JT & Dale Talk Jobs: 'I don't want the boss to think I'm the problem'

Dear J.T. & Dale: I just joined a company and have to work with a woman who’s senior to me. She does great work, but I noticed that she takes a ton of sick days and has a lot of medical appointments. Our boss doesn’t seem to mind, and she definitely tries to make up the time, but it’s a challenge for me when I’m on deadline and need something from her and she’s not available. Should I bring this up with my boss? I don’t want the boss to think I’m the problem.

J.T.: Talk to your co-worker first. While it’s not her responsibility to tell you her personal situation, it is her responsibility to work with you effectively. Explain the problem with meeting deadlines and ask her if there’s a way to set up communication so that you can be on top of things on the days when she’s not available. Let her know that you just want to be as successful as possible and don’t want to create any additional work for her.

People are also reading… DALE: That should help, but if it doesn’t and your co-worker shows no concern about your situation, I agree that you should not shoulder the blame. How do you accomplish this without ratting out a colleague and, doing so, risk becoming a pariah? By being a great teammate. In your department meetings, let everyone know your focus is on meeting deadlines and that you’ll examine every shortcoming, not to assess blame but to get better as a team.

Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a career coach and the founder of the leading career site www.workitdaily.com. Dale Dauten is founder of The Innovators’ Lab and author of a novel about HR, “The Weary Optimist.” Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via email, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

Subscribe for just 23¢ per week Subscribe for just 23¢ per week Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Source: News Formal (newsformal.com)

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Dear Abby: Woman runs out of patience with boyfriend’s addictionDEAR ABBY: I have been with my boyfriend for five years. ... He has been a smoker since he was very young, and when we got together, he said he would like to quit. Well, it still hasn’t happened.
Source: njdotcom - 🏆 282. / 63 Read more »

Dear Abby: Travel plans complicated by boyfriend’s guilt tripDEAR ABBY: ... I was invited to take a trip with my daughter and my sisters to London next month for a week. (My boyfriend) doesn’t want me to go and won’t say why, other than he’s frustrated because he can’t travel abroad.
Source: njdotcom - 🏆 282. / 63 Read more »

Dear Care and Feeding: My In-Laws’ Views on Gender Are Driving Me MadHow can I get my in-laws to understand that I’m overjoyed to be having a girl?
Source: Slate - 🏆 716. / 51 Read more »

Opinion | Dear Auntie Deb, Don't Sell Us Out: Be the Voice That Has Long Been Silenced'In 2020, you wrote a letter in objection to the Willow Master Development plan. Yet, in 2021 you supported the project with President Biden after public pressure from Senator Lisa Murkoski.' She’s been a total disappointment.
Source: commondreams - 🏆 530. / 51 Read more »

Dear Leo, It's Hard to Be So Adoredsee what the stars have in store for you this week 💫⤵️ 🙏✨☀️
Source: TeenVogue - 🏆 481. / 51 Read more »

Astros’ Autism Awareness night is dear to Alex Bregman’s heartHis 9-year-old godson is the chief inspiration behind the third baseman’s philanthropic...
Source: HoustonChron - 🏆 609. / 51 Read more »