Ask Amy: Lovebirds encounter a serious red light
Dear Amy: I've been hired on a new team where I work very closely with “Bruce.”
We are assigned group projects and submit our work together.
The problem? He's an idiot. He's a nice guy, but is sloppy in his work, incompetent, irresponsible, and can't manage priorities and deadlines.
We are both new and I'm afraid his poor work will reflect badly on me.
I don't want to hurt anyone, but I'm wondering how long to wait before I approach my supervisor.
I find myself managing him, though we have the same job title.
What should I do?!
– Worried Worker
Dear Worried: If possible, wait until you’ve completed one project together. If you continue to believe the quality of your work could be compromised by “Bruce’s” incompetence, you should go to your supervisor and ask to be reassigned.
You should be able to do this without throwing him under the bus: “Bruce and I have very different work habits and capabilities. I believe I could achieve much more and be more productive working with someone else. Would that be possible?”
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