Whats the right way to train and teach your sub ordinates and at the same time not lose your importance?

Question

I have been training a New comer in my office. I am teaching her all the jobs and it so happens that now, in my absence, other people are taking data, information from her which used to be given only by me before. Where have I gone wrong ? What should my strategy be ?

Answer 1

If you want to think about strategy, let's consider two different organizations. One that operates based on the concerns you seem to have and one that operates more like Geta has described.

If I have understood your questions and details, it seems you are concerned about a new employee who has demonstrated some initiative and others in the office who are pro-actively seeking the information they need to do their jobs. From this I suppose the strategies you are pondering need to address dealing with co-workers who show initiative and ability as well as how to control the flow of information. Let's look at the two extremes for strategically dealing with each of these issues.

If you have responsibility for a co-worker who shows initiative and ability, one extreme strategy (the low road) would be to do everything in your power to hide or undermine that person's contribution to the organization. The other extreme (the high road) would be to do everything in your power to capitalize on and promote that person's contributions. In the first strategic example, consider how effective an organization would be if everyone were trying to hide and undermine everyone else's contributions. Is this the kind of organization you would want to work for? Now consider how effective an organziation would be if everyone were trying to help one another do the best job possible by finding and using the best everyone had to offer. Wouldn't this be a high achieving organization and a great place to work?

When it comes to access to information, one extreme strategy (the low road) would be for everyone to protect the information under their control and not share it with anyone else. Again, think about how effective this kind of organization would be and whether that would be a good working environment. At the other extreme (the high road), consider an organization where all the information was open and freely accessible to everyone (unless it was confidential or sensitive). How much easier would it be for work to be accomplished in this latter workplace? Wouldn't this be a much better atmosphere to work in than one where information is protected and hoarded?

It is possible for people to make themselves and their contributions to an organization appear better by restraining the contributions of others around them. And, it is also possible to wield considerable power in an organization if you control and limit access to important information. But, these are, without a doubt, only effective strategies in the short-run. Eventually, the cream of employees will rise to the top or go somewhere else. And, people will find the information they need to do their jobs in other ways and from other sources if one source becomes too burdensome to deal with.

In reality, the strategies people adopt and organizations operate under fall somewhere along the continuum of the low road and high road extremes described above. The better employees and organizations obviously will be predonimated by those following the higher road. And, if we all wait for everyone else to get on the higher road then we'll all be travelling the low road for a long time. Taking the lead by getting on the high road has some risks because those on the low road may try to pull you back. But, in the long run you will be happier for your efforts because the organizations you work for will be better for it.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Do the best job you can do and always strive to make others look better. Sounds counter-intuitive, but if you have the attitude of trying to make your boss and your co-workers look good, then they'll all be loyal and supportive to you.

Your boss obviously trusted you enough to train this new person, so you must be doing your job well.

Who knows, this new girl may eventually be your boss, but that may be more about her and less about you. If you just do the best job you can every day and don't step on other people to do it, you'll do well.

Answer 3

You have gone wrong no where. You just stated you have been absent and I am sure the work needs to get done, so this new trainee has been aggressive enough to step into your shoes. When you return to work you advise the staff to begin submitting that work to you again. This is not about strategy, but self-preservation especially if he/she has eyes on your position. Which in my opinion they do. Why else take on this responsibility.

Answer 4

I don't see your problem you have co-workers that actually work in your absence and get along as a team. They should be rewarded with an office get together or at least a nice meeting you should be proud of your training efforts..