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Subject:RE: Coworker who won't take no for an answer From:"Connie Giordano" <connie -at- therightwordz -dot- com> To:"'Blount, Patricia A'" <Patricia -dot- Blount -at- ca -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:15:53 -0400
Patricia,
It's the SME who is jeopardizing the project, not you. I would also find
someone in HR to discuss the matter with to make sure you are following
company policy, but if you've told him outright that you are not interested
(and it sounds as if you have), it's time to tell him that it's
inappropriate, and if he brings it up again, you will escalate... and then
follow through. Brilliance does not excuse harassment. It's terrible
situation to be in, and I hope you can find a resolution that doesn't damage
your ability to complete the project.
Good luck.
Connie P. Giordano
The Right Words
Communications & Information Design
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+connie=therightwordz -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+connie=therightwordz -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Blount, Patricia A
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 9:50 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Coworker who won't take no for an answer
Good morning, all,
I find myself in a precarious situation and wondered if you might advise
me...
I have a SME, a subject matter expert with review and sign-off
responsibility for a guide I'm writing. He is a gifted programmer, a
brilliant young guy probably in his late twenties. He's also very pushy.
Since the start of this project, he's suggested - more than once - that
I should bring my teenage sons to his favorite Saturday afternoon haunt,
a local hobby shop. At the risk of sounding full of myself, it is
embarrassingly obvious to me and to all of my cubicle neighbors that he
has a crush.
My sons have zero interest in this particular hobby and even if my boys
enjoyed the activity, we would NOT attend for that reason alone. I am
doing my best to discourage his attentions.
He will not let the matter drop. He presses and pushes and even went so
far as to call my mothering skills into question, suggesting that I am
doing my sons a disservice by not forcing them into the shop. It may end
up broadening their horizons and changing their lives.
I've tried the obvious solutions - excusing myself, running off to
meetings, picking up the telephone. I was even honest and told him
outright my sons think his hobby is pretty lame. This was yesterday,
after the tenth time he brought up the subject. He all but printed out
resumes for the four people who own the store, explaining that a public
defender, a published author, a former cop and a computer programmer are
not nerds.
Sigh.
I'm dangerously close to losing my temper with him, which prompts this
email to you. How can I shut him up without jeopardizing this project?
Thank you all.
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authors, developers, and policy writers. Download a FREE trial. http://www.componentone.com/DocToHelp/
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
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