Lazy Teammates
by Mariah Burton Nelson
 

"How do I keep from being distracted by a teammate who practices and plays with about 20 percent effort?" asks Glenn Blakney, a reader from Massachusetts.

Whether it's a goalie who won't dive for balls or a colleague who surfs the web all day, teammates who don't pull their weight can be taxing.

Here are three strategies to help you stay focused:

1) The coach approach: Gently note the teammate's minimal productivity, ask if anything is wrong, and offer to help remove obstacles that block performance.

2) The "we need you" approach: The teammate might not understand his or her vital role. If you phrase your request without implying criticism, he or she might feel flattered to be noticed and needed.

3) The "change the things you can" approach: Despite your best efforts, you probably will not be able to persuade all of your teammates to perform up to your standards. In that case, you're left holding a mirror -- and not the fairy-tale one that tells you you're the bravest and best of all. Consult an ordinary mirror. There you'll see that, while you may be strong on effort, you're weak on patience, wisdom, tact, or something else.

In fact, has it occurred to you that your weaknesses, whatever they may be, might be just as annoying to others as this teammate's are to you? Fix your own faults -- or lessen the damage they cause the team -- and you'll forget all about others' imperfections. In other words, practice your own shot. Hustle down court. Rebound from mistakes. Pass the ball to your teammates. When, inevitably, they drop some of your passes, forgive them and get on with the game

Point #1: Lazy teammates can distract you from your goals.

Point #2: Focus primarily on your own performance.

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