Can't see the forest for the trees

[mywayorcyway]

How do you work with employees who struggle to see the big picture and focus on unimportant details?

I have a co-worker who is a peer of mine. A lot of the work I have to do comes from her. The biggest (and really only) issue I have working with her is her inability to apply focus on areas where it is needed and to push aside the areas that don't. We're a small company and have limited resources, and I'm often being pulled in multiple directions due to her inability to realize that some things just aren't worth the time.

One recent example required complicated logic and a week's worth of my time for something I estimate will happen in 1 out of 50,000 attempts. The company is 25 years old and has not even performed 50,000 of these activities in its' history. If it does happen, nothing of benefit actually occurs aside from someone potentially receiving a sales email. Another recent example is arguing over reporting. A task force determined that some sales don't qualify for reporting. No problem, easy update. Then the co-worker in question got involved. She is adamant that every single sale must qualify, even if it means re-working everything. I'm talking 3,000 sales a year and this has happened five times since 2013. To re-work everything will mean altering a core part of our system. It will be a BIG undertaking, and there is a lot of risk involved. 8 people think this is frivolous....one thinks it is of the utmost importance. I'm talking weeks of work for something that happens less than once a year, out of 3,000. It is not related to compensation, it is simply for reporting and business guidance.

I've tried unsuccessfully to steer her away from these pointless detail oriented tasks. I've stated "I could work on (big project with immediate benefits) for a month or I could work on (useless detail task that provides no benefit) for that same month. Which would you prefer?" It's always the latter, she cannot be convinced.

I've never dealt with someone as extreme as this. Going to the higher ups isn't really an option, as it's a small business and there isn't much above us. We're expected to solve this stuff on our own. Any advice on how to deal with this, either helping me work with her on this issue or helping me remain sane?

 

[wxman1]

How do you work with employees who struggle to see the big picture and focus on unimportant details?

I have a co-worker who is a peer of mine. A lot of the work I have to do comes from her. The biggest (and really only) issue I have working with her is her inability to apply focus on areas where it is needed and to push aside the areas that don't. We're a small company and have limited resources, and I'm often being pulled in multiple directions due to her inability to realize that some things just aren't worth the time.

One recent example required complicated logic and a week's worth of my time for something I estimate will happen in 1 out of 50,000 attempts. The company is 25 years old and has not even performed 50,000 of these activities in its' history. If it does happen, nothing of benefit actually occurs aside from someone potentially receiving a sales email. Another recent example is arguing over reporting. A task force determined that some sales don't qualify for reporting. No problem, easy update. Then the co-worker in question got involved. She is adamant that every single sale must qualify, even if it means re-working everything. I'm talking 3,000 sales a year and this has happened five times since 2013. To re-work everything will mean altering a core part of our system. It will be a BIG undertaking, and there is a lot of risk involved. 8 people think this is frivolous....one thinks it is of the utmost importance. I'm talking weeks of work for something that happens less than once a year, out of 3,000. It is not related to compensation, it is simply for reporting and business guidance.

I've tried unsuccessfully to steer her away from these pointless detail oriented tasks. I've stated "I could work on (big project with immediate benefits) for a month or I could work on (useless detail task that provides no benefit) for that same month. Which would you prefer?" It's always the latter, she cannot be convinced.

I've never dealt with someone as extreme as this. Going to the higher ups isn't really an option, as it's a small business and there isn't much above us. We're expected to solve this stuff on our own. Any advice on how to deal with this, either helping me work with her on this issue or helping me remain sane?

That's a BS excuse to me (not saying you are full of it more of a lack of leadership). Your leadership regardless of size of company should always be there for you on stuff like this and if they agree it is frivolous etc. go to bat for you with her manager. Empowerment does not equal leaving you out to dry.

 

[Urbandale2013]

How do you work with employees who struggle to see the big picture and focus on unimportant details?

I have a co-worker who is a peer of mine. A lot of the work I have to do comes from her. The biggest (and really only) issue I have working with her is her inability to apply focus on areas where it is needed and to push aside the areas that don't. We're a small company and have limited resources, and I'm often being pulled in multiple directions due to her inability to realize that some things just aren't worth the time.

