What can I do when my boss won’t reprimand an underperforming coworker?

For the last six months, I’ve been experiencing challenges working with one colleague on my team. We’re at the same level, and the other three people I work with, in the same role, also feel the same way as I do. The difficult person is always submitting their work late or incomplete, which means the rest of us are scrambling to finish tasks, which is stressful. We’ve individually approached our team lead about it and they insist they’ve spoken with that employee, but we’ve seen no changes on our end. What’s the best way to move forward in this situation?
Tara Ataya, chief people and diversity office, Hootsuite, Vancouver
It can be challenging to work with someone who doesn’t share your bar for excellence, but with every challenge an opportunity is presented. In this case, you have an opportunity to demonstrate your leadership skills. Try leaning in with a ‘team mindset’ to help set the tone for how situations like these are handled by all team members.
Here are a few ways I would lean into a ‘team mindset’ with your situation:
A great team is diverse in their skill set, and trying to fit every person into a single box could hinder the team’s success. Find opportunities to engage in strength-building exercises to unlock the most effective and empowering ways to divide tasks while learning, growing and succeeding as a team.
Keka DasGupta, corporate strategist, Art of Life-ing, Toronto
It’s frustrating when one person isn’t delivering on their responsibilities within a team, forcing others to over-compensate. This often leads to an us-versus-them dynamic, tempting us to conclude that this person is lazy, delinquent, incompetent or, as you noted, difficult.
While these judgments may have validity in some circumstances, at other times, different factors could be at play beyond the surface. For example, might this person be over-extended in their family life with challenging situations? Might they be facing a personal or mental health crisis? Work-wise, are better training programs or work processes needed? Is their learning style being considered?
Remember, if this person is feeling vilified, unsupported or alienated, that can perpetuate unsatisfactory performance, which doesn’t solve your problem.
While you could approach your team lead again, or even contact HR, this could also be an opportunity for you to augment your own peer-to-peer leadership skills.
Consider practising “quiet leadership” with one-way listening (for example, not responding). Without prejudgment, ask questions and simply listen to gain valuable reflections from this person’s perspective on what they need to succeed with this team. Sometimes, simply lending a listening ear for a coworker to vent safely can be transformative, and these strategies support your end goal of attaining better team cohesion.
Before concluding that this coworker is not a good fit for this team, it’s worth applying empathy to this situation to help this person feel empowered in owning their work. This is where you’re most likely to see success.
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