The Lazy Co-Worker
by Molly Luffy
That's right - at 23 I was fortunate enough to have hooked up with a smart, fun, generous person who shared his time and wisdom with me freely. I’m not sure how our relationship developed. I guess he saw potential in me and wanted to help me. Boy was I lucky. My mentor saved me from committing corporate suicide many times!
I told him what was going on and he asked me a simple question, “Molly, what does a lazy co-worker have to do with you?” “Well, it's not fair!” I cried. “Who told you life was fair, kiddo?” he asked.
His reply hit me like a ton of bricks. It wasn't that I hadn't ever heard this "life isn't fair" thing before. It was just that it was really the first time I realized that the cliché applied to the corporate world - in a major way!
He went on to tell me that it was really none of my business if that co-worker didn’t ever do a single thing. It was my bosses' worry, not mine. Then he asked me if I realized how I was allowing this co-worker to have an impact on my own attitude. I hadn't really thought about that one before. That really got me fired up. I’d be damned if I’d let that loser have any kind of impact on me. In that very moment, my annoyance and indignation vanished.
I was in control of my own work, my own attitude and my own success. Period. And I was not going to let my lazy co-worker have an impact on my success. If I let her get to me, my attitude suffered. And my work quality was bound to be affected too. And all because of some jerk? I don’t think so.
I resolved at that very moment that I would never let another annoying employee get to me. And this resolution has served me well for many years. It’s saved me from a lot of unnecessary stress worrying about others, and I know it’s saved me from doing something really stupid.
So Lois, take my mentor’s advice and let it go. It’s not your concern. Focus your energy on being the best employee that you can possibly be regardless of what others are doing around you. I think you'll be glad you did. I know that I am.
Putting the Wiz-dom to Work
- Who is the lazy co-worker in your life?
- How does your feeling about this person impact your overall attitude, work ethic and professionalism?
- Are you wiling to let these feelings impact your success?
- Resolve to let it go and never worry about the performance of others again!
The Lazy Co-Worker
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