Extolling the Virtues of the Habitually Late

With rapid technological, global, 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, because they most likely benefit the team, directly or indirectly.

Living overseas for several years and, most recently, working virtually during the pandemic, changed my view of timeliness. With fewer distractions at home and no traffic to fight, I was much more likely to join a virtual meeting on time. Free video conferencing services such as Zoom and Google Meet became essential tools rather than novelties.

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 people who are habitually late are generally more optimistic, creative, and less neurotic. These are desirable traits in people you want 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.”

Creativity and reflectiveness are other desirable traits demonstrated by individuals who struggle to filter 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, which causes a loss in productivity or otherwise damages 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 long term, the desirable traits associated with a habitually late individual far outweigh the aggravation.

Thomas Friedman, in his book Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving 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, and offer a bit of coaching and motivation along the way to reduce the likelihood 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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