Not helpful work environment. Advice?

March 8, 2013 4:02 PM

I work at this company for 1 year and 3 months so far. Team members are not helpful if I need help. Do you have any suggestions?

We have a team of 5 members including the manager.
-1 Manager
-1 Senior Analyst
-3 Junior Analyst

Whenever I need help, my colleagues (Junior Analyst) doesn't know the answer. The Senior Analyst has a "doesn't care/doesn't want to help" kind of personality and doesn't talk to anyone. So, we usually ask the manager for assistance.

Recently, I am not too happy because there are some things that I couldn't solve alone. The manager sometimes ask us to troubleshoot/analyze/figure things out on our own. Sometimes it is quite complex and out of my expertise area.

I worked at other organizations in the past and people were quite friendly and helpful. This is my first time in this kind of work environment where we rely heavily on our own. I am starting to hate this work environment and it feels like the norm is to do things by yourself even if it is wrong. Sometimes we don't have a lot of guidance and sometimes we do. Sometimes work is given to us without clear requirements and it's like a guessing game.

Should I find a new job? Or is it like this at every organization? I don't want to jump ship and realize it is the same at every company.

Thank you

posted by Mountain28 to work & money (4 answers total)

That's incredibly common in my experience, especially when requests for assistance come from perceived equals or "inferiors" (i.e. parallel or down on the org chart).

The most important thing is to get something defensible done on time. Often work is unclear because your supervisors don't really know what they want either, so there isn't necessary one right solution. Start thinking less about satisfying requirements and more about framing the question in a way that you can answer it with the tools you have (or minimal outside assistance).
posted by 2bucksplus at 4:16 PM on March 8

I think this all depends on what it is you analyze and what the industry norm is. This isn't a question that's answerable in general.

I think you are going to be hard-pressed to ever find a job that never has work without clear requirements and clear guidance. Are you (rather than your employer) being materially effected by the lack of guidance? In other words, do you think your job is in jeopardy, that you aren't being paid as much as you could with more guidance, or that your professional reputation is in danger because of the lack of management? That's really what matters here - not your job output; after all, you get (probably) paid the same regardless of how well/badly you do your job.

To be honest, I think that being able to work through complex problems by yourself is a sign of professionalism rather than a problem with the work environment. If you don't enjoy that sort of work, perhaps you should be looking at other jobs. It's no failing of yours, but you should realize that employers, in general, prefer workers that require no training or management. This is, of course, a fantasy on their part, but that doesn't change general perceptions of what to expect from a worker.
posted by saeculorum at 4:20 PM on March 8 [1 favorite]

I am a manager. I am not your manager.

>Sometimes it is quite complex and out of my expertise area.

Well, there's your problem. Seriously, I think you're on the right *track,* in that in the department structure you're describing, it's not uncommon for your peers to be no more able than you are (if you're kind of junior) to crack the tough cases, and your seniors to be too busy cracking the tough cases to be of as much use as you might like.

And if managers are good for anything, this is what they're supposed to be good for. I spend most of my time keeping the people I manage heading in the right direction. So if I hand someone something that they then consider "complex and out of their expertise area," I want them to come back to me for any guidance they need. Not, in most cases, their peers or even senior non-managers (with an exception I'm coming to in a bit), who are all hopefully busy with the tasks I gave *them.*

Now, here's the rub, and something you have to face up to honestly (at least with yourself):

Are you as good at your job as your peers, i.e. can you handle 80-90% of the tasks you're handed? If so, you need to fearlessly ask your manager for help when you need it. Don't be surprised if he or she then comes back to that senior analyst and says "Mountain28 needs help with this," or even "Hey, Bob, I think on second thought this case is for YOU."

You are then in a different position. You're not the one bugging the senior analyst - your manager is. And unless the SA is a special kind of stupid, he or she will not blow off the manager's request.

Now, if you're having to be shown the same stuff over and over again, you've got a different problem. You're either not good at your job or your organization is so bad at training or explaining stuff that you can't do your job effectively. Then it's time to either talk to your boss about how to fix this situation, or find another job. I don't know enough about your job or you to answer that one.

I know there's another approach to this where you try harder to make friends with the others, especially the senior analyst, and try to get more help. In a perfect world, this should happen, and part of management is maintaining the kind of morale and team spirit where it can happen. I haven't said much about that because you've already said the SA isn't helpful. But I will also say this - I work with people every day who are kind of strange, rude, and abrasive - but they still help, because deep down they know it's their job. Don't confuse bedside manner with unwillingness to answer a question. You don't have to be buddies to work with people.
posted by randomkeystrike at 5:12 AM on March 9 [1 favorite]

If I was in an environment where I was frequently given assignments that were either way outside my stated range of expertise (contrary to other advice here, struggling with being handed tasks that have nothing to do with why you were hired and expected to figure it all out by yourself does not mean that you are bad at your job) or unrealistic in their delivery timelines, and asking for help or feedback was discouraged to the point of ridiculousness, I would feel like I was being set up for failure and be looking for a new job immediately.

Your life is valuable, you dont have to spend it on ludicrous challenges just because the people above you are too busy to manage well.
posted by softlord at 12:01 PM on March 9