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Don't try to help stubborn slacker
Q: What do you do when someone never completes anything on time? I'm an administrative assistant, and one person who reports to my boss is always late with paperwork. His expense accounts are now three months overdue.
Our manager is very unhappy about this, but I don't think she has said anything to him. Because I'm extremely organized, I gladly would assist him if he would ask. I constantly remind him about deadlines, but he usually ignores me.
I'm about ready to stop helping and let him hang himself, but that is not my true nature. What should I do?
A: Although this guy's chronic lateness is annoying, apparently his lack of punctuality is not interfering with your own work. You just feel that he should be more responsible.
So let me suggest that this is his problem, not yours. If he gets in trouble, it will be because of his incompetence, not your failure to fix him.
You are obviously a very conscientious person, but I'm sure you've noticed that many others are not. (This often comes as a sad surprise to conscientious people.) Unless these chaotic souls are causing you harm, you may as well learn to tolerate them.
You say that you are about ready to stop helping him. That's fine. He is not your responsibility. You happily would get more involved "if he would ask," but apparently he hasn't. So why stress yourself out over this? After all, you're not paid to be his mom.
Your boss, however, is paid to be his manager. If she is concerned about overdue work, she needs to tell him and hold him accountable.
Any change in this guy's behavior is unlikely unless she demands better performance. But that's not really your problem, either, is it?
Q: My boss has been very unfair. For two years in a row, he promised me a promotion to the next level, then he didn't give it to me. Last year, I was out of work for a few months with a severe back injury. This year, although I had some notable accomplishments, I was out for another three months because of a car accident. My boss says he can't promote me because of the time I missed.
Should I be penalized for an injury that was beyond my control, even though my performance is very good?
A: A perfect example of "where you stand depends on where you sit." From your point of view, your job performance is worthy of recognition, even though you missed a few months of work.
From your company's point of view, you have worked only about 75 percent of the time, regardless of the reason.
Which is the "fair" way to look at it? Well, that depends ... You, your co-workers, your manager and your human resources department may have different views on that.
However, I can tell you that delaying a promotion is not unusual when the employee has been out on disability.
Here's where your boss screwed up, though: He failed to explain the specific criteria that you had to meet. As a result, you have expected this promotion twice, only to be disappointed when it did not come through.
Understandably, you feel a bit jerked around.
To get back on track, talk with your boss and human resources department about promotional requirements, in terms of both performance and attendance.
Ask how soon your eligibility can be considered again. Some companies simply delay promotions for a few months if employees are out because of illness.
Then, when the date for reconsideration rolls around, remind your boss that it's time to talk about your move to the next level -- assuming you've met all the criteria, of course.
-- Marie G. McIntyre is an Atlanta-based workplace coach. Her weekly column is syndicated by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Send questions at www.yourofficecoach.com.
