Difficult Conversations -
When You’re Stuck Working with a Slacker - Sun and Planets Spirituality AYINRIN
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Working
with someone who doesn’t pull their weight is more than just a routine
frustration; it can also negatively affect your work — and even your
career. What can you do about a colleague like this? How much support
should you give this person? Do you go to your boss? And how can you
safeguard your reputation within the organization?
What the Experts Say
Having
a colleague who makes mistakes, misses deadlines, or is just plain lazy
is hardly unusual, says Judith White, teaching professor of business
administration at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “It is
probably the single most common complaint: ‘I have a colleague who
doesn’t do their work and I have to pick up the slack.’” Just because
it’s a common problem doesn’t make it easy to deal with, however. “You
need to go back to your basic organizational behavior class from
business school and pull out every tool in your kit,” she says. Even
then, “there’s no quick solution,” says Brian Uzzi, the Richard L.
Thomas Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at
Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. But when your job
performance suffers because of your colleague’s behavior, you need to
take action. It’s not worth “gritting your teeth and waiting it out,” he
says. Here are some thoughts on how to handle the situation.
Diagnose the problem.
For
starters, says Uzzi, you need to assess the situation to pinpoint the
problem and its root cause. Look at the big picture, says White. Ask
yourself: Why is your colleague falling short? Do they lack the
bandwidth, ability, or resources to do the job? Do other people see your
colleague’s underperformance as a problem? What impact is it having?
And is this is a new situation? “If it’s been going on for a long time,
it will be harder to deal with. Patterns are fixed,” she says. But if
not — maybe this person is junior or new to the organization and getting
up to speed — it will be easier. Answering these questions will help
you figure out how to address the issue.
Remember, though, “you’re not going to be able to change your
colleague.” Rather, you need to identify what you can do to change the
situation.
Be introspective.
In that spirit, it’s also wise to reflect on your own behavior, says Uzzi. Make sure you’re not falling prey to the fundamental attribution error.
“When we do well, we tend to credit all of our positive and unique
qualities. When we mess up, it’s because of forces beyond our control,”
he says. “But with others, we believe the opposite.”
Think,
too, about how you approach your coworker and how they might perceive
you. “When you‘re having trouble with a colleague, it’s often because
you’re sending a signal that threatens them,” says Uzzi. Even if it’s
not your intention, your actions imply “that you are smarter, faster,
more energetic, or your skills are more in line with where the
organization is heading.” If this might be the case, you must “figure
out ways to remove that threat” by “putting time and energy into making
the relationship better,” he says. “Make it apparent that your success
is their success. Say, ‘I have expertise in this area; you have
expertise in that area. Our skills complement each other. We have a lot
to learn from each other together.’” Your message to this person is
simple and straightforward: “Together, we will do the job more
efficiently.”
Talk to your colleague.
If
you’re comfortable and relatively friendly with the colleague in
question, Uzzi recommends reaching out to them directly about their
lackluster execution. “Ask, ‘Is anything going on?’”
You might learn that their child is having trouble in school, or their
mother is sick, or that they’re going through a painful divorce. In this
case, you have every reason to believe that “their performance in the
future will be different” and you “need to ride this one out,” he says.
Be compassionate. White suggests offering your help
so long as it’s “explicit and time-limited,” she says. Your support “is
a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution.” For instance, “I noticed
you haven‘t called the client back. Can I do that for you this time?”
After all, “there‘s nothing wrong with helping this employee out if they
can help you out later on.” Employees should trade favors, she adds,
“but there has to be reciprocity.”
Talk to your boss (but be judicious).
You
really shouldn’t complain to your supervisor about a colleague, says
Uzzi. For one thing, “it makes you look bad. You seem like a whiner —
someone who can‘t manage relationships well,” he says. For another, it
makes the boss look bad, he adds. Your complaint “reflects badly on the
boss’s ability to select the right people for the job.” That said, there
are ways to broach the issue with your manager, both directly and
indirectly.
Discuss challenges.
“The last thing your boss wants to do is mediate a relationship between
you and your coworker,” says White. And yet, your boss has a vested
interest in your ability to do your job, particularly if something or
someone is getting in the way. Frame the conversation with that in mind,
says White. She recommends saying something along the lines of, “I’m
not able to do my best work because during the day I find myself
checking up on things outside [my purview] that distract me from my
assignments.” White cautions against mentioning your colleague by name.
