Franke James is Editor/Founder of Office-Politics.com and Inventor of the Office-Politics® Game.

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How do you get a colleague to return a personal item borrowed?

April 2005, Article 1

Dear Office-Politics,

How do you get a colleague to return a personal item borrowed? My friend has asked for it many times and they keep forgetting it.

Perplexed

Dear Perplexed,

Humor and dogged perseverance are likely the most effective tools to persuade a forgetful colleague to return an item. You don't want to appear too aggressive, like you are working for a collection agency (e.g. repeated phone calls in the middle of the night are not a good idea) but you do want the item returned.

Regular doses of good humored, tangible, physical reminders are in order. The message you are sending is that your colleague is simply forgetful, not mean-spirited or a thief. They really want to remember, but -- gosh darn it -- they keep forgetting.

Here are some suggestions, but use your own good judgment as to which are appropriate in your office: Just like the proverbial 'string tied around your finger' to prompt your memory, tie a string to your colleague's chair. Or put a brightly colored bow on their briefcase. Or put a sign on their keyboard/computer monitor. And keep doing these things until you get the item back. Think of yourself as a dripping tap, slowly wearing away at your colleague's stubbornness.

These visual reminders will gently, and publicly, chide your colleague into returning the item, and I believe they are less offensive then constant verbal reminders. The other people in your office will take note, and a subtle form of peer pressure will start to percolate. Your fellow workers will notice the 'reminders' and start asking your colleague if he/she returned the item yet.

Thanks for writing to Office-Politics. Let me know how this works out.

Regards,

Franke

Franke James, MFA
Creator, The Office-Politics Game