Q. I work delivering appliances for a local store. One of the guys I work with always has to drive the truck – which seems to leave me doing more of the loading and unloading. It’s not fair. How do I fix this?

A. If you are new to your job, begin by asking your supervisor for general guidance about your job responsibilities and to what extent teamwork is expected. However, I anticipate from the tone of your question, that you have already done so and that the issue is more about your co-worker’s motivation than a division of job duties.

 If this is the case, you are faced with an often routine challenge of the world of work. Yes, some co-workers are motivated, fair-minded and will ask, “How can I help?” Others, perhaps your co-worker, may have an unstated goal to do less and less.

If you have already tried to address the situation, for the time being, you may have to look at the bigger picture of employee performance. In that sense, I am sure you realize that the proactive individual, hopefully you, is developing positive habits that will serve you well over your career. The “as little as I can do” individual likely does not understand that he is developing lifetime habits that may eventually lead to a series of poor performance reviews, dead-end jobs and eventual unemployment.

In the case you describe, since you know what needs to be done, do it. Do it all, better than it needs to be done. Do it knowing you are developing lifetime habits that will provide for you and your family for decades to come. At the same time, realize you also are helping your company to succeed and, therefore, helping others there to a more secure future. Learning to do all that you reasonably can is the most productive of habits to develop.

Yes, you could again address the situation with your co-worker; perhaps he did not see the obvious. I expect he does. Therefore, for now, do what you can to help yourself grow and pray that he will learn from the example you are setting.

To be kind to those who do not understand, or even those who purposefully aggravate us, is perhaps the greatest of graces. Most of us want to challenge and change others immediately. At such times, ponder that our Father is always patient with us. He asks us to be the same with others. Our Father, who art in heaven… and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…