Do you work with someone who takes two-hour lunch breaks, makes
dozens of personal calls and naps in their desk chair? Perhaps they
frequent the restroom or surf the web all day, while you hustle to keep
up with your daily workload. It’s not uncommon to come across a lazy
co-worker, and they’re not always easy to deal with.
Carping and tattling won’t get you anywhere – but there are a few things you can do to alleviate the issue. Here are 12 tips for dealing with a lazy co-worker from Stever Robbins, an executive and personal coach, and top 10 business podcaster.
1. Don’t let them distract you. Don’t spend your day
focusing on the fact that your lazy co-worker is constantly checking
Facebook, texting or snoring at the desk next to yours. Try to tune them
out and focus on your work. “Human beings are funny that way,” Robbins
says. “We will spend more time focusing on the fact
that our colleague isn’t doing their work than it would take to just do
it ourselves.”
2. Don’t get caught up in the issue of fairness. Life
isn’t fair. “People often say ‘it’s unfair that he gets away with doing
nothing,’ but at the end of the day, it really doesn’t change
anything,” Robbins says. “By pointing out that it’s not fair, we just
make ourselves feel bad and the situation doesn’t change.” Instead,
focus on being the best that you can be.
3. Decide who you want to be. “These tips are really all about behavior, but there’s a more important question: Who do you want to show up as in your life?”
he says. “Think of the people you deeply admire, and what personal
qualities make them admirable? Regardless of the practical implications
of your actions, ask yourself how the ‘Ideal You’ would deal with the
situation. You’ll behave very differently with Chuck Norris as your role
model then with Ghandi as your role model.” Sometimes, who you are as a
person is more important in determining your actions than momentary
concerns of a specific situation.
4. Don’t let it affect your attitude. If
you waste your time and energy on being angry or annoyed about your
lazy colleague, your work performance may start slipping and you may be
less pleasant to be around. A hostile colleague is just as bad as a lazy
one.
5. Don’t tattle. That might make you look like a apple polisher, so don’t do it. But
that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak up. “This one is tricky,” he
warns. “It depends on the situation and the boss. Some bosses might say,
‘Thanks for letting me know. I’ll investigate,’ while others may tell
you, ‘It’s not your job to worry about your co-workers’ performance.’
It could make you look bad. But if you go to your boss and say, ‘I’m at a
point where I can’t go any further with this project because I’m
waiting for Bill to finish his part. What can we do about this?,’ it
gets the point across without your seeming like a tattler.” If they
explicitly ask you to review your co-workers’ performance, you should be
honest, Robbins suggests.
6. Don’t let their ways rub off on you. Don’t get
sucked into their routine of two-hour lunch breaks and dozens of trips
to the restroom or water cooler. If they start chatting with you, let
them know you’re busy. “It’s tempting to follow their lead if they are
getting away with it, but don’t fall into that trap,” he says.
7. Don’t let their work become your responsibility. If
you’re on the same team or share the same responsibilities, don’t pick
up the work they aren’t doing. Remind them of tasks and deadlines, but
don’t let babysitting your lazy colleagues consume too much of your
valuable time.
8. Don’t let them affect your success. A lazy colleague can hinder your progress. If
your boss notices work isn’t getting done, don’t let the blame fall on
you. This is your opportunity to speak up, if you haven’t done so
already.
9. Use the opportunity to become a leader. This may
be your chance to really step up and prove you can deal with difficult
situations. “When you go to your boss, tell him or her that you’ve
noticed your colleague isn’t getting their work done, so you would like
the opportunity to be a leader. Then, approach your colleague and say
you want to help him meet goals and deadlines. This frames you as a
leader.”
10. Don’t gossip or complain to other colleagues. It’s unprofessional. “You could cause misunderstandings and hurt feelings,” Robbins says.
11. Communicate with your co-worker. He or she might
not be lazy. Instead, they might be unclear of their tasks and
deadlines. “Be clear about goals, deadlines and commitments,” Robbins
suggests. “Sometimes it’s not that they’re lazy, it’s that they don’t
have a good way of organizing their work or managing their time.”
There’s always a chance that they’re preoccupied with a personal matter,
too. “We need to remember that life happens,” he says. They could be
distracted by a health issue or family problem.
12. Don’t say yes to projects that require your co-worker to work at full capacity. If
your co-worker is chronically lazy and nothing or no one—not you, not
your boss—has been able to make a difference, proactively work this into
how you plan, Robbins says. “When you’re given a project where you’ll
have to depend on your lazy co-worker, factor their anticipated laziness
into your schedule. Don’t agree to a time frame that assumes they’ll
deliver,” he adds. You can also use this as an opportunity to ask for
more resources. “For example, you can say, ‘Hey, boss, I’m afraid I
won’t be able to finish the project by June with the current resources.’
You’re boss might respond, ‘But you have Bob.’ Tell him, ‘Yes, but
given the pace of Bob’s work, I don’t think he can deliver what we’ll
need in the time frame we’ll need it.’ Best case, you’ll get the
resources you need. Worst case, you’ve implicitly raised the issue of
Bob’s performance with your boss in a non-aggressive way.”
Sources: Forbes
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