Slacking co-workers?

Did you know? 

Slacking co-workers cause a quarter of their hard-working colleagues to put in 4 to 6 more hours of work each week, according to research from the New York Times best-selling authors of "Crucial Confrontations".

The on-line survey of 549 people found that goodwill isn't the only victim in this situation  - 

productivity, satisfaction, and quality also suffer.

In fact, four out of five say the quality of their work declines when they have to pick-up their co-worker's slack - 

That's a huge potential blow to the bottom line when you consider that 93% have a co-worker who doesn't do his \ her fair share.

With such a great toll on resources, what do the majority of employees do when they are faced with slacking co-workers?

Unfortunately, not much!

The study shows that only 10% speak-up, and hold their under-performing colleagues accountable for their "bad" behaviour.

The top five reasons employees list for biting their tongues : 

1. They don't believe what they say will make a difference.
2. They don't want to under-mine the working relationship.
3. It's not their place.
4. They fear retaliation.
5. Unsure how to approach the conversation.

Joseph Grenny, co-author of Crucial Confrontations says employees often avoid holding others accountable for "bad" behavior due to fear of the potential risks of speaking-up, but do not consider the risks of not speaking-up.

"Those who are best at holding their colleagues accountable realize that if they don't share their concerns with a slacking co-worker, they will have to live with the consequences that result from holding back their informed opinions, such as low productivity, lost revenue, and strained relationships", says Grenny.

Grenny also says when we fail in our attempts to hold others accountable, it's often because we rely on ineffective strategies such as couching (to word in a lofty manner), relying on non-verbal cues, passing the buck, or asking others to read our mind.

Grenny offers five "good" tips for candidly, and respectfully holding co-workers accountable for their "bad" behaviour :   

1. Suspend judgements, and get curious. Perhaps your co-worker is unaware of the effects of his \ her actions. Enter the conversation as a curious friend rather than an angry co-worker. 
2. Make it safe. Don't start by diving into the issue. Establish safety by letting your co-worker know that you respect him \ her, and reminding him \ her of the mutual goals you share.
3. Share facts, and describe the gap. Start with the facts of the issue, and strip-out any accusatory, judgemental, and inflammatory language. Then, describe the gap between what was expected, and what was delivered.
4. Tentatively share concerns. Having laid-out the facts, tell your co-worker why you're concerned. Help your co-worker see the natural consequences of his \ her actions.
5. Invite dialogue. Ask if he \ she sees the problem differently. If you're open to others' points-of-view, they'll be more open to yours. 

                                                                                                    Source : Marketwired