My old supervisor's 'don't ask questions' advice got me written up last Tuesday

My supervisor at the data entry center told me to just push through errors and never bother anyone for help. I followed her advice for three months and ended up sending 200 duplicate records to accounting. Has anyone else been burned by a 'just keep your head down' type of mentor?

2 comments

2 Comments

william8164d ago

I used to think "don't ask questions" advice was just about being tough and self sufficient. But your story really changed my mind. Pushing through errors for months just to get written up is a raw deal. A good mentor should help you learn when to speak up, not just hide in the corner. Sounds like your supervisor was covering her own back, not looking out for you.

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leo_mason4d ago

Huh, I don't know if I'd go that far. I mean yeah, getting written up sucks, but not asking questions is honestly fine advice for a lot of jobs. Some supervisors just want you to figure stuff out on your own, and that's not always a bad thing. It forces you to problem solve and stop leaning on people every five minutes. Not every boss is out to get you, some of them just have a different style of teaching. Maybe the guy just needed to pay more attention or look stuff up before bothering someone.