When A Coworker Works Too Slow

How often have you found yourself annoyed or frustrated with a colleague who seems to constantly delay projects, talk endlessly without acting, and create roadblocks for unnecessary reasons? If the answer is often, then trust us—you’re not alone. Dealing with a bad coworker who’s inefficient is a major challenge that can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction with not only your work relationship, but your job in general. 

Here’s the thing, though. You might think that you need advice about how to “speed up” that coworker. 

You don’t. 

That’s because you probably already know what you need to do. We’ll get to that in a moment. 

The more important guidance you need—and what we’re here to talk about—involves how to deal with the emotional challenges involved in working with a difficult coworker. 

Why you don’t need strategic advice on dealing with a bad coworker

If you want strategic advice on how to deal with a tough coworker, there are countless articles for that. Many of them will talk about a lack of clarity in job responsibilities and expectations, an inefficient process, workflow bottlenecks, skill gaps and training issues, and motivation levels.

And sure, all of those things can probably help. But do you really need to be told how to approach those?

If you’re a pretty motivated and competent worker, then you probably don’t. You already know the issue: they’re slowing things down. And you also know the solution: through a variety of strategies—which are personal to your unique situation—you need to speed things up.

Does that look like circumventing that coworker and delegating important tasks to more efficient colleagues? Maybe. 

Does it look like having a sit-down conversation with your coworker and getting their point of view so you can tweak their tactics? Maybe.

Does it look like raising these concerns to a superior who can step in on your behalf? Again, maybe. 

You probably know best what needs to happen regarding this colleague. But what you may not know is how to coexist with a colleague who’s making your workday a frustrating, difficult and just bad experience.

Understanding your emotional landscape

How are you feeling about this slow coworker situation right now? Frustrated? Powerless? Angry? Overwhelmed?

You’re probably feeling a little—or a lot—of all of these emotions. And they’re valid.

They can also become your biggest obstacle if left unchecked.

Why? Because when you constantly tell yourself the same story about this coworker—that they’re a huge frustration that only causes you anxiety and annoyance—then you’re creating a belief system about yourself, and your life, that reinforces a narrative you don’t want to reinforce. That narrative is simple: this colleague has control over me. 

Shifting from a victim to strategist mindset

With our coaching clients, we often talk with professionals who fall into the same trap: they believe they’re completely at the mercy of a slow-moving colleague. They believe that no matter what they do, they’re bound to get frustrated, annoyed and infuriated by someone who works in inefficient ways. 

In order to tell if you’re letting this colleague get the best of you, ask yourself:

• Am I allowing this situation to control my professional peace?
• Am I able to constructively move forward right now?
• Am I becoming less productive because of the time I spend thinking about this situation?

If the answer is yes, then you’re probably telling yourself a very specific kind of story right now. It’s the same story our clients tell us—that you’re a victim of circumstance held hostage by something outside your control.

But is this what needs to happen?

Do we really need to feel this way?

The answer, of course, is no.

Taking ownership over what you can control

You can’t change how a coworker works. Even if you intervene, it won’t turn them into a fundamentally different person. Instead, think about what you can control:

• Your reactions
• Your approach when communicating
• Your own productivity
• Your professional standards and work processes

Again, you probably already know what you need to do to speed things up at the office. But what you must always, always keep in mind is that if you are constantly letting an outside force disturb your emotional state, then you’re losing sight of the bigger goal: living a peaceful and joyful life. 

Get more clarity regarding workplace frustrations 

No one person—not even a bad, annoying, slow or frustrating coworker—should have power over our emotional state. 

And so the key is to first regulate your emotional state. Remind yourself that you are not, in fact, at the mercy of a colleague you don’t especially like. You’re not beholden to them, and their reactions to you do not automatically have the ability to ruin your day. Your ability to live a successful life and have a wonderful career aren’t tied up in one person; instead, they’re tied up in how you think about problems like these. 

Are you really satisfied with giving a colleague all that power? We suspect that the answer is no. And when you start to see the opportunities within the “forest,” instead of the problems associated with individual “trees,” you’re able to think much more clearly about how to proceed with a slow coworker. 

The best part? Once you stop letting that colleague have power over you, it makes handling issues with their efficiency much, much easier.

Could you benefit from more specific tips and guidance? Schedule a complimentary coaching call with an FOM Coach today.