How to Cope with a Lazy Co-Worker
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Being a part of a successful team means giving your best every single day alongside your colleagues in order to achieve company and personal goals. However, we’ve all been in a situation where someone lacks and isn’t pulling their own weight. This means more work for other team members, which leads to disorganization and eventually bad relationships within the company.
If someone is giving their 100% each day, while a lazy co-worker is avoiding as much work as possible, the entire situation can get out of control. This might result in the entire team falling apart, and falling behind schedule. If you already have enough on your plate, the last thing you want is working twice as hard, not getting the credit you deserve, and sacrificing your free time because of a lazy co-worker.
However, if you’ve found yourself in this situation, don’t give up right away. There are ways for dealing with lazy co-workers who aren’t pulling their own weight.
Communicate with your co-worker.
If you have a problem with a team member, the best thing you can do is to talk to them about it. Communication is the key to a successful business, and if you feel like you can resolve your problem with a team member by talking, make that your first option.
Going around the office, and talking bad about a lazy co-worker makes you look bad as well, so try and stay away from that office gossip. If you have a problem with a specific team member, talk to them about it.
Open communication is definitely the best way. Remind the person you are working with what their responsibilities are, and how their negative actions are affecting the entire team. A true team member will understand where you are coming from and will try to change and do their best.
Another important thing you should pay attention to is how you approach your lazy co-worker. Don’t come to them when you are angry, as you might end up saying things you do not mean, and make the entire situation even worse. Approach them professionally, and they will definitely understand you.
Offer some guidance.
Another thing you can try in order to cope with a lazy co-worker is to offer guidance. Maybe some of your team members aren’t doing their part because they do not understand it, and don’t know how to do it. However, some might be embarrassed to ask for help, or they simply do not want to bother you. This way, they don’t even see that they are actually doing more harm than good by not coming to you for help.
This does not mean you should do all their work for them, but offer some guidance and tell them how to manage their tasks in order to finish everything on time. By doing this, you’ll help a lazy co-worker out, and will improve your management skills which is always a great thing.
Do not enable them.
This is a very important step. Do not enable your lazy co-workers, and do all their work for them. This is probably the worst thing you can do both for yourself and your team members. Why? Well, if you are doing all the work for your lazy co-workers, they will not get the chance to learn anything and grow both personally and professionally. Every job has its ups and downs, but we learn from them. Your team members need to have the same experience.
On the other hand, taking all their tasks is very bad for you because you will be behind with your tasks, and will eventually get into trouble. You already have enough on your plate and the last thing you need doing their job as well. You won’t have any free time, and will eventually experience burnout causing you to be extremely irritated with your work position.
Being a part of a team is a great opportunity, and together, you’re like family. It’s important that everyone finishes their tasks on time, and meets deadlines in order for the entire team to function properly. If there’s a weak link among you, try and resolve it by offering guidance and communicating with the lazy co-worker. However, never let them affect your productivity, and eventually, the entire team’s success.
