I currently work as a security guard at a plastic film manufacturing site on Sundays for 12 hours. Since there’s no one working, my job is pretty easy. I don’t mark anyone coming in; I just monitor my post and patrol the facility. Document any readings on SCADA machines, then check that there are no leaks and that everything is secure.
So I was offered to work on the weekdays, when there are employees and trucks for deliveries, and activity in the facility.
When I arrived, sat down. I was thinking in my mind, “You know we are always very timid and not very assertive and introverted, how about we start acting confident this time?”
This is when I tell my supervisor, “I imagine some procedures I will know, not all but half, while I don’t know all of it, but I imagine it might be similar.”
Then out of nowhere, my supervisor’s demeanor changed, to being really angry at me, and telling me “ Procedures are Different! Doesn’t mean you know it all “Then, after that, I was left with the co-worker who would train me.
The next day, my manager, came to me extremely angry at me, for acting like a know it all, as if I didn’t need to know anything he told me.
I really don’t know how they are interpreting me that way?
Idk I provably would have just not said anything tbh
You start a new role and before you do anything or have any training, you tell your boss you already know most of it? That’s not assertive. Sure, you can state that you expect similarities but you need to humbly accept whatever training they deem necessary. Next time wait until after you’ve done the new role for a few days (or longer). It’s more of about cultural expectations and life experience being out of sync than an AH situation.
this, and you picked the wrong time and place to act ‘assertive’.
The problem with people who get a new task who say they likely already know it all is that they make assumptions and don’t pay enough attention to learn.
They need you to learn and do things by the book. If you think something is similar to something you already know, ask about the differences. At.most say that you hope your familiarity with similar procedures will help, and ask if they know those to point out differences. Be ready to listen. Assertiveness in learning is not saying you know it already, but actively asking questions to learn more.
I’d apologise for how you came across and emphasise you want to learn and listen.
Most people that start saying, I bet I know this or that, are usually people that think they know more than they do. The fact that you started talking about knowing stuff before you were even shown makes it seem that way. You should have waited until after the training to say, I already knew half of that stuff, before jumping in at the beginning before anyone showed you anything, and saying, I already know half of the stuff before hand. Think of it this way.. what happened if you got thrown a curve ball and you found out that you actually only knew 25% of the stuff. Now your I bet I know half of the stuff was wrong and it now shows that you are arrogant in believing you know it all, because you were now proven wrong.
Yes, you are TA. That’s arrogant and disrespectful and really, you don’t know everything. So you accept training.
YTA. I suggest you go back to your boss and apologize. Explain that you meant you knew your way around the plant, where the entry/exit points were, etc. but that you needed to learn more about how the plant operates when it’s actually active. Ask if there are any procedures manuals or training to help you catch up.
I hear your intentions to be more assertive. There is a time and place to start that.
Words matter. I think your intention was to convey that there are many aspects to this shift you aren’t familiar with but others you are. I am sure the supervisor and trainer have dealt with many people over time that think they already know how to do everything, don’t pay attention and cause issues.
I would try to talk to your supervisor and apologize for and confusion. A better way to phrase this would be, I’m looking forward to learning how things work during the day when the factory is buzzing with activity.
Acting confidently does not mean you have to tell people how much you know.
Instead, use your knowledge to pick things up quickly, ask insightful questions, draw comparisons or examples from what you know to apply to the new situation.
Given your post history, I am absolutely certain this is not the issue in what happened here and you earnestly need to seek genuine help.
YTA – being assertive is not the same as being arrogant. From what you described you were being arrogant.