This document discusses how to handle situations when a colleague's mistakes are affecting your work. It recommends first diagnosing whether the problem is short-term or long-term. Then directly speak with your colleague privately and without accusation, explaining the impact and offering help. If the mistakes continue despite efforts, protect your reputation by avoiding future work with that person when possible. Maintain professional relationships and focus on honesty, help, and not assuming awareness of the issues.
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This document discusses how to handle situations when a colleague's mistakes are affecting your work. It recommends first diagnosing whether the problem is short-term or long-term. Then directly speak with your colleague privately and without accusation, explaining the impact and offering help. If the mistakes continue despite efforts, protect your reputation by avoiding future work with that person when possible. Maintain professional relationships and focus on honesty, help, and not assuming awareness of the issues.
This document discusses how to handle situations when a colleague's mistakes are affecting your work. It recommends first diagnosing whether the problem is short-term or long-term. Then directly speak with your colleague privately and without accusation, explaining the impact and offering help. If the mistakes continue despite efforts, protect your reputation by avoiding future work with that person when possible. Maintain professional relationships and focus on honesty, help, and not assuming awareness of the issues.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
This document discusses how to handle situations when a colleague's mistakes are affecting your work. It recommends first diagnosing whether the problem is short-term or long-term. Then directly speak with your colleague privately and without accusation, explaining the impact and offering help. If the mistakes continue despite efforts, protect your reputation by avoiding future work with that person when possible. Maintain professional relationships and focus on honesty, help, and not assuming awareness of the issues.
Copyright:
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When a
Colleague's Mistakes Affect you Introduction
In an attempt to function in this increasingly complex world, organizations are becoming increasingly complex themselves. Important They are built on collaborative partnerships which means more and more of your work depends on the work of someone else. When a colleague is making mistakes, this interconnectedness can feel like a major pitfall. Important Question
So what do you do when a colleague is not doing his/her part and it's affecting your work? What the Experts say The type of mistakes you might be affected by vary greatly: A colleague may miss deadlines, not produce the work required, make errors in calculations or even provide you with misinformation. Diagnose the Issue The first step is to understand what's really going on. Try to determine if the problem is short-term (private issue at home, workload, health problem) or long-term (lack of skill, poor cultural fit with the organization). Approach Your Colleague Directly The best approach is to go to the source - speak with your colleague directly. This conversation should take place in an informal and private setting. Don't accuse or blame your colleague. Use concrete examples to explain what you are seeing and its impact on you. Offer Help and Support If a short-term issue is causing the mistakes, such as a difficult time at home or an illness in the family, you should offer to help. If you find that the source of the mistakes is a longer term issue, such as a lack of skill, you can offer to help brainstorm solutions. Protect Yourself It's possible that you'll discover your colleague is intentionally making mistakes to undermine you or take credit for your work. You can try to confront the person directly, hoping that may make him or her back down. When the Issue Continues… Despite all your efforts and care in handling the situation, it is possible that the mistakes will continue. This isn't only an inconvenience, it could hinder your career. The experts suggest you take a few approaches to preserving your reputation. If possible, avoid working with that person in the future. Principles to Remember Keep in mind that relationships matter. Be direct and honest. Offer help if the colleague is struggling with a short-term issue. Principles to Remember Don't badmouth. Don't assume your colleague is aware of the mistakes. Don't go to your colleague's manager without first talking to your colleague and your manager Thank You
Emotional Intelligence at Work: A Self-Help Guide That Teaches You to Build Your Social Skills and Establish Strong Relationships with Your Peers: effective communication skills
Emotional Intelligence at Work: A Self-Help Guide That Teaches You to Build Your Social Skills and Establish Strong Relationships with Your Peers: effective communication skills
