Mrs. Puff, you're fired!

[blas]

Has anyone else seen that episode of Spongebob? I feel odd how a cartoon relates to my job, but that episode hit a nerve with me.

In that episode, a guy comes to evaluate Mrs. Puff (the local driving teacher), and lets her know that if Spongebob fails one more time, she's fired. Spongebob is the only student she has ever failed, but has failed him several times. This evaluater appears to be some kind of advocate for students. Now, I didn't see the entire episode (I had to shower), but the beginning infuriated me.

I'm kind of like Mrs. Puff. I'm a teacher, in some ways. I'm a trainer. With the exception of Naughty Boy, who was fired for behavior issues, the only student I have "failed" multiple times is DipShit. No one really evaluates the trainers, we just get feedback from trainees and others, but a couple of people (that one room runner from one of my threads, for example) are being DipShit advocates, and basically insinuating that it's MY fault DipShit hasn't learned anything and have accused me of purposely refusing to let him progress to the next level.

Why does it piss me off? I believe it's not my fault. Fortunately, the greater majority of employees and above all, my boss, believe in me and understand that I've tried everything I can. Other trainers have been trying to assure me that some people really are untrainable and that there is nothing else I can do.

I'm sure there are some of you on here who train people. It may not be your title, but you may be responsible for training. Can anyone please help convince me further than it ISN'T me? Anyone who's been reading this DipShit posts regularly...anyone who can relate to me.....

[wagegoth]

I've never been an official trainer, but I've done training on specific software programs systems.

I document everything, including comments by the trainee, tone of voice and attitude. I've made a real point of being friendly with my supervisors (not friends, just friendly), and very honest, so they feel they can trust what I tell them. Also, I'm old and not as attractive anymore (I used to have the same problem you do now), which helps.

I'm also a fairly skilled mimic (not the exact voice but the tone and accent) and I took some drama classes in high school and community college. I have ended up kind of doing skits of training sessions with people. Yes, it sounds weird, but it's kind of like acting out what you can't videotape. So I entertainingly show them how this person is a psycho hosebeast who will never get the simplest instruction, and OMG how did this person ever get in the front door, and they're laughing the whole time. It's a gift.

I then ask them to please have someone else work with the person to make sure it isn't just me, I feel that the person isn't trainable, but maybe someone else can click with the trainee, etc. Get DipShit off your trainee schedule. Saying that maybe DipShit and you just aren't a good match isn't necessarily a bad mark for you, depending on who you talk to about it and how you phrase it, point out how many other people you've trained, then ask that maybe a more senior trainer (maybe suggest someone that's been bitching about you and saying they could do the job better with DipShit) should take over.

Sometimes, it's best to give people exactly what they ask for.

[powerboy]

Blas, it is certainly is not you. It is all DipShit. Whenever I trained someone on something, and they couldn't learn it; then I would just tell the sups about it. I wish for your sanity, that he will be gone; when you go back in.

[blas]

I'd love to pawn him off to one of those who appear to think it's all my fault. I did say that to the one room runner. Actually, what I really said was "If you feel that passionately about him, maybe you should take it up with the boss and we can arrange for someone else, perhaps you, to guide him." and he backed off.

It's not senior trainers who are bugging me. It's people who used to be trainers and now have a massive ego trip 24/7. It's a war between trainers and room runners.

But hell....I just want my boss to keep his word. I am going to be way too busy these coming weeks to keep training this guy. They just had another job fair and the temp agency is still bringing in boatloads every week.

And also...I guess if in the end it comes out to be my "fault", I could always demote myself so I'd never be in that kind of position again.

Edit to add: Boss has already said if it's me that DipShit as a problem with, that's just "too bad", he'll just have to deal with me. So they aren't going to move him around or put him anywhere else. I don't think my boss has a lot of tolerance for disrespectful people.

[Hotfoot]

I did tech training at a hospital not too long ago. I'm a substitute in training to become a full time teacher.

It's not you.

Look, bottom line, you can't teach everyone. I've had to come to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to fail students. It's a fact of life. There will be times I can't do anything to help a student, for whatever reason. When I was in the hospital, I had a trainee who could not use a keyboard. I'll clarify. When she pressed a key, she kept it held down for no less than five seconds. When I told her to just quickly tap it, that was only three seconds. I had to have another trainer over her shoulder instead of helping everyone in the class just so I could complete the session (I burned ten minutes out of a two hour session getting her logged into windows....).

From what I've read about Dipshit, he is just exactly that. Anyone who wants to blame you for this probably has some other ax to grind and is using this as an excuse, or is a freaking moron. Dipshit amazes me. I don't know what to think of him, but through willful ignorance he has failed to perform even the most simple tasks. I'd be willing to be the temp agency has been dragging their heels because they don't want to try and find this jackass a new position.

I'm sure there's a whole slew of drama that goes behind his entire story by the way, but at the end of the day, you aren't obligated to give a damn. He's a grown adult, and he is responsible for his actions.

Just remember, at the end of this all, when he's finally canned, you can always think of saying, "Oh, I'm sorry, but it's not me, it's you."

[Meadhands]

Jeez, at my first job we trained a new girl for a month - a month - and in the end she still couldn't handle simple ringing up of items at the register. Eventually, the boss just had to fire her.

The sad thing is, she has worked as a cashier at the local movie theater before that, but for some reason just couldn't get the hang of OUR registers. I never will understand that...

Oh, and yeah, it is not your fault... I mean, I trained this girl, who ALREADY HAD experience and she STILL failed... some people just cannot succeed, or need more time then others to succeed.

[blas]

Thanks guys, I feel a lot better.

I'm really hoping that this is the end of the road.....I don't know what else I can do and I don't know how much more of this stress I can take. I can't believe he hasn't been fired yet.

[Rapscallion]

I can't believe he hasn't been fired yet.

Probably because your boss doesn't have to try and train him.

Rapscallion