“Make it about you and your work.”
Request joint feedback.
If you and this problem individual are involved in projects that are
tightly integrated and being evaluated on your joint output, “you should
ask your boss if the two of you could receive performance feedback at
the same time,” says Uzzi. During the feedback session, “your boss will
ask probing questions about the project, and it will become obvious who
dropped the ball,” he says. Then, assuming your colleague cares about
their job, you’ll have some leverage to suggest changes. “You can say,
‘The boss is right; we can do better. I have ideas of how we can improve
next time,’” Uzzi says. He predicts your colleague will be grateful.
“The other person will be looking for solutions that take the pressure
off.”
Seek out different ways to shine.
You also need to look for ways to “reduce your interdependence” on this
questionable colleague, says White. She suggests asking your boss for
additional individual assignments. For instance, “you might say, ‘I love
being on the team, but I‘m looking for new challenges, and I want to do
more. Are there any solo tasks I could take on?’” Your goal is to
demonstrate your competence and “give your boss another way to evaluate
you and your performance.”
Define expectations.
One
way to safeguard your reputation is to ensure that “expectations and
roles are clearly defined,” says White. Let’s say you and this colleague
are collectively responsible for producing particular elements of
projects. White recommends proposing that each project “has a clear and
designated leader.” Project leadership would rotate to “increase
accountability.” This way, “at least you know you’re going to get
credit” for success when you’re the leader, she says.
Bringing
your boss into these conversations is key, says Uzzi. When your manager
has weighed in on how “Janet will do this and Deepak will do that,”
then there’s a trail for the boss to know who’s responsible for each
deliverable. “This should provide motivation for the weak link to produce more high-quality work,” he says.
Invite others in.
Another
way to change the dynamic of your relationship with this colleague is
to incorporate another person into the work, says Uzzi. “Paired
relationships often fall out of balance,” he says. “There may be
something about the two of you that dampens [your colleague’s]
creativity or hurts their motivation.” Inviting a third party into your
project “changes your chemistry” and builds trust. So, think about who
might make a strong addition to your relationship and how they might
contribute. “Perhaps this person provides new skills that neither of you
have; maybe they inject some creativity; or maybe they’re a sounding
board and can offer feedback.” If this third colleague doesn’t have
capacity to officially join your project, “even just going out to lunch
with them” might improve your interactions with the underperforming
colleague. “The third party helps create social and professional
incentives” to do better.
Cultivate other relationships.
Fostering relationships
with people outside your department is always a smart career move, says
White. And when you’re working closely with an underperformer, these
connections can be your lifeline. “Cultivating relationships with
colleagues from other parts of the organization not only makes your job
more pleasant, it also helps you have a reputation outside of your
direct team,” she says. This is especially important “if your team is
not in [good standing].” So, work on seeking out a new network at work.
Make time for lunch or coffee with people in different divisions. Strike
up conversations with other colleagues. Ask, “What are you working on at the moment? Can you tell me about your latest project?” This strategy is a much better option than complaining or jumping ship, notes White. “You’re trying to solve your problem.”
Stop covering for them.
One
final word: Don’t enable an underperformer. Of course, it’s good to
help other people, but covering for someone else’s mistakes or lack of
ability “is not sustainable,” says White. Research shows that women, in
particular, fall prey to this. “Women are expected to help out,” she
says. Be on your guard. “It will become toxic for you, and then it
becomes toxic for the rest of your team.” In the long run, “you’re going
to be angry at yourself.” If this person is always bringing you down,
you can’t afford to let it continue, says Uzzi. When all else fails, it might be time to find a new job or look for a transfer.
Principles to Remember
Do
- Think about what you can do to change the situation. After all, you’re not going to be able to change your colleague.
- Consider changing the dynamic of your relationship with this colleague by incorporating another person into the work.
- Foster relationships with people outside your department. It makes your job more pleasant, and it helps protect your professional reputation.
Don’t
- Neglect to consider your role in the situation. Ask yourself, is my behavior having an impact? How might this colleague perceive me?
- Complain to your boss about this colleague. Rather, be thoughtful and judicious about how you approach your manager.
