I got Millennial'ed at Work

[Zorba]

There is a girl at work that is less than one year out of school, she is working on an analysis of a system that I am the technical expert on. I was brought in to review her work and there were tons of mistakes, and it was clear she hadn't read any of the available technical documentation and hadn't engaged with anyone with relevant knowledge.

For the last few weeks I've been trying to give her guidance, very nicely, I have tried to walk her through how everything works, etc. But that whole time she has just been saying stuff like "Your wrong," "I don't think your [document] is correct," "I don't believe that would happen." With no evidence, data or logic to back herself up.

The latest item she has disagreed with me on, I have a ton of data that is black and white, the people giving me that data have a ton of experience and it is the official approved analysis. This isn't a judgement call at all, even her lead and another experienced guy in her group told her I was right.

So long story short, we have a meeting where she is still going on and on about how she doesn't "believe" this would happen, and I finally said that this was official released data, it was being provided by very senior guys, it is completely black and white, so the entire thing was not up for debate and it was just a stupid conversation to keep having. I had an annoyed tone in my voice, but I was not yelling.

After I said it was a stupid conversation, she slammed her computer closed, said "That is so offensive" and stormed out of the conference room. Now she has complained to her boss about, likely complained to HR and had to take today off to "cool down." Her complaint was that we didn't respect her knowledge and abilities because she is new and thought we could dictate to her just because we had more experience.

If she hadn't stormed out, this meeting wouldn't have even been contentious enough to remember in a month, nothing compared to a ton of meetings I've been in through my career.

TL;DR: Fresh from college girl, stormed out of meeting because she was offended after being dead wrong, fighting about it for days, ignoring all data, and finally being called on it. Complained to managers, HR and had to take a day off because I said something was "not up for debate and a stupid conversation to keep having." After she's been a bitch to me for weeks, and I've continued to play nice the whole time.

/rant

 

[IronWing]

Sounds like a problem her supervisor should have handled some time ago.

 

[Eug]

Not sure why people always blame this sort of stuff on millenials these days. Maybe it's just convenient. This type of stuff has happened for just about forever.

 

[smackababy]

Pics of coworker?

 

[Zorba]

Not sure why people always blame this sort of stuff on millenials these days. Maybe it's just convenient. This type of stuff has happened for just about forever.

I know it isn't just millenials. Heck I am a borderline millenial. I do think the taking it to management and HR happens a lot more with inexperienced people though. Older people are generally just bitchy or passive aggressive for a while until they get over it.

 

[Ajay]

Not sure why people always blame this sort of stuff on millenials these days. Maybe it's just convenient. This type of stuff has happened for just about forever.

Yup, fresh out of school, ready and willing to take on the world. We were all there once. Some ppl learn faster than others. Most don't even know how much space your giving them.

 

[cbrunny]

Sometimes people need to fail. As right as you are, OP, could have been handled in a different way where she fails and learns that way.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

There is a girl at work that is less than one year out of school, she is working on an analysis of a system that I am the technical expert on. I was brought in to review her work and there were tons of mistakes, and it was clear she hadn't read any of the available technical documentation and hadn't engaged with anyone with relevant knowledge.

For the last few weeks I've been trying to give her guidance, very nicely, I have tried to walk her through how everything works, etc. But that whole time she has just been saying stuff like "Your wrong," "I don't think your [document] is correct," "I don't believe that would happen." With no evidence, data or logic to back herself up.

The latest item she has disagreed with me on, I have a ton of data that is black and white, the people giving me that data have a ton of experience and it is the official approved analysis. This isn't a judgement call at all, even her lead and another experienced guy in her group told her I was right.

So long story short, we have a meeting where she is still going on and on about how she doesn't "believe" this would happen, and I finally said that this was official released data, it was being provided by very senior guys, it is completely black and white, so the entire thing was not up for debate and it was just a stupid conversation to keep having. I had an annoyed tone in my voice, but I was not yelling.

