When we’re trained, a good mentor teaches you to rely on the handbook, staying current on policy updates as well as any office mandates.

It’s a standing, unofficial rule: don’t bring a question that you didn’t first attempt to research yourself. Every action we take is rooted in handbook material and policy updates, which means anything you ask means the person helping you will ultimately have to do that research. So if you did your digging first and either couldn't find it or need clarification, I'm perfectly happy to help.

Most people are good with that.

One person in particular needs help all day, every day, for everything, all the time, and it’s never a quick one-off. She gets the “I’m not sure, I’d review the material and then consult resource for that” and she's never happy about it.

I’m also relatively social, but people don’t know how to just say “hey, what’s up, hello, hi” in passing. They want to chat. About everything. Anything. We’re told to keep visiting to a minimum and that’s what I do, and not with the “grunting” and “growling” that my stalker oddly and unreasonably assumes .