Oh, joy.

Well, it seems I may have to deal with the abrasive woman myself after all. The tactic advised by my superiors is not working. I guess I'm not surprised. What they suggested was really, when it comes down to it, avoidance of the real issues. Sometimes I think that firing someone (which is not an option here) would be easier than correcting them. When you fire someone, you (usually) don't have to deal with them anymore. Out of sight, out of mind. I don't have that option. I'll have to see this woman week after week. But maybe I am not giving her enough credit. Maybe she is really quite mature and reasonable and simply is not aware of how her behavior is affecting others, and maybe she'll be glad that someone has pointed it out to her. Maybe.