Forgetfulness and Lethargy at Workplace

Perhaps, with lack of concentration, we fall in oblivion, and then, with no gravity at workplace, we become lethargic and time-wasters.

So what makes a task unfinished or gets halted in the middle? Either it’s disengagement due to irresponsibility and lethargy or forgetfulness due to no focus and follow up. Sometimes, it could be both. It’s not like that a person takes up few tasks, and without proper progress, control and outcomes, wants to commence some other task. And the worst is even after a project gets completed, no post-project activity or execution appraisal is carried out.

Without sequential stability in workflow, either we become erroneous or delegate wrong people to do pivotal tasks. And, with no serious commitments, we tend to behave like multitaskers, but, in fact, we lose track of activities. On the other side, incompetent employees leave aside their tasks half completed. That’s because of laziness or simply they dislike work. Sadly, incomplete assignment or work leads to waste of time and money.

It’s all about how one maneuvers key essentials, from ideation to execution. All goes well when shortcomings get rectified, milestones are traced, backlogs are completed and the sequel is realized with pace and momentum.

For example, in a workplace, management aims to implement changes for upgrading its industrial facility. Key people are called, a couple of meetings are held. Gap analysis is done, roles are allocated and the initial process takes a kick-start. After couple of weeks, something else overlaps and everyone forgets that task. Again after a year, someone remembers it, and then, people freshly begin to rehash their lost discussions. Obsessed with too many things—some half completed, some in planning, people, again, mess up key tasks by putting forth deficiencies and proposals and nothing reaches to consensus. So, one focal task gets dragged to two years, and then, nothing happens.

Oftentimes, employees cloaked in lethargy are like people deep in slumber. They will remember their tasks when they are reminded. Otherwise, they will stay silent and will not bother to conclude any pending work. Or they will abandon some tasks, and undertake those that they find suitable. 

Think less and do more. Yes, this simple adage works. Instead of social gatherings and gossips, it’s far better to have productive meetings and effective team interaction. Instead of blaming others for problems it’s better to find different perspectives to resolve lingering issues. 

Prior to taking up extra tasks it’s better to check whether there are any incomplete assignments. It doesn’t make sense to kill a project half-way after having a reliable feasibility study. And then, there should be a clear work schedule how a project is going to be implemented or delivered after its completion.

To do or not to do. That’s to be decided as early as possible. When you plan for a product, list out possibilities to produce it, and after spending sufficient resources on research and development, then go ahead to produce and launch it in the market. To annul a product, after all spirited efforts and spending, is sheer wastefulness. Was the plan itself wrong or there wasn’t any plan for product launch? In either case, there’s an apparent absurdity.

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