BOSS NEEDS TO FIND OUT ABOUT SNEAKY SLACKER.

Byline: Ken Lloyd On the job

Q There is one member of our staff who is lazy, selfish and absolutely refuses to help anyone out. This slacker does not show his true colors when the boss is around. In front of him, he's a gem. I have talked with my boss about him, in a casual manner, but he does not want to take any action at this time. How can we get our boss to understand? T.E.

A There are a number of ways to deal with a co-worker who is a gemstone in front of the boss and a gallstone when he is not around.

Your boss's reluctance to act at this point is probably a reflection of the ``casual manner'' in which you originally approached him. When people are approached casually, they tend to respond in kind.

Hence, one way to help your boss understand what is truly going on in your department is for you and some of your fellow employees to meet with him and seriously discuss the situation. Your objective should not be for him to sanction or discipline your slacking co-worker. Rather, you should ask your boss if there is a way for him to spend more time in your department.

With increased visibility by the boss, your slacking co-worker is more likely to spend more time trying to act like a gem. However, unless he truly changes his ways, your boss is likely to see that this gem is counterfeit.

Q We have a weekly meeting that should take less than an hour. It often stretches through the afternoon because of interruptions. Our boss leaves frequently for cigarette breaks, bathroom breaks and phone calls - personal or business. The rest of us waste time until he returns. I am growing increasingly resentful of these meetings, as they often put me behind in my work. What can I do? C.P.

A Rather than having a meeting that is being interrupted by breaks, your situation sounds like breaks that are being interrupted by a meeting.

This is actually a double-edged problem. If your boss is aware that the breaks and interruptions are disruptive and dissatisfying, but he still persists in taking them, that is a bad sign. And, if he is not aware that they are disruptive and dissatisfying, that sign is even worse.

You and some of your fellow attendees should discuss the situation with him. Let him see that the current meeting format is wasting time and generating unrest, and then present some suggestions to correct this.

You can suggest that the attendees be given a draft agenda ahead of the meeting, along with an opportunity to submit additional topics. Within the meetings, there should be specific times allocated to each scheduled topic, with time set aside toward the end for further discussion and questions if necessary. Barring emergencies, there should be a formal and finite time for breaks and phone calls in meetings that are an hour or longer. This type of approach can help set the stage for meetings that solve problems, rather than create them.

Q My manager called me at my desk and asked me to tell him what one of my fellow employees was doing at that moment. I looked over and saw her working. My manager asked me to keep an eye on her and call him if she leaves early. I don't like spying, but I don't want to refuse a directive. What should I do? A.B.

A It sounds like your manager is missing a few of the key essentials for effective management, particularly in such areas as building trust, respect, teamwork, motivation, loyalty and commitment.

The only person who truly knows what to do in this situation is you. Some might say that this is a one-time event where your manager needed help, you provided it, and that is the end of the story. However, you may feel that one time is too many, or perhaps this is the beginning of a trend.

At some point, and that point may be now, you are going to need to talk openly and honestly to your manager about this. Tell him that you want to help him when possible, but watching other employees is extremely upsetting and you would prefer not to do it. You can tell him that, as a manager, he is in the best position to determine whether one of your co-workers is working and whether that person is actually leaving, taking a break or going elsewhere for purely business reasons. You have a full and demanding job as it is, and, in order to do it well, you should let your manager know that you want to focus on it rather than on any of your co-workers.