When You’re Stuck Working with a Slacker

Having a colleague who makes mistakes, misses deadlines, or just plain slacks off is more than just a workaday frustration; it can also negatively affect your job — and even your career. How can you keep your colleague’s underperformance from dragging you down? Focus on your protecting your professional reputation. If you and this colleague are collectively responsible for producing elements of a project, make sure expectations and roles are clearly defined. A paper trail increases accountability. (It also ensures you get credit for your results.) Bringing your boss into these conversations ought to motivate and incentivize the weak link to do better. In addition, look for ways to reduce your interdependence on this particular person. Ask your manager for individual assignments and challenges to take on. Your goal is to demonstrate your competence and give your boss another way to evaluate you.