Do I suck or do we just not vibe well together
after working every job under the sun and going to school off and on for over a decade. I have finally found what I truly love. but my boss keeps complaining I don’t listen to him and lose focus frequently. when we’re in a procedure that’s 2 hours long, and there is music playing, people coming in and out, a TV playing wildlife silently in the background, coworkers talking to the doctor, assistants organizing the cabinets behind me, the doctor leaving the room several times, and no doors on our rooms so ppl constantly walking by, I catch myself getting easily distracted and I can’t concentrate. If he asks me for x y z then leaves the room for 5 minutes, I already have a running list in my head of 10 other things I need and I’ll forget Z. I zone out when he’s talking to patients if we have finished the procedure or if he is leaving the room too. He complained he said he’d be right back and to stay laying down to the patient and I asked if they’d like to sit up before he even left the room. There wasn’t a reason for them to stay laying back but I honestly wasn’t listening to him. I’m also new to the field so if we are in a procedure where I have zero experience I’m so focused on trying to do my job correctly that if he asks me for something or needs anything, it falls on deaf ears.
I don’t know if it’s me and I need to be on some type of medication for possible undiagnosed ADHD or something else…or me and him just arent a good fit for one another bc im not even his main assistant.
Im the main and only assistant for the associate dentist and she gives me the complete opposite feedback. Me and her carry on conversations while working which helps me keep focus and listen. The one who complains about me doesn’t like to talk at all during procedures. He has a main assistant but he makes me work with him for every procedure the entire day the 2 days a week she’s not there while his main RDA just sits around. Which didn’t bother me until he started saying I don’t listen to him and I’m not present sometimes. I’d rather just not work when he’s the only dentist. There’s 4 RDAs and 1 dentist when it’s just him so it’s not like he needs me. I do every procedure and see every patient while the other 3 sit around on their phones all day. They don’t even help me clean or set up my room.
I’m the only assistant who works with the associate dentist and the only assistant who works with both dentists. And I’m the only one who’s new. I dread work when it’s me and him working together and have to fight myself to not call in. Today I came in crying and almost left. But I don’t feel like I can ask to only work with the associate considering he’s the owner and might get offended. And I haven’t figured out a way to approach the topic in a polite way as to not offend him as he knows I don’t like working with him, even though we get along and there’s no tension or anything like that. I guess I’m just seeking any advice anyone could give thank you.