate? Be her team member, not her antagonist or judge.</p>
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<p>If you want to approach this one on one…this is the good advice.</p>
<p>Does she have a supervisor?</p>
<p>You might also assume she is going to approve what you’ve done so far, so that you can continue to move forward even though she hasn’t yet approved it. That way, when she finally does, you’ll be that much more ahead.</p>
<p>Worst case, you will have wasted some time going down the wrong path but in my book, that’s better than sitting around doing nothing.</p>
<p>I understand. This can be maddening. However, as your superior, she can do anything she wants. You can make nice offers to help her, but at the end of the day, you’re powerless.</p>
<p>If it’s too awful, you’ll have to quit and go elsewhere.</p>
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<p>Anyone that goes this route needs to go with eyes absolutely wide open. It is the adult equivalent of tattling in today’s lean, team oriented offices.</p>
<p>Are you her boss or supervisor? If not, discuss this with them.</p>
<p>I was not implying that. Here is what we have found successful with a supervisor who was not performing. We ask the supervisor to meet to plan out the project. We take the responsibility to plan and schedule the meeting. We invite all stakeholders including both supervisors, lay out a plan with goals set and dates they are expected. At the end of the meeting someone distributes a brief outline of what was agreed to and we work from those dates. We have very short catch up meetings for progress reports. It seems to work for us. Even if the supervisor does not attend they get an e-mail that details the commitments made and the schedule.</p>
<p>I do not think it is wise or appropriate to go past your boss to their supervisor. You do have to figure out a way to get your boss to not create problems for you though.</p>
<p>I think very happys advice may be the most productive.
Do what you can, even if some of it may be discarded. Its better than sitting around.</p>
<p>You say she’s “above you” but you don’t say whether she’s your supervisor or whether she’s a colleague who outranks you but does not directly supervise you.</p>
<p>These are two different situations.</p>