Tardiness Policy
Alright, fairly new manager here but have been listening to Manager Tools podcasts for some time now.
I work in a customer-service-oriented not-for-profit office. Very small staff (7 members), of which three report to me. I'm currently the highest ranking person (we're in an executive search process).
We have a problem with habitual tardiness - arriving at the office late, and coming back from lunch late. This is born out of our old ED - he saw his role as being to "get his work done," and that meant that he was never around for the follow-through on people being tardy. This has made it very difficult for me to coach my directs through the process of being on time because the head honcho wasn't here setting a good example.
Since he left, I've been trying very hard to set a good example through my own behavior, and last week I'd had enough of this constant lateness. We were short-staffed, and two of my directs went to lunch together. Thursday, they came back in 30 minutes late holding Starbucks (which leads me to believe that they were already 10 minutes late, saw Starbucks, and decided they didn't care), and then on Friday they were again 30 minutes late.
I made a non-productive, passive-aggressive remark to them about it on Friday, and they got defensive and argued with me about it. Definitely the wrong approach.
It's important to me that these people be at work on time each day not just because it's policy, but also because our constituents know when we're supposed to be here, and we deal with a heavy call volume from them that has to be handled by someone (usually yours truly) when everyone comes tromping back from lunch whenever they feel like it.
I also want the people that report to me to set a good example for the rest of the office. When one person is habitually late and isn't getting called out for it, I feel like that sets a bad example.
So, what do you think? I've considered implementing a policy - each time a direct comes in 10 minutes late or more, they accrue a "strike" or a "point" or whatever, with a set number of points leading to progressive discipline. I'd also like to require those who arrive late to make that time up at the end of the day.
I'm ready to provide feedback using the model. What advice would you give?
Don't start with the policy...
Do you have some sort of service level agreement with your constituents to answer the phones during certain hours of the day?
Are performance goals (including coverage of phones) clearly defined for your directs?
From the information provided I'm inferring no feedback has been provided to your directs about tardiness up to this point?
It sounds as though your team has certain goals that are not being met due to employees not being there to answer the phones. I would start with feedback and set expectations (about phone coverage, hours being worked etc.) and if performance goals have not been set then would be worth establishing team as well as individual goals. Then if folks don't meet the goals that's a separate discussion.
Depending on your team you may even want to ask them to come up with a coverage plan themselves to ensure phone coverage is being provided when it needs to.
I would be inclined NOT to implement the policy you're considering at this point - sounds like it would get things off to a bad start / bad tone and where do you go from there?
Individual Feedback / Group Visual
Sounds like a perfect opportunity for some feedback. I can almost hear Mark and Mike in my head: "Can I give you some feedback? When you're late getting back to the office after lunch here's what happens ..." (Explain effects in accordance with their DISC profile for maximum effectiveness)
D - It makes it look like they are not invested in the company, that they don't want to advance.
I - How it's making them less popular with their coworkers and out of the running for workplace recognition.
S - How it's negatively affecting the other team members.
C - Not being able to manage their time makes them look sloppy which could call into question their attention to detail in other areas of their work.
Finally, ask them how they plan to correct it. As it sounds like it's not isolated so you may want to listen to the Change Management cast: What's my Visual? Is there a simple / cheap way to make the emotional case for change? Can you create a visual on the it's impacting its having?
- Sam
I had a similar issue, but
I had a similar issue, but the root of the problem was a feeling of entitlement since we used to work overtime quite frequently. Here is my solution:
1. Better planning to avoid overtime.
2. Let people know that in order to avoid working overtime we need to work our full schedule. (nobody likes to work late or on weekends)
3. Create a game based on Tardiness, every time you are late, you get a point, 10 points, you get to pay lunch for the group :-)
I still have a problem with some people that just accepts paying lunch but at least they are not 30 minutes late, they are no more than 10. My next task is to attack lunch, most people take 1 hour but only report 30 minutes in their time sheet.
Hope this helps.
Gabriel
No games.
Having a "policy" that says when you're not back by some arbitrary time you accumulate points toward a penalty is a game. If you haven't read Freakonomics yet, you should. Pay attention to what happened when the daycare center implemented a cash penalty for lateness. In your case, if the cost of lunch is low, this will exactly backfire: Suddenly the late guy is the most popular guy in the office, because he's always buying lunch, and you're a jerk for having silly arbitrary rules.
If there's a reason why people need to be somewhere at a particular time, make sure that expectation and the reasons are clear, and give them feedback on it. Make really sure you're giving lots of affirming feedback first. People should get used to hearing the "When you...this happens" formula so they can readily identify what behavior you're talking about. (Use the model, not some passive-aggressive 'well, look who is late again' nonsense.) If feedback doesn't work after a few weeks, move to systematic feedback.
For my team, I don't care when you go to lunch, and I don't care when you get back. And if we have a 1:00 meeting, you need to be on time. If you're late, I start without you and you'll probably get feedback after the meeting.
I worry about the notion that people need to be "called out" to "set an example." Public humiliation is not encouraging, and the MT philosophy is to encourage effective behavior. If you're in charge, you can be direct without being mean. (If you're not in charge, stop trying to tell other people what to do.) You should be focused on what will be effective, not how other people's choices make you feel.
My advice would be to start with a morning meeting where you say "Look, we're short staffed while this executive search is going on, and I need your help to make sure the phones are covered. What suggestions do you have for scheduling to make that happen?" How you do that depends on the specifics of your group. You may want to brainstorm, you may want to have suggestions, you may want to do it like M&M do ground rules for meetings. Ask people to commit to specific schedules, and give affirming feedback like crazy when they meet their commitments. Less often, give adjusting feedback when they don't meet commitments.
Most important, don't embarrass people. Encourage people. Give feedback with love in your heart, or don't give it.
md-144
Harsh feedback but effective
md-144
I'll assume you gave this feedback with love in your heart, even though at first sounded as a harsh feedback, I think you have a point. I still think that sometimes, you need to adapt a technique to the environment you work in order to be effective, this is what I did and it worked for me. I probably try to use a more MT approach the next time to see how it works.
I am glad that you don't care when they go out for lunch and they come back, I do and the organization I work for does too. I think I'll use a pure MT philosophy to tackle the problem. Time to listen again to the feedback shows.
Commentary vs Feedback
Gabriel,
What I gave wasn't feedback, but I do offer it with only best wishes and with the assumption that your original question was in the spirit of genuine inquiry.
Feedback is something you offer peers or directs, and comes with a specific formula that is most effective when you follow it precisely. Listening again to the three-part feedback casts starting with: http://www.manager-tools.com/2005/07/giving-effective-feedback/ is a very good idea.
Then listen to this one: http://www.manager-tools.com/2009/03/heart-feedback
"The Heart of Feedback" - that second link - is the source of the 'love in your heart' theme. I think that's the most important thing about feedback, and it will make feedback more effective even if you botch the details of the model.
As for adapting to your environment: Absolutely. Mark often mentions that there are other ways to do things, and the other guy's way may be as or more effective for him. The Manager Tools techniques, though, are proven, reliable, effective behaviors that are teachable equivalents of what great managers do. (There's a cast on this, but I couldn't find it quickly.)
In looking again at my comments, I agree they are a bit harsh, and I apologize. I'm too easily frustrated by a couple of themes, and I should be more aware of my own hot buttons. I'll do better.
I'm glad you're here, and glad you're working to be a better manager.
md-144