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7 Deadly Sins in Business – Sloth 
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Bob Ryan, About Purpose, Inc. ©2008
“This is a business newsletter, what do I care about The 7 Deadly Sins?” Read on. Because those 7 Deadly Sins that most of us grew up hearing about will destroy a business just as fast as they are said to destroy our lives. These next several months this newsletter will answer why you really should care about The 7 Deadly Sins in your workplace.
Last month, we focused on Gluttony and Greed in their many forms and how they put the kiss of death on healthy business. Read 7 Deadly Sins - Gluttony and Greed.
This month we highlight sloth.
"Say, what?"
Sloth, like in laziness, gold-bricking, slacking off. The dictionary definition reads, “failure to use gifts or talents; a: disinclination to action or labor, indolence; b: spiritual apathy and inactivity.”
Simply put, sloth is workplace theft.
Lazy workers steal time, money, materials and equipment.
The company makes a big investment in plant, materials, equipment and labor. Lazy workers keep that investment from returning its full potential. They waste time and therefore decrease the productivity of the resources of the workplace.
Lazy workers steal customer money.
Customers have a right to expect a product or service be delivered at a price in line with the inputs that created it. Lazy workers drive up costs, decreasing the value to the customer.
Lazy workers steal company morale.
No one likes working with a slacker, that’s an obvious downside. But what is not so obvious is that workers will often leave rather than put up with the hassles of trying to deal with lazy coworkers. According to a recent survey conducted by Leadership IQ, a Washington-based leadership training and research firm, 87% of employees said working with a slacker has made them want to change jobs.
Lazy workers steal company profits and market share.
Besides the obvious financial loss from laziness, there is the longer range likelihood of the company losing market share because of its eroding ability to compete due to decreasing productivity and higher costs.
Lazy workers steal their own potential.
Sadly, the slothful employee is hurting himself even while he thinks he is helping himself. Laziness leads to lost opportunity for advancement, raises, improved job knowledge and skills. Further, there is a direct effect on the worker’s family, and in a less direct way, on the community.
Sloth is immoral, unethical, unjust, selfish, self-destructive, and just plain stupid – all at once! Let this be a wake up call to all of us: use time well.
Let this be a wake up call to supervisors everywhere: put lazy workers on notice today and if they continue in their sloth, fire them tomorrow.
Don’t let this deadly sin destroy our workplaces.What's your opinion? Share your feedback by clicking here.