Few things frustrate me more than the words; “We’re going to wait a few more minutes so the latecomers don’t miss anything.” It’s hard to imagine a more insulting way to start a meeting.
Those of us who took pains to arrive early have just been informed that our time is worthless, at least compared to that of the latecomers. We are penalized for being on time, and everyone – especially the latecomers – is encouraged to be late for the next meeting.
Punctuality is a sign of respect – respect for others, respect for oneself, and respect for the needs of the day. Being on time is the first step toward getting things done!
When the editor of this blog conducted marketing workshops at Kinko’s, he always started precisely on time, even if less than 50% of the attendees were in their seats. “I was raised to believe that if you’re not early, you’re late, and I’d been on the other side of the lectern often enough. There was no way I was going to punish the punctual.”
Students know I am merciless when they arrive late for class. The time I spend humiliating them in front of their peers is not wasted. Rather, it reinforces the importance of meeting mutual expectations. I accept no excuses – only apologies. Latecomers disrupt the meeting or class session, so they should face immediate consequences as incentive to improve behavior.
Whether we’re talking about lateness, bad language, shoddy work, excuses, whatever – it’s important to recognize that what you tolerate, you encourage. Just as we talk about the moral hazard of bailing out irresponsible banks and homebuyers, we must recognize the moral hazard of laissez faire or hypocritical leadership.
To get the most out of your team, you must declare your standards and you must walk the walk. Talk is cheap. To demand punctuality from your coworkers when you yourself are habitually late is nothing less than incompetence. You also must “inspect what you expect.”
For example, at Kinko’s the home office watched bank activity for each store. We expected managers to make bank deposits every single day. You can offer plenty of management flexibility in other areas, but cash control procedures have to be smooth and solid as polished steel. If a manager lacked the organizational skill to get to the bank every day, it was a warning sign that other things might be out of kilter at the store. Even in a business that thrives on the creativity and inventiveness of its coworkers, punctuality symbolizes responsibility.
In the film No Country for Old Men, Sherriff Bell opines that once you stop hearing “sir” and “ma’am,” the collapse of civilization cannot be far behind. I think once we lose respect for other people’s time, the collapse of productivity has already begun. Every minute counts. Every day counts. I think we can improve the nation’s productivity by improving our attitude toward punctuality. It’s an easy place to start, but might go a long way toward rebuilding the mutual respect necessary for collective enterprises, such as business, government, and education.
Here are some additional thoughts on punctuality and productivity: