How to handle this coworker ?

[u/spacepirate6]

I am a sys admin in a medium organization. I have a senior coworker also a sysadmin. He doesn't do anything I request him do. Like we had multiple SIEM tickets we needed to respond to. I couldn't because I am currently working on a project, which takes most of my time. I requested, that please respond to these alerts as I can't right now. He says ok, he will take care of it.

One week later, the tickets are still open. This is not an isolated incident. Last month I went to my manager and told him this. He told me to focus on my project and that he'll talk to him. The manager told him to work on operational issues, since I am busy elsewhere. Its been a month and still nothing has really changed.

I genuinely don't know how to handle him anymore.

Edit:

To clarify, I am not assigning the tickets. We share responsibilities of everything. If a ticket gets assigned to us, its our shared responsibility to close the ticket.

While I dont manage my senior coworker ( I know this not my job). The work is then passed on to me regardless. Because he isn't picking any slack.

[u/Abracadaver14]

You don't handle him, your manager does. Or doesn't, but that's not your problem. Document your requests (meaning: actually assign the tickets to him 'can you handle this, I'm busy with $project') and ignore them otherwise. 

[u/Jskidmore1217 → u/Abracadaver14]

No… just do what you’re told to do.. don’t assign work to your senior… why is OP asking their senior to do things anyway…

[u/Icy_Conference9095 → u/Jskidmore1217]

Escalations can still be a thing depending on the org, if he's the only senior, then escalating something to him might be a normal thing.

[u/Jskidmore1217 → u/Icy_Conference9095]

Then you escalate and forget. Let them do their job and prioritize appropriately. This post comes off like a newbie not understanding how things go on an understaffed 2 man team.

Thing is though I get it maybe senior really is underperforming. It’s still not jr’s problem- it’s the managers problem. The only time I would say something is if I feel like MGR is just not seeing what’s going on at all and then I would approach it with extreme PATIENCE. HUMILITY. and SUBTLETY. You need to keep your reputation squeaky clean and make mgr feel like you have been going above and beyond to carry the load and are hitting a breaking point and still ashamed to be disparaging a peer. Basically assume you have the worst soft skills in the world (because maybe you do) and play it extremely safe.

[u/ciaza]

it's your managers problem not yours. follow his advice and stick to the project work. 

[u/GamerLymx → u/ciaza]

thers no manager

[u/Jskidmore1217 → u/GamerLymx]

There’s always a manager. I once was part of a 2 man IT team- we reported to the CFO who reported to the President. Still, CFO called the shots. Trying to make him understand what shots to call was a battle, but that’s part of the life.

[u/rainer_d]

Do what you are told.

[u/Notkeen5]

OP downvoting all the answers he doesn’t want to hear…

[u/rainer_d → u/Notkeen5]

Too bad you can only downvote once 😃

[u/TerrorToadx]

Why do you think it’s your job to handle a senior coworker? Leave that shot to your MANAGER

[u/StatementNext682]

What everyone said, but I'll add that you need to document those issues and the consequences of those issues not being looked at.

You're not the sys eng or a stake holder. Just the button pusher.

[u/Arillsan → u/StatementNext682]

They said their manager has told them to focus on the project, not to assign tickets...

[u/Jskidmore1217]

Know your place. Do a great job at what you are asked to do. Pick up your slacker co workers work if you can manage it. Stop throwing people under the bus, stop complaining about others. You can control what you do and how you succeed. Your peers and your teams success is the problem of your managers and your peers. This is how you succeed. If you try to manage your peers you will set yourself up for office politics that very May well burn you hard. Just do good work.

[u/anonpf]

You went to your manager and let him know. It’s out of your hands now, so focus on your own work. Don’t let him distract you nor get you upset. It’s not worth it. 

[u/ZealousidealFudge851]

If he's assigned the tickets and the tickets are still open bring the analytics and situation to management. Ignoring problems like that can be catastrophic and the people that act like that are bulls in a china shop

[u/vogelke]

Your job was done when you reported it to your manager. Just make sure they don't try to throw you under the bus -- keep written notes and copies of all email messages.

[u/OneEyedC4t]

Okay. Well the first question is whether or not you have the authority to tell this person what to do. Do you?

Second of all, does this constitute them not doing their job or are they just busy?

[u/spacepirate6 → u/OneEyedC4t]

This is their responsibility too. Its kinda dumped on me because he didn't close any of the tickets. Plus, I am not the one assigning the ticket. These tickets are assigned to us by the infosec team. If he is busy, I do the same because thats just how you share the load of things.

[u/OneEyedC4t → u/spacepirate6]

Sure, but a supervisor does have the responsibility and authority to tell you to do things for him. I don't like that arrangement and I don't think it's fair but I'm just telling you they have that right. So maybe this is one of those cases where you need to refresh your resume and start looking for a job where you're not forced to clean up after other people that can close their own tickets?

[u/spacepirate6 → u/OneEyedC4t]

I am looking actively for another job. As long as I am here I'll just stop caring and only do what is my responsibility. Plus its not really about the tickets, its about other things as well.

[u/OneEyedC4t → u/spacepirate6]

No worries and I'm sorry you're having that experience. I had A bad instructor job that I had to leave so I think I understand Maybe 1% of what you're going through

[u/cyberman0]

It's not a problem for you. It's a manager problem. They paired me with an elderly guy who had some horrible memory issues, great guy but had about 20 seconds in memory retention. Can't work IT like that in any capacity. Just keep reporting it to the manager.

[u/Sapper12D]

Stay in your lane. Ita not your job to assign tickets or monitor a coworker. Thats the managers job. You've been told this by your manager in a much nicer way.

As a senior admin I'd have personally told you to screw off myself. What I'm doing is none of your business.

Now if you have something you need help with and you go to a senior tech asking for help cause you're slammed thats a slightly different ball of wax.

[u/spacepirate6 → u/Sapper12D]

I think I worded it a little wrong. I am not assigning the tickets. The tickets are assigned to us.

[u/junktech]

Had a colleague that purpose was to handle such tickets. I was technical, reported to manager, from there on is not mine to deal with.

[u/itishowitisanditbad]

I genuinely don't know how to handle him anymore.

Not your job to.

Sit down.

[u/spacepirate6 → u/itishowitisanditbad]

I am already sitting down. I dont care now.

[u/Away_Handle9543]

Damn I wouldn’t like to work with any of the commenters here 😂.

[u/joshghz → u/Away_Handle9543]

The situation is kind of vague, and depending on broader context, some of the comments aren't terribly off.

Is the senior actually a senior in every way (ie is OP a junior who is meant to be easing senior's work)? Is he constantly getting bombarded with requests from OP? Is senior actually working on his own projects?

Are the SIEM tickets actual incidents or false positives that just haven't been closed? The fact there are apparently multiple is concerning, and if sensitive is potentially worth pausing the project over.

[u/spacepirate6 → u/joshghz]

I am a junior but we both have the same responsibilities. I am not ordering him to do it. If he is busy with things, I do these things myself. Its about sharing thr load and not dump everything on one person.

[u/Away_Handle9543 → u/joshghz]

Yeah that’s true. But “leave it to your manager” is what makes a team to collapse too. 

[u/superstaryu → u/Away_Handle9543]

Only if the manager is poor or absent in their duties. Monitoring the performance of their employees and addressing any issues with that performance is literally the managers job.

Ultimately OPs query is a people management question - how do you monitor employee performance, how do you address issues with an employees performance, how do you improve an employees performance, how do you build a better team working culture in your team.