What to do when your colleague keeps making excuses

"If you are dealing with an employee or colleague who consistently underperforms and makes excuses, it can be extremely frustrating. When someone underperforms it not only slows down team progress and lowers the quality of work, but also forces others to take on extra tasks. This increases the workload for the rest of the team, which often means more stress and potential burnout for those left picking up the load."

"If the issue goes unaddressed, it can erode trust among team members. When leaders fail to act, people may see the situation as unfair and believe there is little accountability for behavior. This doesn't just impact how the team works together in the short term; over time, it can lower team morale and slow down progress toward goals. If leaders don't step up, people don't feel safe. When someone keeps making excuses, it's important to approach the situation constructively."

"Whatever your company's style, one thing is key: Make sure the goals you are working on are crystal clear and connected to the team's overall purpose. If you are a leader, you can schedule a team meeting or, if needed, a one-on-one meeting in advance to discuss the team members' role and responsibilities within the team. If you notice behavior that's full of excuses and lacks focus on goals: Spell out what good, bad, and totally unacceptable results look like."

Chronic underperformance and excuse-making increase team workload, stress, and burnout as others absorb unfinished tasks. Uneven distribution of effort fosters resentment and conflicts while adding management burden. Unaddressed performance problems erode trust, reduce accountability, and over time lower team morale and slow progress toward goals. Leaders who fail to act undermine psychological safety and create perceptions of unfairness. Clear, connected goals and defined roles reduce ambiguity and limit excuse-making. Establishing specific expectations, deadlines, outcomes, and standards enables accountability and focused feedback. Constructive, proactive conversations and agreed expectations support corrective action and protect overall team effectiveness.

Read at Fast Company