Best practice for working with difficult co-worker?

Question

I need some ideas for trying to build a "team" mentality with my coworkers. We are a small office and it is imperative we work as a unit. Our company owners seem to think we just need to work harder without looking at the problems. I love the company I work for because of what we do, not necessarily because of who I work for, and would like to try to my hand at making us a cohesive unit.

Yes, of course, there is one employee that drops the details and says she will handle certain aspects of our work load and then doesn't- either she forgets or freaks out and says she is too stressed. This is a once a week problem so I am guessing that she has info on one of the bosses and is un-firable. Makes it tough on the rest of us.

I have gone through sending out resume's and trying to find another job

that pays as well, but no luck.

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

One of the things I've learned is having a team contract.  It helps clear the air on what is acceptable and what isn't.  Who will be responsible for what objective, what are each others strong or weak points.  Best ways to connect with other members.  It doesn't always work, but it is in writing so if the sh## hits the fan, it's clear from the get go who was responsible.

Other than that, try to work around this person.  Don't let them off easy, but put in fail safes so if they can't accomplish something, there is someone who can try to take over before the deadline approaches.

Answer 2

What you will need to do is make sure that with each project there is documentation stating who is in charge of what, timelines, and other important information.

If at all possible, create a document that is signed or you can deliver as a word document via email with an attached read receipt.  This will show that the information was received by said employee.

Then you just concentrate on your workload, that is all.  If you are a supervisor, then you need to speak with any employee that is fallen short of there duties.  Document the conversations that you have, and make sure there is another supervisor in the room when you are discussing this.  Place that information within a file.

Then when reviews or if your superior asks about the status of a project.  You can explain that it is behind schedule, and provide to them the folder of all the correspondence, including the other supervisors verbal agreement that this employee is not meeting expectations.

By no means should you complete the project assigned to said employee because they are stressed, forgot or what not.  Stressed or forgot = under-qualified for the position.

Just my two cents.

Answer 3

In addition to jpoccia's advice I would add..

If you can set up the relevant protocols to run the office then use a very public wall chart [Dry marker board with a Planner next to it?]

Give each worker a coloured symbol

Give each job a coloured symbol

Place the job symbols onto or next to the workers symbols.  As each job progresses it changes from Green [Job finished in time] to Amber [just late] to RED for way too late.

Get the boss to sanction some small reward scheme for keeping jobs in the Green.  Make a pact with the other decent workers not to keep moaning about the REDs as they pile up.  Leave that to the boss. ;]  Don't be blamed for causing all this trouble!

Allocate two staff to monitor the coding and ensure appropriate trustworthy deputising is in place for times of illness.  Have those staff put the weekly results on the bosses desk  [A nice spreadsheet with colours to match the public chart]

Each staff member then has the appropriate pair of symbols per job stuck on their area of the board for all to see.

Just make sure you only use Red for the job too late symbol and not for any staff.  The only Red you want is failure!

Think it'll work?

Answer 4

keep looking. The heifer I work with is laying the Boss to get her way.

It won't change and it only gets worse.

Answer 5

If your difficult co-worker gets special treatment from the management.  Then there is not much you can do except be patient.

I've seen a similar situation to the one you've described.  That department had a high turnover of workers.  Some workers were leaving because the management didn't treat everyone equally.  And this kind of thing went on for years.  They just kept hiring new workers to replace those who left.

This is not just a problem with a difficult co-worker.  It's also a problem with bad management.  And about the bad management there is not much you can do.  

Answer 6

Make her more stressed so she will quit.