Having colleagues cutting corners? Here’s how to deal with that
I don’t think anyone enjoys picking up the work that your colleague has left for the umpteenth time. I’m talking about your loafing colleague who leaves just a little early, missed yet another deadline or just doesn’t do a 100% job. In short, you have colleagues who are cutting corners.
What is the best way to deal with that? Confront it? Go to your boss?(Who may just ‘turns his back’ in this kind of situation.) Or just stay out of it? Maybe there’s another way, too, that you hadn’t thought of.
Free discovery call
Lacking assertiveness or selfconfidence?
Does it inhibit you at work and want to get rid of that? That's possible with our 40 days individual coaching program. Lets meet, see if we have a 'click' and if I can help you.
Why should you address this?
We all sometimes work with colleagues who don’t behave very collegially. They spend the entire time on Facebook, feel free to stay away for 2 hours in the afternoon to run that errand, or simply do not keep the appointments made, jeopardizing deadlines.
Irritating, isn’t it?
ScienceTrend
Quiet quitting/callibrated contributing.
Quiet Quitters (originated at Tiktok) are colleagues/employees who do the bare minimum in their work. They do this because they are uninvolved and/or disillusioned. You can also think of these colleagues as people who rationally align their efforts with what they get in return.(Detert, 2023)
You are not the police
You are not the ‘behavior’ police, of course, but if your own job is jeopardized by this behavior of your colleague then the temptation does become strong and perhaps even necessary. What you also want to avoid is splitting hairs. Then again, you come across as ‘over-sensitive’.
It affects your own work too much
An important argument for doing something about your loafing colleague is if it affects your own work. If you can’t get on with your own work, it’s time to get moving and address it. Is this not the case? Then just focus on your own work.
I explain below how to handle this tricky situation.
1. Not easy, but put yourself in the other person’s shoes
Downright frustrating, of course. A colleague who cuts corners. But what causes it, you probably don’t know exactly. It doesn’t always have to be laziness. The cause may also be the situation at home or because of other problems at work. Perhaps your colleague has not yet fully mastered the work and is having difficulty learning this. In short, there can be all sorts of causes.
So it is helpful to know the context of the behavior. So stop mind-reading the other person by assuming you know the situation.
Don’t wait too long to intervene
Choose the tactic of briefly figuring things out before you do anything. While doing so, don’t forget to take a moment to look at yourself :). Don’t fret too long about whether or not to approach your colleague. After all, desperate times calls for desperate measures.
So don’t wait to intervene until you have completely had it with your colleague. The chances of you going ballistic in such a situation are quite high, and that is not very professional.
2. Prefer conversation to confrontation
OK, you gave it some thought. Your colleague’s behavior is having a negative impact on your work and it’s time to do something about it.
Do not ambush someone…
My tip? Don’t make it feel like an ambush by accusing him/her in an very emotional way. This causes the other person to show a lot of resistance. Approach the conversation with a degree of curiosity and compassion for the other person.
Obviously, you would rather solve the problem than condemn the other person and/or desperately continue trying to make your point. For example, you can start with this question:
I’ve noticed that you seem a little less involved in this project. Can I help you with anything?
3. Stick to the facts
When you start the conversation it is helpful to bring up specific (behavioral) examples. (That may require some preparation on your part). Clearly explain the impact that behavior has on you and your work. In short, “This is what happened and it had these consequences.
Examples:
- Because you missed the deadline, we were not able to secure a contract with this client.
- Because you stayed away for 2 hours at noon I had to work overtime.
Otherwise, keep the conversation positive and constructive. You could practice the conversation with another person first to find the right words and figure out the right tone of conversation.
4. Stay flexible yourself
Perhaps you yourself have an idea of how best to solve the problem. You can bring that up, of course. It is often more convenient to look together at possible solutions to the problem. It probably also get the other person thinking. So don’t fixate too much on your own solution, which puts pressure on collaboration.
Right or wrong is not important
Also, stay away from thinking “I’m right and the other person is wrong’. Maybe not easy, but it’s necessary. Research shows that this (radical) attitude of right and wrong drains energy for both parties. As a result, your ability to solve the problem fades at once.
Blog continues after photo
5. Everyone deserves a 2nd chance.
If that one talk doesn’t help just try again. Maybe you weren’t clear enough the first time. So don’t give up right away and be prepared to raise the issue several times.
For example, you can say this:
We’ve talked about this before. You stated what you would do (agreement) and this happened (fact).
If this does’t work and it continues to negatively affect your own work it’s time to take a different approach. If you’ve done everything you possibly can to get it done, it’s time to put your boss in position.
Do not hesitate to inform your loafing colleague about this in advance. It’s a kind of warning and it can help get your colleague’s behavior moving in the right direction.
6. When you step up to your supervisor
You approach your supervisor just like your loafing colleague; with tact. This includes remembering not to lack empathy, to keep an open mind and to come up with specific examples (including explanations) of what you have already done. Think for yourself about what you want your supervisor to do.
If you handle this situation nicely, and you show your flexibility to solve the problem, your supervisor will see that you have managed this professionally. At that point your supervisor can take the next step, with the right information, towards your colleague who is cutting corners.
ScienceTrend: tackling toxicity in the workplace
Toxicity in the workplace occurs when people operate from fear, greed, jealousy, anger, arrogance, shame or a range of other difficult and dysregulated emotions. A manager can do something about this.(source)
7. Do’s and don’ts with colleagues cutting corners
DO’S:
- Make sure you are “open-minded. Your colleague may have good reasons why he/she is cutting corners right now.
- Discuss it with your colleague first before going to your supervisor.
- Use clear and specific examples of how your colleague’s behavior affects your work.
DON’TS
- If your colleague’s behavior does not affect your own work then it’s probably not your problem to solve.
- Running straight to your boss without giving your colleague some opportunities to adjust the behavior.
- No accusations or blame in the conversation. Approach the conversation with curiosity and compassion.
Free discovery call
Lacking assertiveness or selfconfidence?
Does it inhibit you at work and want to get rid of that? That's possible with our 40 days individual coaching program. Lets meet, see if we have a 'click' and if I can help you.