2. The “Can You Just Take Care of This Complicated Task for Me?” Person
Consider this scenario: A more senior colleague has a master’s degree in finance. But even though this person has decades of experience doing revenue projections and payroll management, he or she consistently sends you complicated Excel spreadsheets to “take care of.” If you’re interested in doing this kind of work, that might sound great. The only problem? These tasks are way above your pay grade—and this guy doesn’t seem to notice, or worse, care.
In this case, you might try tackling these advanced projects because you think they’ll impress your boss. And you might be right (unless you don’t do a great job). But if this colleague of yours left you all alone to do these things, you’ll spend a stupid amount of time trying to figure out how to get it done.
The Response
If this happens to you, and you are open to learning the process—don’t be afraid to respond with: “I’d love to help, but since you have a lot of expertise, would you be willing to show me the ropes?” While this task may be second nature to the person tossing it your way, it’s good to remind him that it’s not to you.
And, if you’re not at all interested in picking up that skill, you can say: “I unfortunately have no experience executing that type of task, so I don’t think I’d be the best person to help you with it.” It’s hard to argue with that line of reasoning.