By Sim Iang Boi Let’s be honest—something is going wrong in many workplaces today. Too often, assigned tasks get dragged out for days or weeks beyond the deadline. Progress updates? Only if you ask for them. And the most common excuse when you finally get an answer? A casual shrug accompanied by the words, “I forgot.”
We’re not talking about a one-time slip-up. We’re talking about employees who repeat the same behavior over and over, without the slightest visible effort to change. No new reminders. No better organization. No personal accountability. Just a comfortable reliance on their manager to keep chasing them until the work is done.
This is not harmless. It’s not “just a small thing.” This attitude is dangerous—for productivity, for team morale, and for the future of the employee’s own career.
The Real Cost of Negligence
Every time a task is delayed, someone else pays the price—whether it’s a colleague who has to work overtime to cover for you, a manager who must abandon important strategic work to follow up, or a client who loses confidence in your company.
Negligence breeds inefficiency. Inefficiency breeds frustration. And frustration, if left unchecked, will drive your best people out the door—leaving behind only those comfortable with mediocrity.
Why Is This Happening?
The reasons are uncomfortable to admit:
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Lack of self-discipline – Some employees simply don’t plan their time and wait until someone pressures them to act.
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No fear of consequences – When managers keep tolerating repeated forgetfulness without action, employees learn that deadlines are optional.
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Weak connection to purpose – If someone doesn’t understand why their work matters, urgency disappears.
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Over-reliance on reminders – When a boss becomes a personal alarm clock, employees lose the habit of thinking ahead.
Forgetfulness Is Not Innocence
Forgetting once is human. Forgetting repeatedly without changing your habits is a choice. When someone keeps saying “I forgot,” what they are really communicating is: It wasn’t important enough for me to remember.
That’s a harsh truth, but it’s one that needs to be heard. In the workplace, reliability is not an optional skill—it’s the bare minimum requirement for being part of a team.
Fixing the Culture
If leaders want change, they must stop normalizing this behavior.
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Call it out directly – Don’t let “I forgot” slide. Ask, “What system will you use to make sure you don’t forget next time?”
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Tie work to consequences – Make sure employees understand what happens when they fail to deliver—not just to themselves, but to the entire team.
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Enforce accountability – If someone repeatedly drops the ball, it must reflect in their performance review, workload assignments, and career progression.
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Stop being the safety net – When managers keep rescuing employees, they rob them of the chance to develop responsibility.
The Harsh Reality
The working world is not patient with chronic negligence. In competitive industries, those who cannot manage themselves are quietly replaced by those who can. Being “good at your job” is not enough if you cannot be trusted to deliver it on time, without reminders, and without excuses.
“I forgot” might seem like a harmless phrase, but in reality, it’s a red flag. It signals to colleagues and leaders that you are unreliable. And once that label sticks, it’s hard to shake.
A Final Word
If you are an employee reading this, remember: professionalism is not just about skill—it’s about trust. Every time you fail to follow through, you chip away at that trust. The easiest way to stand out in today’s workplace is surprisingly simple: do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it, without needing to be chased.
And if you are a leader, stop accepting “I forgot” as a reason. It’s not a reason. It’s an alarm bell telling you that either your systems are broken, or your team’s attitude is. Fix it now—or prepare to live with the slow, steady collapse of your workplace standards.
