One of the most delicate career situations is when a coworker does what you consider substandard work and your boss lets it slide. In those situations, you generally need to let it slide also. Generally, means several things:
- You don’t point out what your coworker is doing wrong.
- You lead by example.
- If it’s important enough, you try to start discussions on positive aspects of your approach. “I do it this way, can you tell me why I would make that extra effort?”
- You look for areas where your coworker’s standards exceed yours, and start a discussion about how you are going to improve based on his example.
- You question your standards. Are they in line with reality and the economics under which your company or department works? Maybe you are the one who needs to adjust things.
A lax attitude toward safety is an entirely different animal. You don’t let that slide. You can’t settle for leading by example. You will have to deal with both the unsafe coworker and the boss who isn’t doing his job to help keep you safe.
First, remember that as much as you might want to slap somebody silly you need to use a calm, controlled voice and demeanor. You might be angry that someone is senselessly putting you in danger, but the goal is to persuade, and anger tends to make people defensive rather than receptive.
For the coworker, ask that person to stop. “Jim, can you stop for a minute? I see something that I want to ask you about.” If he won’t stop to listen to you, walk away. If he does stop, then ask him how he could more safely do whatever he is doing. Keep your tone respectful. You’re not there to scold him, but to get him to tell you how he can work more safely.
If you had to walk away, walk directly to your boss (or to a safe place from which to call your boss).
Your company has a legal obligation to enforce the company safety policy, and your boss is an agent of the company in relation to you and your coworker. But your boss is also someone who can fire you or deny you training or a promotion. Or put you on the worst jobs. So frame this encounter as being one in which you are helping your boss with a problem.
Your next move depends on whether your boss avoids a safety talk with Jim out of a fear of confrontation or if your boss is basically apathetic about safety.
If the former, you need to make it easy for him. “He just needs a little coaching from the boss. If you could just ask him how he could do the job more safely, I am sure he’d have an answer you’d be happy with.”
If the latter, you need to give him a push. “Tom, we have a problem. I am going to help you solve it, so that we can both keep our jobs and so that Jim and I can both keep our eyesight.” (Or whatever the safety issue is). Explain that Jim was working in a manner that creates a hostile work environment by threatening other people’s safety in addition to his own.
