If an Employee’s Disorganization Is Causing Problems, Help Them Understand Why

March 14, 2019

If an Employee’s Disorganization Is Causing Problems, Help Them Understand Why

Managing a disorganized employee can be a maddening experience — especially if their bad habits are hurting the team. To address the problem, help your direct report understand the ripple effects of their disorganization. Maybe they keep missing deadlines; maybe they’re causing other team members to fall behind; or maybe it just looks bad to clients. Detailing the consequences of their behavior will drive home the importance of staying on top of meetings, calendars, and email. Talk to your employee about ways to remedy the situation too. If you have a good system for staying organized, walk the person through it. Show them how you handle your to-do list and how you file, label, and review things. You could also start a team-wide discussion about organization to exchange tips — but remember to let people be themselves in how they approach their job. Everyone is different, and what works for one person may not work for another.

Adapted from “How to Manage Someone Who Is Totally Disorganized,” by Rebecca Knight