Are you late?
Why are you late?
Time management begins with one of the absolute basics - arrive on time. In his book Copy This!, the founder of Kinko’s (now FedEx Kinko’s) Paul Orfalea recounts that he would make hiring decisions based on key basic modes of operating. One of those is being punctual. I’m sure that Mr. Orfalea isn’t the only one making career decisions based on being on time and other fundamentals of operating in a business context.
If you’re not the one, you undoubtedly know people who show up late. Sometime they cause a group of people to stop their momentum while the latecomer is brought up to speed. Those on time drum their fingers (figuratively if not actually), change their train of thought and engage in other time filling activities while the latecomer is briefed. I have heard those who were interrupted mumbling under their breath, rolling their eyes, and give other negative feedback – even if the latecomer can hear or see them.
Here are the negative associated with people that arrive late:
- Latecomers are holding up others and hurting the productivity of everyone who has to wait
- Latecomers are demoralizing those who do bother to show up on time. This sometime starts a chain reaction where everyone starts showing up 5 then 10 then 15 minutes late to the detriment of all.
- Showing up late disrespects others’ time. It is interpreted as ‘The latecomer thinks he is more important or has better things to do than I do.’
- Other people extend lateness to meeting to expect tardiness in other arenas such as project deadlines. Thus, managers label late comers as high maintenance and dependant on others since the manager infers latecomers will be unreliable to be self-regulating. The manager has additional work to check on the work of the late contributor.
- Late people start a domino affect that can set entire groups, departments, and projects back. That hurts reputations as well as budgets and plans.
- Latecomers can get a reputation as ‘in need of attention’, ‘show boater’, ‘egomaniac’, and more.
Some of the positives associated with people who are on time and early: These attributes may not be earned but they are applied as an extension of being on time.
- They’re reliable and easy to count on.
- They won’t let a person, manager, or department down.
- They can be trusted with important (career building) activities and responsibilities.
- They are predictable in a positive way.
- They are proactive and contributors.
- They are conscientious.
If being on time is an opportunity for development for you consider these steps down the path to being on time:
- Mentally reprogram yourself to arrive 5 minutes early to every meeting. Put them on your calendar for 10 minutes before start time. For example, a 2:00pm meeting is put as 1:50pm on your calendar.
- Practice exit strategies so you leave previous commitments with enough time to get to the next one.
- Do not stop at your computer to check email just before a meeting.
- Plan your usual departure to a meeting and leave 10 minutes “early.”
- Call if it’s the rare occasion that you’re running late.
- DO NOT set your watch or clocks 5 or 10 minutes ahead. The rest of the world runs on real time so you need to synchronize with actual time.
- Set alarms in your computer calendar to remind you to wrap-up current work and get off to a meeting on time.
- Visualize the possible surprise and recognition you’ll receive for leading by arriving early.
Susan Sabo is the creative mind at Productivity Cafe. She works with clients to help them get more done and to get home at a reasonable time. Susan learned punctuality from her Dad who is always 10 minutes early.
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Comments
Erik Mallinson says on June 15th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I think that people who are obsessed with being somewhere on time need to relax a bit. What’s the point? Time is something that mankind has taken upon itself to diligently watch and enforce. Being obsessed about time or totally unaware of it are both a burden on your co-workers and friends.
Marz says on June 15th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
I’m with the poster (Erik) above. Too many people are obsessed with the time on a clock. I can understand why “on time” matters for a meeting..its something a bunch of people are doing together. But I don’t quite get it for starting times for work that does not need to occur at any particular time and can be done independently. There is nothing magic or morally superior about getting to work at 8:30 or 9 , especially if I’m regularly there till 7 or later regardless.
Paolo says on June 15th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
There should be a consensus of what BEST time should be set for meetings. All have diverse schedules and priorities, but agreements can be made and all can meet half way, somewhat like a compromise the benefits everybody that maximize productivity. Loss of productivity is inevitable, but can be minimized.
Louis says on June 15th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Amen Erik!
Sleeping Dude says on June 16th, 2007 at 12:42 am
“Punctuality is the art of guessing how late the other fellow is going to be”.
Seriously though punctuality means two things for me. First, it’s respecting others. By being late you show disrespect. Second, it’s showing your professionalism. Being a manager I need to show I’m organized person and I can be trusted important tasks and relied upon.
Big Eclipse says on June 16th, 2007 at 11:18 am
@Erik, et al…Yeah, let you tell it.
When you start blowing million dollar deals because you are not “Obsessed with being on time…” just tell them that.
Roy says on June 16th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
No Eric and other late folks.
You are wrong. Being late is about not upholding agreements you agreed to. 9am is not special, unless you agreed to be somewhere then, or part of accepting a job is agreeing to be at work ay 9am. If 9am is the problem, renegotiate the hour, don’t just break your promise.
Anita says on June 17th, 2007 at 1:07 am
If I get my job done in a timely manner, why does punctuality matter (as far as being at work on time)? Why is it so important that I occupy a chair for a precise amount of time each day, starting at 8:00? And I’m on a time clock…you could quite simply not pay me for the time I’m not there. But my boss insists that I’m there 8-5 day in day out. What a joke.
Fran says on June 18th, 2007 at 2:39 am
I think almost everybody, even late comers experienced how it is to arrive early and eagerly wait for someone.
Punctuality is a huge part in our personality and it’s a price we need to pay for our ignorance.
Erik Mallinson says on June 18th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
“Prices to pay”, “upholding agreements”… the enforcers are out! Please don’t try to browbeat people whom disagree with you, including myself.
@Big Eclipse - I’m going out on a limb here and guessing that relatively few people in the workforce actually close million dollar deals.
For most of the people, most of the time their job is filled with a lot of tasks that bear no relationship to specific time.
Alan says on June 18th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
I think that people who are always late shows that they lack self discipline.
It’s true that setting the time ahead doesn’t do us any good. Since we are aware that the time is advanced, we still think of it in the right way and will only confuse us.
Lucia says on June 20th, 2007 at 12:52 am
Time management it really is more about feeling good, not having to make excuses, drawing attention for the wrong reasons, making sure that you appreciate that another person is there to make good on his or her interaction. We have a limited amount of time to live, the most precious of all the things we may believe to have and yet we waste it… knowing that we can’t turn back the hands of time. The most horrible feeling is wishing we had more time.
sjb says on September 7th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
An employer diagnosed this “late arriver” problem as that of “having problems LEAVING places instead of having problems GETTING TO places” which actually gets to the root of the problem for perfectionists. The perfectionist never sees an actual place “finished” enough to leave that place and thus has a hard time “transitioning” to the next place.
chronically late says on October 13th, 2008 at 2:47 am
@sjb: that’s it. it’s not that we can’t figure out how much time it takes to get to work, but that we are never ready to leave. i usually try to avoid doing anything important before an event where i need to be on time. or be so early that i know i’ll have time to fill with some other activity (reading my email for example.) meetings at work are only scheduled in the afternoon and never the first thing to start the work day. (fortunately we have flexible time here so not being in the office in the morning is an acceptable excuse)
regarding “Visualize the possible surprise and recognition you’ll receive for leading by arriving early.” that’s a scary thought actually. i find it embarrassing to be recognized for being on time. i’d rather it goes unnoticed or at least without acknowledgment.
to the comments about lack of disrespect, not valuing other peoples time, etc, please also consider the situation the late comers are in.
if i am late for dinner with my friends after work, then maybe my job IS more important than this dinner? i can’t just say no and leave if a workmate (or my boss) has an issue when i am about to leave. or if i have family and am late to work, well, my family always comes first. that’s not up for discussion.