A colleague is not keeping agreements
You are waiting for information or work from a colleague and cannot move forward. Sending another reminder feels awkward, but taking over the task does not resolve the underlying agreement.
SPAALO editorial team · · General conversation support
Discuss one specific agreement, explain which work is now blocked and agree a new delivery with a clear check-in point.
Three practical actions
Check what was actually agreed
Look back at the task, the expected result and the agreed time. Was the deadline explicitly confirmed, or was it your expectation? Establish that distinction before concluding that the person is unwilling to cooperate.
Explain the impact and ask what is happening
Speak to your colleague directly and calmly where possible. Describe what is missing and how it affects your work. Ask about the obstacle and listen to the response. You do not need to assume the cause in advance.
Make a specific follow-up agreement
Agree what you will receive and when, and when your colleague should tell you if it will not be ready. If the original delivery is no longer possible, identify the part you need first. Briefly confirm the outcome.
What you can say
Use words that feel natural to you and replace the details with what is happening in your situation.
We agreed that I would receive the figures this morning. I have not received them yet, so I cannot finish the report. Where are things up to?
I was expecting it today, but I do not think we confirmed the time together. When can you send it?
The delivery has now been later than agreed twice. What do we need to agree differently so I can plan around it?
What changes with your circumstances?
You are colleagues at the same level
Keep the conversation about cooperation and dependencies. You can discuss an agreement, but you are not making commitments about employment consequences.
Your colleague has been given another priority
Ask who can resolve the competing priorities. Agree with the responsible person which delivery is needed first, rather than putting pressure on each other.
The agreement affects a customer
Decide who will inform the customer and when. Do not communicate a new date before your colleague has confirmed it.
If the conversation is still not moving forward
If no workable agreement emerges or the pattern continues, present the dependency and previous agreements factually to the responsible manager or project lead. Ask for a scheduling decision. Use that conversation to unblock the work rather than to criticise your colleague publicly.
A pitfall to avoid
Do not quietly take over the work every time. Avoid labels such as “unreliable” or “lazy”; they do not explain what needs to be delivered now.
Make it specific to your role.
What exactly was agreed, what is missing and which part of your work depends on it?
Describe it in the SPAALO app. Choose your role for practical guidance on what you can do and say. Do not include names or confidential information.
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