Danni in the Dark: Laziness truth or myth?

As a Business Psychologist and Business Coach, I often have conversations with HR members and Managers about their concerns regarding 'lazy' colleagues and subordinates. I am never surprised when hearing their failed attempts at changing the attitudes of their cohorts. The reason why I am never surprised is because 'laziness' isn't real.

I'm writing on this topic because the concept of "laziness" came into my mind whilst walking through Liverpool Station earlier this year. I was walking back to my office from a meeting and coming up with every reason possible not to read through the new contracts that were in my email box and waiting for review. Having to read through my newly drawn up contracts seemed overwhelming, especially after I'd wasted a huge amount of time on them the previous year. This was particularly unlike me, as anyone who knows me, knows that I am extremely organised and energised by my work whether a day of Coaching clients or proposal writing or running a workshop, and yet something as simple as reading through a contract was constantly put to the bottom of the pile…I was frustrated with my 'laziness'.

Now have a think about when you are disengaged; perhaps it is when you find no enjoyment in your work, when you want to do as little as possible, when you aren't feeling valued and don't see the point of what you are doing? Perhaps you fear the repercussion of making mistakes and so you hide from tasks, and perhaps you've been too fearful to ask for help in the past and now you're too far in and just coasting or hiding from detection? At this point, could you be labelled as "lazy"?

On the flip side, when are you at your most productive? When are you energised and eager to accomplish more? When are you happy to go the extra mile? Why and when, in both your work and personal life, do you feel like that?

I wonder if you can now see that laziness isn't a real thing. It is an umbrella term used to describe someone who isn't engaged, someone who doesn't see value in their work, someone who has no motivation, someone who fears failure or criticism. Everyone has the ability to be engaged and productive, they just need to find their motivation and confidence.

So next time a team member or an employee is branded 'lazy', start to question what is behind the 'laziness' and help them unlock their true potential.