How to Deal With Lazy People At Work

Important: GDPR Email Preferences

As you may already know, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be coming into effect on 25th May 2018. We take your privacy seriously and we are working hard to ensure we comply with the new data protection laws. You can find out more about how we're doing this in our privacy policy on our website.

We want to make sure you continue to receive the latest newsletters, blogs, special offers and more.

As someone who has opted-in to receive our emails in the past, we’d like to give you this opportunity to confirm what you wish to receive:

Just so you know, if you don’t let us know what kinds of emails you want to receive from us, we’ll stop emailing you on the 24th May 2018 - you'll be missing out!

You are of course free to change your mind at any time – just follow the link at the bottom of any of our emails.

Advert

How to Deal With Lazy People at Work

These are the key points to follow when dealing with lazy people at work:

1. Don't neglect the issue: Make the fact that they are not doing what is expected, a definite issue.
2. Give them specific, delegated tasks by means of SMART targets.
3. Praise them every time they make any move to do any task. This is called positive reinforcement.
4. Tell them the painful consequences that will befall them if the task is not done. This is called negative reinforcement.
5. Be persistent. Don't let their desire to be lazy, trump your desire to get them working.
6. Work on them for a long period of time. Behavioural change is an evolutionary process.

Do you have any work-shy people at work?

Work-shy people are those who know what they should do, but they don't do it. They have the materials, they have the resources, but they still don't do it.

Why? Because they are lazy.

Lazy people are falling victim to the natural tendency to save energy. They do that by doing the least possible.

If you have to work with a lazy person it is frustrating, because the work they don't do, you have to do. Or it does not get done.

How to deal with a lazy person.

1. Don't neglect the issue

Make the fact that they are not doing what is expected a definite issue. There are some people who drift into laziness, over time, and they don't even realise that they are being lazy.

2. Give them specific delegated tasks by means of SMART targets.

The first thing to do is to ask the lazy person to do more things. Lazy people lack personal initiative and self-motivation, so you have to supply those factors. You need to give them specific tasks to do with a deadline. SMART means.

• The task must be specific.
• The task must be measured.
• The task must be achievable.
• The task must be realistic.
• The task must have a clear time deadline.

3. Praise them every time they make any move to do any task.

This is called positive reinforcement. The moment the person makes a step, tag it with a bit of positive praise and reinforcement. That will motivate lazy people to do more.

4. Tell them the painful consequences that will befall us if the task is not done.

This is called negative reinforcement. The moment the person fails to make a step, tag it with a bit of a warning about the painful consequences that will happen, if the task is not achieved. That may motivate the person to act.

5. Be persistent.

Don't let their desire to be lazy, trump your desire to get them working.

Lazy people are lazy by habit. It takes time to change a habit. It is difficult to change a habit. So, you have to be prepared for a fairly long struggle to change this person's habits.

6. Work on them over a long period of time.

Behavioural change is evolutionary. You cannot change people in one day, nor by shouting at them once. Instead you will need to work on them, over a longer period of time.

Not by shouting; but by praise, reprimand and specific goals by means of smart targets.

Conflict Management

Conflict Management Training

Conflict is inevitable, because people disagree. Therefore, you must be able to handle conflict situations effectively. You must know how to be assertive, clear and professional (not emotional, upset and angry) whilst in conflict. If you want to learn more on how to achieve this, please click here to see our conflict management training.

Blogs by Email

Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!

Your Comments

Further Reading in Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People

• How to Deal with Lazy People at Work
  Working with a lazy person is not only frustrating, it can also mean that you have to take on their work as well as your own. Follow these key points to get them to do their share of the work.
  Read Article >
• Conflict Resolution Skills
  Disputes within your organisation can be costly. Therefore you need to have a number of skills, including listening and questioning skills, together with negotiation and emotional management skills, in order to quickly find resolutions.
  Read Article >
• Using Reason to Handle Difficult People
  If you wish to get on with difficult people, then appeal to their sense of reason. Treat all problems, and all people according to the principles of reason.
  Read Article >
• How to Manage Bullying in the Workplace
  If your job is to manage people, then it is highly likely that you will have to handle alleged bullying incidents. Here are some guidance notes on how to manage bullying.
  Read Article >
• Management skills training - Giving constructive criticism
  Giving constructive criticism Giving constructive criticism is one of the most important skills for the leader, manager. Constructive criticism is criticism of a person's behaviour, work performance or idea, which is perceived by the receiver, to be more like help, or friendly guidance, rather than "a telling off". Constructive criticism is...
  Read Article >