How to Deal With a Co-worker That You See Doing Their Work Incorrectly
Positive relationships among staff are important to any business environment. After all, these are the people you see every day and interact with regularly throughout the day. Therefore, when you see a colleague doing something improperly, you may be hesitant to say anything at all. However, done properly, your co-worker may appreciate the heads up and feel even more like a team member whose teammates are looking out for her best interests.
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Instructions
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Review company policy. Before you approach your co-worker, make sure that something has changed in the company policies and procedures that you weren't aware of. This small and quick step can save you from being embarrassed after approaching your co-worker, only to find that you were the one in the wrong.
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Pull your colleague aside and talk privately. Don't do it in front of crowd or you risk looking like a know-it-all while humiliating your colleague. Simply ask her if she has a few minutes to chat and then point out that you saw her doing something that differs from the way company procedures dictate it should be done. Then, explain that you would happy to help to show her to right way to accomplish the task. Speak in a friendly and helpful tone to aid in making your colleague more receptive to your advice.
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Say something to your manager if she continues to do the task incorrectly. Again, be discreet in bringing it to his attention and explain that you've already said something her about it. Leave out how receptive she was to your advice, so that it doesn't look as though you are "tattling" on her to management. Just express your concerns to your manager and allow him to handle it from there.
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Tips & Warnings
Take on the task yourself. If it's fairly simple and means that the task — when properly done — will affect your workload positively, then sometimes it's just best to get it done yourself. You know you will do it right and it makes you just that much more valuable to the company.
