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.
你的同事是否需要两个小时的午休时间,每天打上几十个私人电话,坐在办公椅上打瞌睡?在你忙于处理日常工作的时候,他们会频繁去休息室,整天上网浏览。懒惰的同事并不少见,而他们并不总那么容易对付。
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.
吹毛求疵和打小报告不会给你带来任何结果——不过你可以做几件事来解决这个问题。下面是斯蒂弗-罗宾斯列出对付懒惰同事的12个诀窍,这位高管兼私人教练拥有一档全美排名前十的商业播客。
1. Decide who you want to be.
1. 决定你想成为什么样的人
“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.
。他说:“这些建议其实都和行为有关,但是更重要的问题是——你想在生活中成为什么样的人?想想你深表钦佩的人,哪些个人品质让他们受人尊敬?不要管你的行动会产生什么实际影响,扪心自问, 理想的我将如何处理这种情况。把查克-诺里斯作为你的榜样,或者把甘地作为你的榜样,你的表现将会截然不同。”有时候,你是什么样的人对于决定你的行动,比暂时担忧具体的情形更为重要。
2. Don’t let it affect your attitude.
2. 不要让这个问题影响你的心态。
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.
如果你浪费时间和精力,对你的懒惰同事生气发怒,你的工作表现可能会开始下滑,你也许不容易和别人相处。满腹牢骚的同事和懒惰的同事一样糟糕。
3. Don’t let them distract you.
3. 不要让他们分散你的注意力。
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.”
你的懒惰同事不断地查看Facebook、发送手机短信或者在你旁边的办公桌打瞌睡,但是你不必整天花时间关注这种情形。尽量不要理他们,专心做你自己的工作。罗宾斯说:“人们这样做很可笑。我们花更多的时间关注我们不干活的同事,而不是关注我们自己的工作。”
4. Don’t get caught up in the issue of fairness.
4. 不要纠结于公平问题。
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.
生活原本就不公平。罗宾斯说:“人们经常说, 这不公平,他什么也没干,却照样拿钱 ,但是归根结底,这并不会改变任何东西。指出这种不公平的情形,我们只会让自己感觉糟糕,而情况也不会有所改观。”相反,你要专注于把自己的工作做到最好。
5. Don’t tattle.
5. 不要打小报告。
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.
这可能会让你像个马屁精,所以不要这样做。但是,这并不意味着你应该隐瞒实情。他警告说:“这是个棘手的问题,如何做取决于形势和老板。有些老板可能会说,谢谢你让我知道这件事,我会调查的,而其他老板会告诉你, 你的工作不是担心同事的表现。这会让你很难堪。但是如果你对老板说,目前我在这个项目上无法取得进展,因为我在等待比尔完成他那部分工作。我们该为此作些什么? 这样做达到了目的,也不会让你看起来像搬弄是非的小人。”罗宾斯建议,如果他们明确要求你评价同事的表现,你应该坦诚相告。
6. Don’t let their ways rub off on you.
6. 不要让他们的工作方式影响你。
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.
懒惰的同事需要两个小时的午休时间,每天往休息室或饮水机那里跑几十趟,不要因此受到影响。如果他们开始和你闲聊,让他们知道你现在很忙。他说:“如果他们偷懒而不受惩罚,那么你很容易会效仿他们,但是不要落入这个陷阱。”
7. Don’t let their work become your responsibility.
7. 不要让他们的工作成为你的职责。
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.
如果你们在同一个团队或者分享相同的职责,那么不要替他们收拾残局。提醒他们的工作任务和期限,但是不要为照顾懒惰的同事浪费你太多宝贵的时间。
8. Don’t let them affect your success.
8. 不要让他们影响你的成功。
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.
懒惰的同事可能会妨碍你的进步。如果你的老板发现工作没有做完,不要让责任落到你头上。如果你还没有这样做的话,这是你说出实情的机会。
9. Communicate with your co-worker.
9.和你的同事沟通。
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.
你的同事也许并不懒惰。恰恰相反,他们可能不清楚自己的任务和期限。罗宾斯建议,“向他们说明工作目标、截止日期和义务。有时候,这并不是他们生性懒惰,而是因为他们没有用良好的方式来组织自己的工作,安排自己的时间”。他们总是有可能忙于处理个人问题。“我们必须要记住,人们还有生活。”他们可能会因为健康问题或者家庭问题而分心。
10. Don’t say yes to projects that require your co-worker to work at full capacity.
10.不要答应那些让你的同事满负荷工作的项目。
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.”
罗宾斯说,如果你的同事长期表现懒惰,没有任何事或任何人——无论是你还是你的老板——能够让他做出改变,你要主动地在计划中考虑这个因素。他补充道,“如果你获得的项目必须依靠你懒惰的同事,那么要在你的日程表中提前考虑他们的拖延因素。不要答应那些假定他们会准时完工的日程表。”你也可以利用这个机会要求得到更多的资源。“举个例子,你可以说, 嘿,老板,按照目前的资源,我恐怕不能在6月前完成这个项目。 你的老板会回答说, 可是你手底下还有鲍勃(Bob)呢, 你就告诉他, 没错,但是按照鲍勃的工作节奏,我认为他不会在我们规定的日程表内完成需要的工作。 最好的情况是,你会得到你所需要的资源。最坏的情况是,你已经含蓄地提出了鲍勃的工作表现问题,这样做也没有冒犯你的老板。”
11. Use the opportunity to become a leader.
11. 利用这个机会成为领导者。
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.”
这可能是你站出来,证明你有能力处理困难局面的机会。“在你去找老板的时候,告诉他或她,你注意到自己的同事没有完成工作,那么你愿意借此机会担任领导者。然后去找你的同事,表示你想帮助他在截止日期前完成工作目标。这样会让你表现得像个领导者。”
12. Don’t gossip or complain to other colleagues.
12.不要说闲话,也不要向其他同事抱怨。
It’s unprofessional. “You could cause misunderstandings and hurt feelings,” Robbins says.
这是不专业的表现。罗宾斯说:“你会造成误解,伤害同事的感情。”