Rant: Damnit, learn how to organize files

[JCShutout]

This isn't brain surgery. I've seen GRADE SCHOOL KIDS DO THIS.

Our company has an elaborate server where we keep all files. HUGE server. We can all access it. This temp is working on the marketing stuff for our company and the marketing packets are looking good.

I set up a folder in the marketing file on our sales drive for her to keep everything she's working on. That way, if her computer goes down, or she's sick and we can't get into her machine, we can access everything. I even saved the file into the folder for her, showing her where it should be AND writing down the file location (i.e. c:jcshutout/rants/dumbtemp.pdf) I even named the file with the "#1" at the end of the file name and say, "if you want to take the presentation in a different direction, you can "save as", and save it as "#2". Then we'll have both." All she has to do is hit "save", and it will save into the folder it should.

By the end of yesterday she's got the file on the server, and is working off a document she saved to her desktop. She also has the same document saved with two different file names (which shoulden't be), and when she took the presentation in another direction, saved OVER the old work instead of "saving as" a new file name. Pretty much the exact opposite of what she should do.

How an adult with an IQ over 43 can F this up this is beyond me, but I clean it up for her and tell her, almost verbatem, "keep it saved to X drive. Don't save it to your desktop.", and "don't "save as" a different file name unless you want to make a different presentation." I even SHOWED her how to "save as".

Today, SAME PROBLEM. HOW THE FACK ARE YOU THIS STUPID? WHAT IS PROMPTING YOU TO SAVE IT TO THE DESKTOP and create multiple files?

my... my God, it takes a 5th grader's education to keep this stuff organized... It... its just not that difficult, especially when your resume says you're proficient in windows. Proficient doesn't mean stupid moron. Normally I would think I'm teaching this poorly, but we're training a new receptionist who understands this. I was able to teach our old receptionist to be better at this.

I... I... how did this person survive evolution? How the hell did her ancestors not walk off a cliff or get eaten by a sabertooth tiger or something?

AND SHUT THE GOD DAMN [expletive] UP! I DON'T NEED YOU TO JUST START TALKING ABOUT EVERY LITTLE IDEA YOU HAVE ABOUT EVERY DAMN POWERPOINT SLIDE. THIS MAY SHOCK YOU, BUT I'M WORKING ON 6 OTHER THINGS, AND WHEN YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO EVERY SLIDE EVERY 4 MINUTES, I CAN'T GET AS MUCH DONE. HOW ARE YOU THIS UNAWARE OF THE WORLD AROUND YOU?

[stldogget05]

Shes probably really dense and has gotten quite used to saving here own work to her own personal desktop thus creating a habit that is very difficult to break.

[cardinalkarp]

Or she's just trying to piss you off after your little beef last week.

[JCShutout]

Shes probably really dense and has gotten quite used to saving here own work to her own personal desktop thus creating a habit that is very difficult to break.

But all she had to do was hit "ctrl s". Its just not that difficult.

Or she's just trying to piss you off after your little beef last week.

Heh. Maybe, but I doubt it. That might require too much brain power.

She finally started getting stuff done and, shock, used my ideas and, shock, the CEO likes it so far. When he talked with us though (just about direction) I was sure to mention more of my ideas out loud to ensure she coulden't take credit for them (again). We've actually been working well together other than the fact that I have to clean up after her organization-wise. She's very abstract and creative, but dense. I'm good at abstract reasoning, but I tend to emphasize production more.

I think she's the type of person you woulden't be shocked if they just walked into a wall or fell down a flight of stairs without noticing it. Its like, I know you're not a moron. If you just put a small amount of brainpower into staying organized, you'd be much more efficient, and still be pretty much just as creative. She is more creative than me, but my God, its... just not that difficult.

[docellis]

Maybe she just doesn't want you to have access to her stuff. Maybe it annoys her that you are telling her how to name her files and where to save them, and then it annoys her that you are going to check up on how she names her files and where she saves them.

[cardinalkarp]

JC, no offense but you do seem pretty bossy for someone who's not her boss.

I'm not sure I would like to be told how to do everything if it wasn't coming from my superior.

[JCShutout]

Actually she is reporting to me because my boss is out of town. I am her boss this week.

Additionally we're working together on this stuff, and I have to be able to access the file to put in my contribution. She keeps calling me over to look at stuff. I don't want to check on her, she just keeps calling me over to show me stuff. I keep telling her to just do it. I'm giving her the green light on everything, not "telling her how to do everything". All I've told her to do is "I like where you're going. Go with your instincts, and get me something this week"... and that you save it to the server in a somewhat organized manner. That's really not asking a lot and that's a lot of freedom, which is why the inability to do the easiest thing bugs me. I asked one thing a 5th grader could do, because if you don't do it, I'll get yelled at later.

Our drives got WAY too cluttered over the past few years and we've spent a lot of time cleaning them up. My boss was this anal with me about saving things the correct way when I got here. Its the way she wants it because its the easiest way to find stuff.You've got to keep the stuff we all need to access organized or else it takes forever to find anything, and you're never certain what is or isn't the most updated material.

[docellis]

Heh. Maybe, but I doubt it. That might require too much brain power.

She's very abstract and creative, but dense.

I think she's the type of person you woulden't be shocked if they just walked into a wall or fell down a flight of stairs without noticing it. Its like, I know you're not a moron. If you just put a small amount of brainpower into staying organized, you'd be much more efficient, and still be pretty much just as creative.

I have a feeling she isn't as stupid as you're making her out to be.

[JCShutout]

Heh. Maybe, but I doubt it. That might require too much brain power.

She's very abstract and creative, but dense.

I think she's the type of person you woulden't be shocked if they just walked into a wall or fell down a flight of stairs without noticing it. Its like, I know you're not a moron. If you just put a small amount of brainpower into staying organized, you'd be much more efficient, and still be pretty much just as creative.

I have a feeling she isn't as stupid as you're making her out to be.

No she's not. I'm ranting for one, and I have my tongue in cheek for two. Her intelligence and the simplicity of saving files is why I'm so frustrated. I know she's not a moron, so why is this difficult? I know you're smart, so why isn't this getting through? It isn't difficult for anyone else. She's very creative, but its just like the simplist things (not just this) confuse her.

And its not just me, the CEO had a talk with her about going straight to him, "Don't ever do that. You report to X, not me", as did my boss.

I'm actually pretty shocked that I'm getting some duff for this. I mean, I'm asking her to keep stuff that I need to access in a place where I can access it, in a manner which will prevent me from getting yelled at later, while giving her the thumbs up on every one of the 10,000 ideas she's told me about. All I ask is that we get something done (a rough draft, not even a final copy) by the CEO's timeline.

Is this really an anal boss? "Do whatever you think works, just let me do my job, and lets hit that timeline so I don't get yelled at".

[cardinalkarp]

If that's the case I would just tell her to start doing it right!