You may see a lazy employee who’s good for nothing. But we see a goldmine. | Source: ShutterStock
If you’re a manager, having a lazy employee is probably your worst nightmare, right? A waste of time, money, space and company resources? Not so fast, Captain Corporate. An employee who seems lazy may just be what you need to move on up. Here’s why:
If an employee seems like she has time on her hands, it may be because she’s just more efficient at her job than the person who came before her.
If she can finish her work in five hours instead of the eight it took her predecessor, that doesn’t mean she’s lazy. It means she’s found a better way to do the same job. Don’t punish her for that. Instead, ask for insight on how she’s developed higher skill levels. She may be able to help train her colleagues to do the same.
If she seems bored, it’s because she probably is.
Offer her a challenge. If she can handle her normal tasks with ease, this will keep her interested and make her feel appreciated. A lot of seeming laziness actually stems from a squandering of talent.
If your lazy employee is slow-moving, she may not actually be lazy.
Show her faster, more efficient ways to work, and she will probably work faster. You may also want to examine whether or not your company’s overall systems and methods are to blame for this.
Being perceived as lazy employee is generally bad news. But if you feel like you’re lazy, of if your boss thinks you’re lazy, you might just be a diamond in the rough. No, seriously. Here’s why being lazy may not be so bad, and how to deal if you’re truly bored at work.
You may be lazy because you’re good.
Really! If you’re really efficient at your job, you may have downtime. That doesn’t mean you’re lazy because you’re dicking around on Facebook or watching cat videos for an hour or two since you’re done with your work early. It means, well, you’re good at what you do and found a quicker, easier way to do it than your company is used to.
If you’re distracted, ask for more responsibilities.
The more you have to actually do, the less time you’ll waste, and the more impressed your bosses will be. That may mean a promotion or a raise sooner rather than later because you’re demonstrating an increased worth.
