Procrastination in the Workplace
Joshua A. Robbins
COMM/215 Essentials of College Writing
August 29, 2011
Kimberly Shinabery

Procrastination in the Workplace
Efficiency in the work environment is the key to a businesses’ success. That efficiency comes down to the work ethic of the employees every one of whom is hired, to perform a specific task. Sometimes this is not the case. Putting assigned tasks off and not being thorough enough in regular duties will lead to work being incomplete when it comes to a given deadline. This is sloppy and unprofessional work. Even though life happens, such as family issues, bill problems, car trouble, or any other act of God, there is no excuse for not performing the duties for which employees are hired, because when work is not completed in a timely manner, it ultimately costs the company and shows a weakness in leadership within the company for tolerating it. This is unacceptable.
As stated in this case study, Carl Robins had only Worked for ABC Inc. for six months and performed well in his first recruitment effort to hire 15 new trainees for Monica Carrolls, the Operations Supervisor, and his boss. This took place in April and his new hires were to start orientation on June 15th. This should have been enough time for Carl to take care of the new hires’ paperwork and arrange for training so that they could begin working in July. Ms. Carrolls did not talk to Carl about everything that needed to be accomplished until May 15th. This should have been more of a concern to Ms. Carrolls because after all, these new employees are to work for her. She should have also wanted to see progress from Carl, not just his assurance that it would be completed. In the week following Memorial Day, Carl finally decided to finalize the paperwork for the new trainees. At that time, Carl discovered that many essential items were missing from the new trainees’ files that should have been done during and for the application process, in April. Realizing his mistake, Carl understandably takes a walk to cool down. Upon his return, he decided to check the scheduling log for the training room only to find that his colleague Joe, who was setting up computer terminals, had reserved the training room he was to use for orientation, for the entire month of June. Carl retreated back to his office and sulked. All of this was the result of procrastination, though Carl was not the only one at fault.
Carl has put himself in a very bad situation. Not only will the new trainees not be ready to start working on time, but also his incompetence may cost him his job, especially because he is still new. Carl needs to talk to Ms. Carrolls, admit his mistake, and propose an immediate solution to the problem. With mercy, Ms. Carrolls will just be irritated and allow Carl to redeem himself. There are one of two things that Carl could do right now. With Ms. Carrolls’ blessing, plus time and demands allow, he might be able to push back the training until July and in the meantime he could straighten out the application packages that were not complete. Realistically this is not plausible. Time is money and there is work to be done. Carl’s only other option that is more plausible but more painstaking, again with Ms. Carrolls’ blessing, would be to train the new hires after business hours in the training room when Joe had completed his computer class. Carl will lose much sleep and his social life for the month of June, but this would be to save his job.
It is not Carl who is just to blame; it is his boss Ms. Carrolls. Carl was still new with ABC Inc. himself on his first recruiting effort, still learning his job. Carl might have done well finding 15 new people to hire, but Ms. Carrolls did not show any concern about whether Carl was completing everything he needed to until the next month. In the meeting the two of them had been discussing what needed to be done, she took his word that all tasks that he was assigned to perform would be accomplished. This happened without even asking him what he had already done in the past month since he had hired them and setting deadlines to ensure the trainees had a smooth transition into the company. Not once had Ms. Carrolls checked on his progress. Understandably she is probably quite busy herself, but she is also the one who is in the authoritative position who is responsible to ensure that her employees are doing what they are to do in a timely manner.
The reality of it is, is that this should have never happened. The person who had hired Carl should have been more thorough in the application process and checked his references for this type of behavior. Carl will be lucky to keep his job after this heinous performance he put on showing his true work ethic. Ms. Carrolls however was the one who failed Carl. When put into high priority positions it is essential to perform job in a certain manner. Carl’s position with ABC Inc. was not one of those rare jobs. The respect and entitlement of having a bosses’ trust is earned over time, not handed out. Carl and more importantly Ms. Carrolls have proven that they do not understand that. This is why the leadership in a company, or anywhere with a hierarchy enforces the responsibilities of those from the bottom to the top because incidents like Carl’s would be the end of many companies over time.

Case Study Analysis (Week 2) Content | Points Earned: 10/10 | * All key elements of assignment substantially covered. * Demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate the given situation. * Paper is written in narrative form. * Content is comprehensive, accurate, & persuasive. * Links theory to relevant examples of current experience & industry practice; uses theory vocabulary correctly. * Major points are stated clearly & are supported by specific details, examples, or analysis. * Provides an effective solution to the situation outlined & supports that solution with persuasive evidence. | Organization/Development | Points Earned: 3/3 | * Introduction: * Sufficient background on the topic; Major points previewed. * Thesis statement is clear. Central theme or idea directed toward the appropriate audience is present. * Body paragraphs: support central theme. * Conclusion: logical, flows from the body of the paper, and draws together major points. | Readability and Mechanics | Points Earned: 1.15 /2 | APA Format (.5/.8) * No citations or reference page. Title page is correct.=.1 * Correct font and font size (Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier font, 12-point).=.2 * Header correct; no headings present.=.1 * Double-spaced correctly. Margins must be 1” (top, bottom, right, left).=.1Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling (.25/.4) * Grammar, usage, and punctuation issues throughout paper.=.05 * Spelling is correct.=.2Readability/Style (.45/.8) * Structure of paper is clear, logical, & easy to follow.=.2 * Sentences structure issues. Sentences are often bulky.=05 * Transitions between sentences/paragraphs/sections are usually clear.=.15 * Tone is not always appropriate to the content and assignment—too many colloquialisms, jargon, clichés. =.05 | Total: 14.15/15 Points | Additional comments. I like the way you structured your paper. You have captured the essence of the assignment. We need to do some work on the writing problems. I made some suggestions on how to improve your sentences and other problems. Read through my comments and let me know if you do not understand something. Good job! |