After I said it was a stupid conversation, she slammed her computer closed, said "That is so offensive" and stormed out of the conference room. Now she has complained to her boss about, likely complained to HR and had to take today off to "cool down." Her complaint was that we didn't respect her knowledge and abilities because she is new and thought we could dictate to her just because we had more experience.

If she hadn't stormed out, this meeting wouldn't have even been contentious enough to remember in a month, nothing compared to a ton of meetings I've been in through my career.

TL;DR: Fresh from college girl, stormed out of meeting because she was offended after being dead wrong, fighting about it for days, ignoring all data, and finally being called on it. Complained to managers, HR and had to take a day off because I said something was "not up for debate and a stupid conversation to keep having." After she's been a bitch to me for weeks, and I've continued to play nice the whole time.

/rant

Being wrong is offensive to Millenials, don't you know????

But seriously please tell me you guys are canning this dumb redacted. There is nothing more stupid than saying anything but "ok" and "you're right" to someone that is above you. How fucking stupid can you be?

Was she the one that called HR? Did she get a free day off without taking PTO/Vacation?

 

[crashtech]

Sometimes it's best to just get out of the way when someone is crashing and burning, instead of actively aiding the disaster.

 

[Eug]

I know it isn't just millenials. Heck I am a borderline millenial. I do think the taking it to management and HR happens a lot more with inexperienced people though. Older people are generally just bitchy or passive aggressive for a while until they get over it.

Not true at all. In one workplace I know of which I won't name or describe, the younger ones were just keeping their head down and working while the older ones were constantly going to talk to the higher ups. It really varies from workplace to workplace.

I was actually considering a leadership role at one place until I heard from others about all the strife. Looks like I dodged a bullet from what I hear. Even a 15% pay raise wouldn't have been worth all the headache.

 

[highland145]

Bwahahaha..there are vegetable picking jobs available...


eff her and her ilk.

 

[Zorba]

Sometimes it's best to just get out of the way when someone is crashing and burning, instead of actively aiding the disaster.

I agree, I should've just let her lead handle it and tried to move on in the meeting. But I'm also the technical sign off on the document and the issue at hand deals directly with safety, so I am not willing to just pass it through and let it blow up in her face latter.

That being said, I am in meetings weekly where people say things far worse than what I said, heck what she was saying to me in the meeting was far worse. In my list of top 50 contentious meeting this one wouldn't have even come close.

Note: Before the meeting I already thought it was handled since I personally saw her lead tell her I was right a couple of days earlier and I heard no more about it. I had no idea she was going to pull out the "you're wrong" card on the same subject again.

 

[crashtech]

I agree, I should've just let her lead handle it and tried to move on in the meeting. But I'm also the technical sign off on the document and the issue at hand deals directly with safety, so I am not willing to just pass it through and let it blow up in her face latter.

That being said, I am in meetings weekly where people say things far worse than what I said, heck what she was saying to me in the meeting was far worse. In my list of top 50 contentious meeting this one wouldn't have even come close.

Note: Before the meeting I already thought it was handled since I personally saw her lead tell her I was right a couple of days earlier and I heard no more about it. I had no idea she was going to pull out the "you're wrong" card on the same subject again.

Chalk it up to bad luck then, I guess. Without all the context of tone and body language ala fly-on-the-wall, it's anyone's guess what the subtext of this little incident was. There is something to be said about the way we have allowed the culture to encourage young people to feel good about themselves regardless of their achievements, but really, it's not their fault.*

*The cultural aspect is not their fault, but of course we all eventually become owners of our actions and competence level, or lack thereof.

 

[JackBurton]

lol, sounds like she should have been hired at McDonald's.

 

[MrDudeMan]

I agree, I should've just let her lead handle it and tried to move on in the meeting. But I'm also the technical sign off on the document and the issue at hand deals directly with safety, so I am not willing to just pass it through and let it blow up in her face latter.

That being said, I am in meetings weekly where people say things far worse than what I said, heck what she was saying to me in the meeting was far worse. In my list of top 50 contentious meeting this one wouldn't have even come close.

Note: Before the meeting I already thought it was handled since I personally saw her lead tell her I was right a couple of days earlier and I heard no more about it. I had no idea she was going to pull out the "you're wrong" card on the same subject again.

