Question

You have a coworker that has been late for giving you information you needed and sometimes withheld information that would have helped you do your work better. You are extremely frustrated because it results in your work product not being as good as it should be, so you look bad. What's the best step to take?

a. Contact this employee's manager so the manager can coach the employee to be more productive.

b. Ask the coworker about the situation, explain the impact on your work, and ask what ideas they have to keep this from happening again in the future.

c. Contact HR because this employee may have a history of this type of behavior that will need to be addressed.

d. Email the employee to make sure there is a paper trail, and BCC their manager and your manager so everyone is aware of the situation and you will not be unfairly blamed.

Answer 1

The best step to take when dealing with a coworker who consistently fails to provide necessary information is to have a direct conversation with them to explain the impact on your work and ask for their input on preventing future situations. Escalating the issue to their manager or HR should be a last resort if the issue persists. Creating a paper trail by emailing the coworker and BCCing their manager and your manager can also be helpful.

Step-by-step explanation:

When dealing with a coworker who consistently fails to provide necessary information, it is important to take a proactive approach to address the issue. The best step to take would be to have a conversation with the coworker directly. Approach them calmly and explain the impact their actions have on your work and productivity. Ask them for their input and ideas on how to prevent these situations from happening again in the future. This helps foster open communication and collaboration, which can lead to a more productive work environment.

It is not recommended to immediately escalate the issue to their manager or HR, as this can strain relationships and potentially create unnecessary tension in the workplace. However, if the issue persists and the communication with the coworker does not yield any positive results, then it may be necessary to involve their manager or HR for further intervention.

Additionally, creating a paper trail by emailing the coworker and BCCing their manager and your manager can help ensure that everyone is aware of the situation and prevent unfair blame from falling solely on you.