How to deal when a colleague is repeatedly late in getting something to you that you need in order to do your job? For clarity, a peer of mine, head of a different Dept, needs to do a relatively simple task each month and, only after I send about a dozen emails, does he actually do it. I’m totally fed up. I know it’s not a super time consuming task. Like 30min at most, an hour in the most extreme circumstances. I would take it over but it really needs his sign off. Help!

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Set a recurring monthly calendar invite at beginning of day and 1 hr before end of day to get the task done. This may be a passive aggressive move if you don't talk to them first to see if that's ok/ just let them know you'd rather have it on calendar so you don't have to bother them, since you know they're an adult and don't want to micromanage

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Tried this. So now instead of ignoring my emails, he ignores those calendar invites. At my wit’s end

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Talk with them in person, and if it doesn’t improve go 1 step above. Always give them a final verbal chance to improve.

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We have talked in person (well via phone or video conference) and he is usually apologetic and says all the right things and assures me it will get better. It doesn’t. Not sure if he’s just a master bullshit artist or so disorganized that he promptly forgets what he agreed to do. We’ve had the same conversation numerous times now. How would you phrase this final warning before escalating?

This is 90% of my working life. It’s all about covering your ass and giving yourself permission to move on.

Set up a “time bomb” so that when it goes off, you clear yourself permission to do something else. “I need you to send it to me by 3pm today. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll go ahead and do X.”

Then, when you do X, send an informational email to your superior, CCing the lazy dude. “Hello, because we don’t have A yet, we are going ahead with plan B.”
Make sure the time bomb email trail is quoted in your message, so your superior can clearly see how the lazy dude dropped the ball.

Do this consistently, your ass will be covered and the lazy dude will be taken care of naturally.

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This might work in a large origination but we’re pretty small and i’m relatively new. Not looking to make enemies but I’m really frustrated here

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Automate their job. Render their existence useless.

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