Toxicity in the Workplace by Shonda Lackey PhD

Author:Shonda Lackey, PhD
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rockridge Press
Published: 1989-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

Struggles with Follow-Through

Is there a colleague who seems scattered and inconsistent in the way they manage their time at work? They may always seem to be on the go yet never seem to make much progress. If that’s the case, you may be fed up with your coworker’s backlogged work and frequent requests for extensions.

Difficulty with time-management can be a symptom of several mental disorders. A colleague who finds it difficult to follow through on tasks may be struggling with ADHD, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or an anxiety disorder. A qualified mental health professional is the only one who can diagnose someone with a mental disorder resulting in issues with time-management. However, learning about possible reasons for this behavior may better prepare you for interacting with your coworker. Rather than suffering the consequences of your colleague’s delays, you can come up with ways to work around their behavior.

In this chapter you’ll learn how to combat problems associated with a colleague who has difficulty completing tasks, with an emphasis on someone who may have ADHD. Someone who has time-management issues due to ADHD usually processes information differently from someone who doesn’t have the disorder. These differences usually occur because their neural networks did not develop in the typical manner during childhood.

Strengthening communication and boundaries with your colleague involves separating your responsibilities from those of your colleague, minimizing interruptions, creating timelines, examining barriers in the work environment, and planning for alternative ways to get work done.

A Familiar Scene

Michael is a production assistant for a production company working on an upcoming film. His responsibilities change from day to day; he can be responsible for answering phones, reading scripts, preparing the set, making reservations, running errands, and other administrative tasks.

Michael has problems with being on time consistently. On Monday and Tuesday, he is on time, but on Wednesday, he comes in 30 minutes late and is already behind schedule. The producer asks Michael to make 20 copies of the most recent version of the script and to have them ready to distribute to staff by 1:00 p.m. The producer specifies that each 120-page script also needs to be bound. Michael is also tasked with scheduling interviews for an open intern position. The producer asks Michael if he wants one of the current interns to help with the copies. Michael declines the offer of help and states that he can get the job done himself.

After Michael settles in, he starts calling back interview candidates and figures he can make the copies later. He underestimates the amount of time it will take for him to copy and bind the scripts. After scheduling several interviews with potential interns, Michael decides to step out to pick up some lunch since the restaurant is right across the street. By the time he starts on the copies, it’s 12:30 p.m.

Figuring he doesn’t have enough time to finish the copies, Michael stops after four copies and goes back to scheduling interviews. The producer on the film—also Michael’s supervisor—discovers that Michael did not add some of the interview appointments into the producer’s schedule.

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