Dear Bob ... The Boss is technically brilliant, very hard working, and a great friend - but (you knew that was coming) - he's a world class procrastinator and embarrassingly messy, and it's beginning to catch up with him. My strategy in the past has been to take care of infrastructure details (sometimes over objections and moved goal posts), give him credit whenever possible, encourage proactive behaviors Dear Bob …The Boss is technically brilliant, very hard working, and a great friend – but (you knew that was coming) – he’s a world class procrastinator and embarrassingly messy, and it’s beginning to catch up with him. My strategy in the past has been to take care of infrastructure details (sometimes over objections and moved goal posts), give him credit whenever possible, encourage proactive behaviors in him and offer him the best advice I can.Now, there are some clear signs that it hasn’t been enough. It’s far from a lost cause, but – because my influence is indirect and my available energy is limited – considerable lead time is required. He rejects any suggestion that he needs to change, but it is in my best interest that he keep his job. Can you offer other strategies? – CoveringDear Covering …In a word, no. At least, no, I can’t offer different ways you can influence him to change. It’s a cliché as old as Freud: You can only succeed if the other person wants to change. From your description, that isn’t the case.Many CEOs are as you describe this individual. The smart ones engage a Chief Operating Officer as a complement. I’d suggest you recommend a similar strategy with your boss – describe the role as a Chief of Staff. The job description would be to keep him focused, prevent him from fragmenting the energies of his organization with too many stray ideas, take care of day-to-day progress tracking for organizational initiatives, and in general keep him pointed in the right direction so he can work hard and be technically brilliant on the right problems at the right times.Which is to say, you can’t change him; you might help him recognize the need for an offsetting influence. It’s up to you whether you recommend yourself for the role. One other tactic you might pursue is to enlist the help of his administrative assistant. You’ll have to judge the admin’s capabilities, of course, and how much you trust his/her discretion. But a good admin can do a lot to help the kind of leader you’re describing stay on track.– Bob ——– Technology Industry