I'm new on the team and inherited some of the ugliest spreadsheets I've ever seen. I've been trying to decipher them all day. Is it rude to ask the previous person to walk me through them or should I just keep bashing my head against the wall?

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No, ask them to walk you through them.

likesmart

I recommend bashing your head against the wall.

funnylikesmart

Definitely ask (because you want to make sure you understand a complex spreadsheet). Probably don’t point out that the spreadsheet is the ugliest you’ve ever seen.

likefunny

Well someone's ugly is someone else's rainbow...

No shame in asking.

Just make sure to take thorough notes and voice your questions should any arise during said walk-through.

Good luck!

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Ask away. You can’t do your job if you don’t know how to.

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Ask. Lest you be the one derided for wasting time.

likesmart

Always good to ask

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The most productive thing to do when inheriting someone else’s work is to do a teams meeting, record it, and have them share their screen and walk you thru every tab, calculation, and nuance.

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If you don't ask, your job will be harder. It's a pretty simple question to answer...

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“Can you help me make sure I’m reading this right” is a good way to ask without saying “I don’t know what this means” lol

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Always ask.

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I CC Nu ueuuuuu uh A

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Not rude.

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Sometimes it’s ugly and complicated and nuanced in ways you don’t yet understand. Don’t nuke it until you truly understand it. I’ve seen people make some pretty big errors throwing out someone else’s work before understanding it. Balance that with improving it. People also rarely go back and clean up their messes.

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Not at all, ask.

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