Can you be any more specific? I'm just curious what actually happened.

 

[madoka]

Well, that's what you get for not giving her a participation trophy.

 

[alcoholbob]

Pics of coworker?

Typical message board banter, and yet, so absolutely relevant. If she she's a looker, then you know exactly why management hired her

 

[Zorba]

Can you be any more specific? I'm just curious what actually happened.

I'm not going to be super specific, not really looking for advise or to be told I was right or wrong. I just couldn't believe someone stormed out of a meeting over being told that something isn't really debatable so it was a stupid conversation to keep having.

I've been in meeting that made grown men cry, I've seen people almost get into fist fights, I've been cussed out and yelled at more times than I can remember, but I've never seen someone storm out of meeting before. So someone being told a little rudely to move on from a subject they've been proven wrong on multiple times, by multiple people, doesn't really register as storm out level to me.

Note: It isn't debatable because it based on a lot of published documents, that are correct and have been validated with actual test data. The underlining data isn't going to change, so you have to use it, unless there is a major glaring flaw, which there isn't.

 

[Captante]

Pics of coworker?

 

[OutHouse]

Not sure why people always blame this sort of stuff on millenials these days. Maybe it's just convenient. This type of stuff has happened for just about forever.

true dat! Some genius at work brought in a older woman to be the new software testing supervisor...Hands down this should have been a internal hire only. we have very complicated systems. It takes years of working on this stuff to fully understand its behavior and dependencies. This woman was dumb and i dreaded any contact with her, hell i had to show her basic computer shit like select a different printer...

anyway we were neck deep in upgrading a nightmare reporting system and a lot of precise, detailed and through testing needed to be done. The Dev team lead was up doing his deal on the whiteboard and she has the gall to interrupt him and flat out told him he was wrong and she did not trust his plan. 20 people in the meeting didn't breathe. it quickly turned into an argument where the dev team lead grabbed a chair and while saying some very choice words about his position, ability and her lack of, he was slamming a chair up and down. she kept pressing him and before he chucked the chair at her we got both of them out of the room. she was fired a few weeks later and a tester who has been with us for 12 year and had a masters in computer science got hired. funny how all the customer visible bugs that the testors missed and poped up after a production update went away.

I had no idea how she got hired for that position. the amount of money she was paid for her job abilities was disgusting.


fun times, fun times.

 

[lxskllr]

I've worked 30 years in a small company, and on small teams. There's been people I haven't liked much, and more than a few dummies have come and gone, but my career has been virtually bullshit free. I've made less money than I otherwise could have, but money for bullshit is always a losing bargain afaic.

I got laid off during the recession, and thought I'd like to get into IT. The resumes I submitted(only one automated reponse due to my lack of official qualifications) the less I was sure I wanted to deal with office bullshit. I could have been a great help desk employee at a small company(was looking for a bottom end starter position), but I think I really dodged a bullet. Back in a small company, am outside, and a big fish in a small pond. Still no bullshit. Sorry for your lots OP

 

[sandorski]

She sounds very Presidential.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I agree, I should've just let her lead handle it and tried to move on in the meeting. But I'm also the technical sign off on the document and the issue at hand deals directly with safety, so I am not willing to just pass it through and let it blow up in her face latter.

That being said, I am in meetings weekly where people say things far worse than what I said, heck what she was saying to me in the meeting was far worse. In my list of top 50 contentious meeting this one wouldn't have even come close.

Note: Before the meeting I already thought it was handled since I personally saw her lead tell her I was right a couple of days earlier and I heard no more about it. I had no idea she was going to pull out the "you're wrong" card on the same subject again.

I am curious, did you at any time ask her to explain her position on the subject and why she thought what she thought?

 

[yhelothar]

Sounds like a case of confirmation bias to associate that behavior with Millennials. Do you honestly believe most Millennials behave like her at the workplace?

 

[gorcorps]

I certainly won't condone the actions of someone who acted like her, but the thought of "I just got millenialed" is why they start with a chip on their shoulder.