Leaners

     Do you know about leaners?  You may not know these people by this name, but I am sure that you have seen these individuals.  As you drive by a construction site or a road repair crew you will notice that a few individuals are hard at work while others are “leaning” on their shovels watching those who are working.  Hence the name “leaners”.

    Leaners are not just unique to those jobs that require shovels.  They are prevalent at most work sites, to include offices.  These people are content to do the minimum of work and often complain if given a workload that they consider excessive.  They are the ones you see “leaning” on the water cooler or by the coffee pot.  They lack the motivation to do a decent day’s work.

     As a former supervisor, I found the presence of leaners in an organization exasperating.  To motivate these people seemed impossible…to get them to realize the importance of earning their pay also was difficult. 

    

     Leaners seem to complain about things more than other people.  They complain that upper management does not treat them fairly…they should be promoted, rewarded, and compensated for their efforts.  They complain more because they have more time to engage in the art of complaining and whining.  Those that work hard frequently do not have the time to find fault…they are too busy doing their job.

     While I had problems trying to supervise leaners, as a fellow employee, I found them to be extremely useful.  The more leaners there are in an organization, the easier it is for someone who is conscientious and works hard to look good.  In comparison, average workers look great when being compared to a leaner.  Without leaners, we would all have to work harder to impress the boss.

     Having a positive attitude, high self-esteem, and being goal-oriented go a long way to give an individual an advantage in competing with fellow employees.  However, leaners give all of us some slack to not always have to work at our full potential.  Imagine if everybody had a strong work ethic and consistently gave 100 percent.  It would certainly make it more difficult to stand out and be considered by upper management for advancement.  So while it was difficult supervising leaners, they made it easier for me to advance to being a supervisor.

     I guess I should be grateful that other employees have been content to lean on the job and watch others move up the ladder.  As a supervisor, I found it difficult when employees “Lean on Me”.