One recent example required complicated logic and a week's worth of my time for something I estimate will happen in 1 out of 50,000 attempts. The company is 25 years old and has not even performed 50,000 of these activities in its' history. If it does happen, nothing of benefit actually occurs aside from someone potentially receiving a sales email. Another recent example is arguing over reporting. A task force determined that some sales don't qualify for reporting. No problem, easy update. Then the co-worker in question got involved. She is adamant that every single sale must qualify, even if it means re-working everything. I'm talking 3,000 sales a year and this has happened five times since 2013. To re-work everything will mean altering a core part of our system. It will be a BIG undertaking, and there is a lot of risk involved. 8 people think this is frivolous....one thinks it is of the utmost importance. I'm talking weeks of work for something that happens less than once a year, out of 3,000. It is not related to compensation, it is simply for reporting and business guidance.

I've tried unsuccessfully to steer her away from these pointless detail oriented tasks. I've stated "I could work on (big project with immediate benefits) for a month or I could work on (useless detail task that provides no benefit) for that same month. Which would you prefer?" It's always the latter, she cannot be convinced.

I've never dealt with someone as extreme as this. Going to the higher ups isn't really an option, as it's a small business and there isn't much above us. We're expected to solve this stuff on our own. Any advice on how to deal with this, either helping me work with her on this issue or helping me remain sane?

Frankly I think there’s to many specifics needed. I will just say this. While I totally understand the idea behind not focusing on minute details to many people have no clue how stuff actually works which causes more issues. I say this from the financial perspective but details do matter. Maybe it’s as simple as coming up with better periodic fixes to appease.

 

[isufbcurt]

Fire her

 

[BCClone]

Unless she's getting busy with a higher up, explain how it will shut you down for four weeks and nothing else will get accomplished and turn a breakeven deal into a major loss. Manager should see it your way.

 

[Neptune78]

If nobody above can help, just tell her you're working on it, but focus on the value related work. Somethings always take longer than expected, if you know what I mean.

 

[BCClone]

Have her do the rework to fix what she wants. She will probably think its fine in a bit.

 

[Fitzy]

Perhaps keep a more detailed to-do list, organized by priority. Regiment it out so that once item 1 is addressed, you immediately move onto item 2, etc. You can "loop in" management so that it seems it's coming from them, and/or make the list yourself and pass it off as "this is what management wants."

 

[wxman1]

Perhaps keep a more detailed to-do list, organized by priority. Regiment it out so that once item 1 is addressed, you immediately move onto item 2, etc. You can "loop in" management so that it seems it's coming from them, and/or make the list yourself and pass it off as "this is what management wants."

Assuming this is in some kind of SW development or maintenance which is kind of what it sounds like some good program management values are needed here. You should be getting a to-do list so to speak and meeting with stakeholders (not just her) regularly to update progress, prioritize as a team and assign rough number of hours needed to work on each item to help in the decision making process. If she doesn't like the teams decisions that's on her.

 

[mywayorcyway]

Lots of good stuff in here already. Thanks, folks.

That's a BS excuse to me (not saying you are full of it more of a lack of leadership). Your leadership regardless of size of company should always be there for you on stuff like this and if they agree it is frivolous etc. go to bat for you with her manager. Empowerment does not equal leaving you out to dry.

You know what...you're right. I don't know that I've ever had the level of empowerment to simply say "I'm not doing this unless someone else agrees we need to do it", and I probably do have it, I've just never done it. Or simply taking it to the top from the beginning and asking their opinion.

Frankly I think there’s to many specifics needed. I will just say this. While I totally understand the idea behind not focusing on minute details to many people have no clue how stuff actually works which causes more issues. I say this from the financial perspective but details do matter. Maybe it’s as simple as coming up with better periodic fixes to appease.

I'm on board with details mattering, it's actually one of the favorite parts of my job. I know her job better than she knows mine, and explaining what it is going to take to do this stuff has never moved her position one bit.

Fire her

Not an option, also don't want her gone. I just want her to realize what is value-add and what isn't.

