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The term “dragging dead bodies” originated in academia (i.e. colleges and universities) and is often used to describe situations where groups of academics are working on projects together and invariably one or two of the team end up shouldering most, if not all of the workload while others sit back yet take credit for the work once published. The one or two who conscientiously do more than their share of the work essentially end up “dragging” their colleagues through the process of getting the project completed. It becomes a frustrating and daunting task for those who take on the responsibility of following through. Although the term applies to academic situations, this concept is no stranger to corporations and other organizations. Government bureaucracies are well-known for having their share of dead weight. As a matter of fact, the “90/10 rule” often applies to many of these workplaces, i.e. 90% of the work gets done by 10% of the workforce. It seems that government bureaucracies are so well known for these types of scenarios because civil service seems to reward (or at very least condone) passivity.
Although it is small consolation, it is common for the conscientious worker to try and “figure out” what causes their co-workers or subordinates to be so passive. It seems that not only do they lack a sense of personal responsibility but they also seem to lack a conscience, a moral compass or sense of right and wrong. Maybe they lack a work ethic? Not only do they not contribute but sometimes they actually obstruct the project or work from being completed. Some contend that this behavior arises out of need to “stick it to others” a type of passive-aggressiveness. There is certainly a degree of power that these obstructionists derive from their passivity. They can watch their conscientious co-workers squirm as they sit back and enjoy their anguish. Sometimes however, passivity arises out of incompetence or ineptitude. Not everyone is that well-organized and there are some people who are so disorganized that it’s a wonder they get through the day without major calamities. One colleague I was involved in a writing project with several years ago, was consistently missing deadlines for work he promised to complete. I then began wondering if he was beginning to show signs of dementia. We would talk through a plan on Monday and by Friday, it was as if the earlier discussion had never taken place. By Friday, he had forgotten the details of everything we had discussed earlier.
Another variation of work passivity is procrastination. There appear to be two types of procrastinators. The first type ascribes to the old adage, “never do today what you can put off until tomorrow”. This type tends to be lazy, easily distracted and are not stressed by deadlines. The second type of procrastinator tends to be perfectionistic. They put off work because of fears that the work produced won’t be perfect. In either case, procrastination also tends to frustrate those on the receiving end and can also create a feeling of mistrust. I think it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who once said, “Procrastination is the deliverance that doesn’t deliver”. No truer words have ever been spoken. And think about it, there is no deliverance for the procrastinator or the person on the receiving end, i.e. the person to whom the work has been promised. So as days become weeks and weeks become months the person on the receiving end or the co-worker who is stuck “dragging the dead bodies” is faced with the dilemma of what to do. If the responsible party continues to shoulder their work plus their colleague’s, it just reinforces or rewards the passivity or ineptitude of the passive person. The responsible person is stuck thinking, “if I want something done, I’m going to have to do it myself”. Or do they just walk away from the project altogether? However, in work situations that’s not always an option. If you have five more years left to retirement, you’re not going to walk away from a pension just to prove a point. So most people just “put up and shut up” and continue to shoulder their work as well as that of their co-workers. Some situations can be addressed more directly through discussion, through attempts to reach agreements about workloads and work deadlines but this can only work when the responsible party is in a position of authority over the other. In a situation of peers or colleagues working on a project together, deadlines become meaningless. The agreement to share the workload is based on trust…trust that each party will do their share of the work as agreed upon.
There just aren’t a lot of good options available if you’re on the receiving end of someone who will not shoulder their share of the work. I can recommend a book written by Tim Murphy, PhD and Loriann Hoff Oberlin called Overcoming Passive Aggression: How to Stop Hidden Anger from Spoiling Your Relationships, Career and Happiness, published by Marlowe & Company. (2005); which provides some great recommendations for handling some of the aforementioned situations.
By Alan Cavaiola, PhD.
