ALT-1 How to Cope with an Incompetent Colleague
let's be honest for a second, you'll at some point work with an incompetent colleague. Is never fun to have to work with someone who doesn't know they're doing, but it will happen. Not every hires a good one, so sometimes you have to put up with some who does not know what they're doing. What are some strategies for coping with a colleague who is incompetent, and forces you to pick up the slack?
The first thing you have to do is realize that if you pick up the slack, it can make you look good in the long run. This will teach you patience, which is a quality that you really need to have a the office. If you want to be a manager someday you will have to put up with employees who are incompetent, or simply slackers. Learning how to deal with this now will go a long way towards your future as a superstar for the company.
Not everyone can be as good as you your job. Just because someone seems incompetent doesn't mean that they don't add value. They may not be as fast as you, as gifted as you or maybe they don't deal with customers as well as you, but it doesn't mean that they aren't adding value to the company. The key here is to realize that competence is a relative term in some cases. How would you like it if someone look down on you just because you weren't as good as that person?
You'll be surprised how many people get ahead that have no real skills. What is the lesson to be learned here? The real lesson to be learned here is that people who are good at office politics can really get ahead. Whether it is simply buttering up the boss, being really nice to coworkers or simply being well-liked, those who are good at politics and getting along with people end up on top more often than not.
Sometimes it can be good for the ego to deal with an incompetent employee. If there is someone at work who simply comes in, does nothing and then goes home for the day, you look like a superhero simply for being able to do the bare minimum. If you look that much better in comparison, think about all the things you could extort from your boss. Even if you can get a raise, or promotion, at least your boss won't be on your back all the time.
Working with incompetence isn't all bad. At the very least, you look better at your job than you normally would. It also will teach you patience and the fact that being good at politics get you a lot farther than actually being good at your job. While this might not be what you want to lay your hat on at least you can see that it works some of the time.