If nobody above can help, just tell her you're working on it, but focus on the value related work. Somethings always take longer than expected, if you know what I mean.

I've tried this approach. It blows up in my face weeks or months later.

Have her do the rework to fix what she wants. She will probably think its fine in a bit.

She's already doing the fixes manually. I can't believe it hasn't driven her insane. She's asking me to make her temporary fixes permanent, but no one else actually thinks anything is broken.

 

[aauummm]

I have a co-worker who is a peer of mine. A lot of the work I have to do comes from her.

Not quite understanding this. If she's your "peer" then she is your equal in the organization. So why is work coming from her to you? Or is this more a matter of work flow or process so that her responsibilities are in line before yours?

 

[Rabbuk]

If she's you equal let her do it by herself, if shes your boss well good luck

 

[mywayorcyway]

Not quite understanding this. If she's your "peer" then she is your equal in the organization. So why is work coming from her to you? Or is this more a matter of work flow or process?

She's in one department, I'm in another. I do projects to support the teams under her, and in other areas of the business.

 

[BCClone]

Lots of good stuff in here already. Thanks, folks.


You know what...you're right. I don't know that I've ever had the level of empowerment to simply say "I'm not doing this unless someone else agrees we need to do it", and I probably do have it, I've just never done it. Or simply taking it to the top from the beginning and asking their opinion.


I'm on board with details mattering, it's actually one of the favorite parts of my job. I know her job better than she knows mine, and explaining what it is going to take to do this stuff has never moved her position one bit.


Not an option, also don't want her gone. I just want her to realize what is value-add and what isn't.


I've tried this approach. It blows up in my face weeks or months later.


She's already doing the fixes manually. I can't believe it hasn't driven her insane. She's asking me to make her temporary fixes permanent, but no one else actually thinks anything is broken.

Get a bid from someone to do the fix. Present that and say that you do t have time to do it.

 

[JM4CY]

Am I only one who clicked on this thinking it was another thread to b*tch about or to cope with the game Saturday?

 

[SpokaneCY]

Fire her

Is this a Fu, Fire or Kill scenario?

 

[NWICY]

How do you work with employees who struggle to see the big picture and focus on unimportant details?

I have a co-worker who is a peer of mine. A lot of the work I have to do comes from her. The biggest (and really only) issue I have working with her is her inability to apply focus on areas where it is needed and to push aside the areas that don't. We're a small company and have limited resources, and I'm often being pulled in multiple directions due to her inability to realize that some things just aren't worth the time.

One recent example required complicated logic and a week's worth of my time for something I estimate will happen in 1 out of 50,000 attempts. The company is 25 years old and has not even performed 50,000 of these activities in its' history. If it does happen, nothing of benefit actually occurs aside from someone potentially receiving a sales email. Another recent example is arguing over reporting. A task force determined that some sales don't qualify for reporting. No problem, easy update. Then the co-worker in question got involved. She is adamant that every single sale must qualify, even if it means re-working everything. I'm talking 3,000 sales a year and this has happened five times since 2013. To re-work everything will mean altering a core part of our system. It will be a BIG undertaking, and there is a lot of risk involved. 8 people think this is frivolous....one thinks it is of the utmost importance. I'm talking weeks of work for something that happens less than once a year, out of 3,000. It is not related to compensation, it is simply for reporting and business guidance.

I've tried unsuccessfully to steer her away from these pointless detail oriented tasks. I've stated "I could work on (big project with immediate benefits) for a month or I could work on (useless detail task that provides no benefit) for that same month. Which would you prefer?" It's always the latter, she cannot be convinced.

I've never dealt with someone as extreme as this. Going to the higher ups isn't really an option, as it's a small business and there isn't much above us. We're expected to solve this stuff on our own. Any advice on how to deal with this, either helping me work with her on this issue or helping me remain sane?

Cut her brake lines . For real though whern she gets off on one of these tangents tell if it's so damn important do it yourself. Don't waste my time on this dimwitted projects. (might want to word that 2nd sentence in a more diplomatic tone.

 

[Remo Gaggi]

Would it be asking too much for you to supply a photo of the lady in question? It would be easier to render an opinion once I can see what she looks like.