Jay Your frustration over interacting with "Elaine" came through loud and clear. How stressful this all sounds for you! IMO, those who know the LEAST often act as if they know the MOST, and are closed off to learning from others because they already KNOW everything. You say >>She makes excuses., then gets upset that her training is going slow<< This sounds like she is unwilling or unable to take responsibility for her training. Sounds like she's conflicted. I question whether she'll be able to HEAR or ASSESS the real underlying problems when symptoms are reported to her by BFing moms....since it sounds like she'd be likely to jump in with a quick-fix bandaid solution to a problem which may or may not exist, rather than taking time to fully discover what's going on. If she can't hear you, how is she going to be able to hear BF moms? You say >>No matter what I tell her, she knows more. No matter what I describe to her, she knows how to fix it, even if she is dead wrong<< This know-it-all mask that she wears suggest that perhaps she is trying to PROVE to herself or you how much she knows due to her own insecurities. If she really knew what she knew, she wouldn't have to prove it. That's in such sharp contrast to this wonderful climate on Lactnet where so many extremely knowledgeable people are capable of openly and honestly admitting that what they KNOW is that they DON'T KNOW it all and are asking for help! You continue >>calls me to tell me all the probs she is having with the other PCs making their calls on time, and when I give her suggestions to get them to improve, she tells me that "You just don't understand, Jay. They have busy lives, and responsibilities. They can't possibly be expected to do what you want them to<< Does she have the clarity to see the whole picture, and do her job ? Sounds like she's trying to make excuses for them, just as she offers her own excuses for why she can't do the extra training sessions. So, is she really capable of overseeing others? >>But with her attitude, that goes from being nice and cooperative to way too competetive and borderline beligerent, I am at a loss.<< Listen to your heart, Jay. What I'm hearing is that you're at your >>wits end<< because you are very close to the situation and because you did start off as friends first. If you'd never had a personal friendship with her, how would you respond now? Would you be able to step back and see more clearly that there is something else going on here? More objectively? My experience with teaching others is that the "dream student/client" is one who is eager to learn and eagerly asks questions and seeks out information. She does not sound like she falls into that category. I suggest sitting down with your supervisor, sharing your concerns about "Elaine's" ability to function in the job description. Maybe then all three of you sitting down together to assess how her training process is going, honestly share your concerns as objectively as you can, giving her a time period in which to demonstrate some specific measurable changes, then another more formal evaluation scheduled to determine if she's met the criteria or not. By then what to do may seem much clearer. Keep us posted! Joyce Blangiardo RN, FACCE, IBCLC, who just took a break from the TV coverage of the TWA tragedy about an hour and a half drive from where we live....filled with sadness for all the families.