Should you confront your manager about a colleague’s incompetence?
As the title suggests, does it make sense to talk about a colleagues’s inability to deliver to my manager. The colleague’s incompetence to take ownership is very evident now to everyone and the manager is not taking any steps on it. Others have to basically cleanup and babysit him. Worse part, this colleague gets paid the highest in the team. At this point it’s just breeding resentment across the team. How to handle this situation? Any tips. Early stage startup, the manager is part of the founding team.
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Send an email and CC your colleagues stating that all have same thoughts. Point out specific instances in the mail and showcase how it's affecting your bandwidth and morale. This way it's documented and inaction can be escalated.
How old are you, man? Just left your nappies. Dangerous advice this. Never leave a paper trail of communications like these and never make your collaboration explicit. Never ever appear that you're coordinated with other colleagues. This advice is unhinged!
Collaboration? It's a collective complaint, not a coup suggesting any action. Sounds like you have PTSD from not knowing how to express yourself appropriately.
What a sick fuck. Have a life
Nope, absolutely necessary to call this shit out
Absolutely necessary to cut bull shit in early stage ventures, live and let live doesn't work for people with high ownership. But is it the work that is the problem or is it that the person is highest paid is the problem.
Do not get involved. Try to minimise your own additional work due to that colleague. In one-to-one meeting with manager, let the manager know. Use the words: I just wanted to bring your attention to one more matter. Then describe the challenges that you face. Not your team. Do not gang up, do not conspire or collaborate. Do not mention about how other colleagues feel the same way. If your manager takes a negative opinion of these activity, you'll be fucked, because such a thing would create a negative impression. If the manager is not inclined to go by your judgement of your colleague's competence, you'll lose face. But it's much easier to control the narrative and restore your manager's confidence in you in a one-on-one conversation, than when it's a group mutiny. No matter what others tell you, do not get encouraged. People often sound like they're with you, but they often are not. They won't back their statements, and you'll be alone holding the bag. And moreover, if you stay out of it, you'll be able to carry the high ground of being above the fray, out of politics, and being balanced. Don't do netagiri of this sort. Conserve it for initiatives for which getting consensus is harder. It might be possible that you're the only one feeling so strongly about it. Then you may be in need of a weekend, or someone to vent to, or even therapy. But get your hate in check.
If you're doing it. Do it with the whole team. And don't even dare sound like the ringleader. If everyone complains together, he'll be forced to give feedback to the truant coaster and next time he'll have a sharper eye on the dudes misgivings. If you complain alone, it won't have the same heft.
Don't clean up and babysit then
Also does he has a better relationship with the manager than you? In that case idk
It’s the team’a OKRs that takes a hit then. And it always comes down to someone else to help complete them.
Just bring it up casually in your 1-1s
First you have to talk with your colleague about what challenges they face to deliver the required work. Do not make it personal, try to understand the reasons and maybe help bring them up to speed so you won't have to babysit. You can also tell your manager the productivity hit you're taking while cleaning up the mess and request help in bringing the person up to speed. Focus should be on meeting team's goals and your own productivity not acting against a colleague
What you can do? Stop cleaning up the shit and babysitting. You can bring the same on 1on1 with manager. And try to present it like you don’t have the problem, overall its a problem. Passively put all the points, so you don’t seem like devils advocate. Never ever drop a mail or anything, don’t give the hint that you’re backed with others also. Manager should go and find out themselves.
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This is so difficult situation to deal with. If you do it the odds are going to be against you.
What’s the equation between your manager and this colleague? It plays an important factor before you even politely quote him, let alone going all-out with the criticism.
