STRATEGY

Faulting an ambitious coworker isn't justified—unless, of course, in their quest to climb the corporate ladder in record time, they have taken on so much additional work they have let their basic responsibilities slide, leaving the rest of you to pick up the slack. The goal of this lifescript is getting a peer to keep up their basic responsibilities, without damping their enthusiasm for more. Begin by telling them how much you and the rest of the staff admire their dedication and zeal. Then, gently point out how in taking on so many extraneous projects, they haven't been paying attention to the work at hand, resulting in the rest of you having to cover for them. Ask that they rededicate themselves to their basic responsibilities. They will either admit they haven't been paying much attention to their basic work, deny they have let things slide while playing the eager beaver, accuse you of being jealous, or accuse you of being lazy. Whatever their response, you'll need to provide proof that you and the rest of the staff have been covering for them while they have been scheming to land a corner office by age 25. If push comes to shove, let them know you're all angry.

TACTICS

• Attitude: Even if their incessant brownnosing and volunteering for extra work makes you gag, your attitude should be one of appeal. Whatever you do, don't put them down, overtly threaten them, or undermine them. Remain calm and in control at all times.

  
  

• Preparation: Talk to your peers and make sure they, too, are feeling resentful of carrying the ball for a coworker who attempts to score brownie points. Once that's confirmed, tell them you plan on having a friendly chat with the individual in question, and get their assurance they'll back you up if need be. Concrete examples are crucial.
• Timing: Talk to them alone, behind closed doors, preferably after lunch when they should be in a good mood, or when they should be getting down to core tasks.
• Behavior: Initially, behave as if you admire the person for working so hard. From there, act as if you're appealing to the person's sense of fairness and rationality. If that fails, make it abundantly clear—without getting nasty—that you and the rest of your cohorts are in no way, shape, or form going to serve as their stepping stones.

ADAPTATIONS

This script can be modified to:

• Ask a spouse, partner, child, or sibling to stop pursuing so many extracurricular activities.

KEY POINTS

• Flattery rarely fails. Open the conversation by saying how much you and your colleagues admire their dedication.
• Inform them in delicate terms that their enthusiasm to get ahead has resulted in the rest of you picking up his slack.
• Be able to provide evidence of doing this.
• Ask them to please be fair to the rest of you and refocus on their core responsibilities.
• If this fails, make it clear you and the rest of your peers won't cover for them anymore.
• Remain calm at all times.
• Speak with them alone, preferably after lunch or at a time when they should be focusing on their core responsibilities.