Extolling the Virtues of the Habitually Late

With rapid changes in technology, globalization, and climate change, distractions are ever present and the pressure to adapt is immense. And the pandemic has only accelerated this change. Learn to leverage technology to mitigate the impact of being late, and reframe your view of others on your team who are late, most likely because of something that directly or indirectly benefits the team.

Living overseas for several years, and, most recently working virtually during the pandemic, changed my view of timeliness. With fewer distractions at home and not having to fight traffic, I was much more prone to join a Zoom meeting on-time. Free video conferencing with services such as Zoom or Google Meet became necessary tools rather than novel technologies.

The key to managing an effectively run team is to accept that each individual and culture has its own definition of time. If you can leverage technology to connect quickly with your team to brainstorm, keep your meetings short, and coach your team members to reduce the inevitable distractions that cause delays, you’ll get the most bang for your virtual buck.

There are three usual causes for being habitually late:

1. Serial multi-tasking;

2. “Chasing the bright and shiny” (also known as Shiny Object Syndrome); and

3. Being unrealistic about managing your calendar.

However, scientific studies have shown that habitually late people are generally more prone to be: optimistic, creative, and less neurotic. These are desirable traits of people who you want to have on your team!

According to Inc. magazine,“ Optimists tend to be more resilient and better able to confront obstacles. There is a strong correlation between optimism and success.” Creativeness and reflectiveness are other desirable traits demonstrated by individuals that have trouble filtering out distractions. They can transition from one idea to another effortlessly – though not so easily from one calendar event to another. A 2006 study published by the Journal of Research in Psychology proved that habitually punctual people, on the other hand, exhibit higher levels of neuroticism, which can have a toxic effect on a working group.

Most of the time, your team members are not intentionally late, causing a loss in productivity or otherwise damaging your business. They are just “genetically wired to de-prioritize punctuality.” Business leaders should instead focus on the virtuous traits associated with the chronically tardy. Now that businesses are transitioning employees back to an office, it creates the perfect opportunity to implement more flexible work arrangements or coaching and motivational tactics to help mitigate some of the consequences of those habitually late team members, because, in the longer-term, the desirable traits associated with a habitually late individual far outweigh the aggravation.

Thomas Friedman, in his book, “Thank You Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving During in the Age of Accelerations,” reminds everyone that taking the time to pause, reflect, and perhaps enjoy a conversation with a stranger is paramount – even if it means being late. He further argues that one should intentionally pause and have patience, which is “’the space for reflection and thought.’ We are generating more information and knowledge than ever today, ‘but knowledge is only so good if you can reflect on it.’”

Consider the value of: (1) incorporating moments to pause and reflect during your day; and (2) the virtuous traits of optimism, creativity and lower levels of neuroticism in your habitually late colleagues. These individuals likely have the capacity to generate new ideas for your business and see opportunities rather than roadblocks in the challenges ahead. Discuss and digest the information your team provides you and provide a little bit of coaching and motivation along the way to reduce the probability of more problematic tardiness.

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Other Sources: Friedman, Thomas. Thank You For Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations. 2nd Edition. Picador. New York. 2017. Pgs. 6, 351-52.

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