"Dear Toward the Work, Not Away From It, This guy sounds like an incredibly frustrating colleague. And I imagine it's also very discouraging to feel like you're letting down your clients because one of your coworkers just doesn't feel like working. You mentioned that it's a government job, and it seems like this guy is here to stay (although given the current political climate, who knows!), so perhaps it's time to try to think of ways around him."
"In the short term, are there any projects you can take ownership of on your own? Is there a way to counter his whataboutisms in meetings? When he says that something is too hard, can you come up with a reason why it isn't, or at least suggest that you'd like to try it regardless? Since you say you want to stay at your job, I won't suggest trying to find another one."
A coworker nicknamed 'Captain Clipboard' shares qualifications but consistently avoids substantive work and sabotages collaboration through procedural objections and 'whatabout' arguments. The coworker often claims tasks are too hard, hindering client service and team progress. The supervisor lacks the expertise or authority to address the behavior in the current government workplace. Short-term tactics include owning solo projects, countering objections with concrete reasons, and offering to try proposed solutions. Immediate firing or job hunting are discouraged to preserve job security. Long-term options include transferring to a different role or team within the organization.
Read at Slate Magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]