Everyone has a slacker on their team. You know the worker, who just doesn’t pull their weight. Gets pulled along by the team and slithers out of responsibility and work. The one that everyone secretly knows is slack and this annoys the rest of the team. The one who always is complaining about how much work they have on, but no one seems to know what they actually do!
So what do you do about team slackers?
Here is the only thing you have to do – and it is simple …
Do Something!
That’s right, by doing nothing, you are actually doing huge harm to your business and team. If you do nothing; the rest of the team notices.
- It annoys the hell out of the rest of the team, that this person gets away with this – why should they try; when this person doesn’t and gets away with it?
- The rest of the team starts to withdraw effort – lethargy is catching; if Fred can get away with it, why cant I?
- Anger and resentment build up – good people actually don’t like being slack; if they start acting that way, they get angry with themselves; angry with those around them; angry with you – being slack is not their true state and it doesn’t sit well.
- Good people leave – Great! All your top performers are leaving out of anger; resentment; lethargy; your weak management and you are left with the slackers!
- New people come in and guess who teaches them the work and imparts the culture – lucky you – cycle repeats!
So I’m going to reiterate it: Do Something!
Start today. Have a chat with your employee. Find out if there is anything else going on? Is there a reason for their lack of work? Have they always been like this or has this developed of late. Explain that this cannot continue. They are going to have to pull their socks up.
If you are not a manager then you need to INFORM a Manager. You can not expect anything to be done if a Manager is not even aware that there is an issue.
Social proof can help here “others in the team are noticing” People generally hate that!
From there start to step it up! ‘Tightening the screws’ I call it. Just bit by bit, start to pick your person up on slack attitude; work not completed – just gently at first; but do it.
Send the message, I am watching you and you need to work at the same level as everyone else. Of course if they do pull their socks up, give praise where praise is due, but keep watching – often people return back to their old ways.
Reward positive behaviour for all the team.
Reframe the culture to one of positivity and a balance between reward and effort. Communicate to all team members your expectations for all workers. Respond back to complaints you may have received and advise the complainants that you are taking the situation in hand.
Don’t be afraid to performance manage people out of your organisation in a fair and legally compliant manner – it can be done.
Changing behaviour is not easy, but if you make the environment somewhere that slackness cannot take a foothold and grow, team slackers will do one of two things:
- Pull their socks up permanently (although you will always have to keep your eyes on them)
- Leave, because it is too much of an uncomfortable place for them to work anymore.
Job done!
Need a little help? Not too sure how to implement these?
Book in a FREE 15 minute chat our Managing Director Kathryn MacMillan to see how we can help!
For more HR or staffing help contact CIRCLE Recruitment & HR or call 1300 923 000
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