- Constantly covering for an underperformer is toxic for your career. If the situation doesn’t improve after you’ve tried numerous strategies, move on.
Advice in Practice
Case Study #1: Request joint feedback and make sure your boss is aware of your contributions.
Lauren
Crain, a digital marketer, knows all too well what it’s like to work
with colleagues who aren’t up to scratch. “In the past, I used to do the
work for them, take over when talking about projects since they would
know so little about them, and do things to save face for the company,”
she says.
“But I wasn’t helping the company; in fact, I was helping these underperformers, and in turn, actually hurting the company by protecting bad employees.”
A
few years ago, she worked closely on a project with a colleague whom
we’ll call Brian. Brian was incompetent and lacking in motivation.
As
a woman of color, Lauren felt a special urgency to address the
situation. “Working closely with an underproducing white male was
eye-opening for me,” she says. “He was viewed as more knowledgeable and
credible simply because of his skin color and sex.”
She
quickly realized that covering for Brian would only perpetuate the idea
that he was as good as she was, when “he was not even close,” she says.
Lauren knew she couldn’t change Brian; she could only change how she
handled the situation. She decided against going to her boss. “I felt
like if I complained about Brian, it would make me look petty or
spiteful.”
But
she did a number of other things. At the beginning of the project, she
delineated her responsibilities from Brian’s — and made sure the boss
knew who was responsible for certain deliverables. “I clearly indicated
who had been assigned to work on what, and I made continuous written
updates of my progress,” she says. “I documented my contributions and
ensured that my parts were completed.”
Her
goal was to distance herself from Brian’s performance and make sure her
manager knew that she was getting results even if he wasn’t.
The project came in late. “It was presentable, but it wasn’t as great as it could have been,” says Lauren.
When
it was over, Lauren requested that her manager provide feedback to her
and Brian at the same time. Her boss knew that something was awry. “In
the meeting, I was confident about my performance, so I let Brian try to
explain himself,” she says. Her boss knew what she accomplished;
Brian’s poor performance was also apparent.
Lauren
continued to work at the organization, and she got used to dealing with
Brian. “He became known as the underperformer in our department, and
nobody wanted to work with him,” she says. “Eventually, he left the
company.”
Her
advice to others in this situation: “Don’t let an underperformer drag
you down, because they will if you let them. Stand tall; let your work
speak for itself.”
Case Study #2: Define roles and responsibilities to increase accountability.
Rafael Salazar, an occupational therapist and consultant, has firsthand experience working with an underperforming colleague.
Earlier
in his career, Rafael was involved in a project to roll out a new
initiative at a veterans’ hospital. “My team was tasked with doing some
PR and developing training materials and messaging strategies to
increase employee adoption,” he says. “There were a couple of members of
the team who were minimally engaged throughout the duration of the
project.”
One
person — we’ll call him Sam — was particularly challenging. Sam didn’t
respond to email, let deadlines slip, and often failed to show up for
meetings. Rafael was frustrated. “There were times when I and other team
members ended up covering for Sam,” he says. “We just pitched in and
got the work done.”
Rafael
didn’t want Sam to drag down the project. He also knew he needed to
protect his professional reputation. He employed multiple strategies.
For instance, he left a “substantial paper trail” in all his
communication with Sam. “I cc’d the rest of the team and other pertinent
stakeholders when appropriate,” he says.
The paper trail made it clear that Rafael was working hard and getting results; it also showed when Sam was dropping the ball.
In
addition, Rafael made a point to clearly define individual roles and
expectations for each part of the project. “I made sure there was
documentation showing each team member’s responsibilities, with
deadlines and points of contact,” he says. “That way, if there ever was
any question about who was responsible, people could simply check the
last update email.”
The
situation improved and the project came off well. “Increased
communication led to clarity around roles and responsibilities,” he
says. “And it also increased accountability and social pressure that
incentivized everyone involved to pull their weight.”
Today,
Rafael is the president of Rehab U Practice Solutions, the Augusta,
Georgia-based healthcare education and consulting company. He says he
learned a lot from the experience. “You need to look at situations like
these as opportunities to develop interpersonal leadership skills,” he
says. “Sometimes underperforming team members need extra guidance,
clarity, or motivation to achieve the goals of the project. You don‘t
have to be the team lead or project manager to assist or provide that
leadership and direction.”
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