Do you have any tips for dealing with people who are ALWAYS late?
By Boingboing
@boiboing (13153)
Northampton, England
April 26, 2016 12:23pm CST
My boss is (on the whole) a very good and decent person but she's never on time for anything. I, by contrast, am probably not such a good or decent person but I'm never late for anything. If I say I'm going to be somewhere at a particular time, I will be there - come hell or high water.
I find lateness deeply disrespectful and irritating. She seems to be completely unaware. i have tackled her a few times - once after waiting 'on hold' on a conference call for 25 minutes with a dozen other people whilst she went to get a coffee. She has got a bit better but not much.
It's now 6.20 pm and she wanted to be out of here by 6.00 so we can go for shopping and dinner. At this rate, I suspect she'll be closer to 7.00 by the time I get her out of here and the shops shut at 8.00.
Do you have any great tips for encouraging work-mates to stick to their promises?
17 people like this
15 responses
@Fleura (29129)
• United Kingdom
26 Apr 16
I'm terrible for being late because I often forget to factor in enough time for actually getting to wherever I'm meant to be, and I'm always trying to squeeze in too many things. I trick myself by writing down things like meetings in my diary about 15 mins earlier than they really are. I recommend you do that to her as well. Unless she starts getting there on time she will never know.
1 person likes this
@youless (112112)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 16
It seems that it is a trend for bosses to be late. My boss is the same. Perhaps he enjoys the feeling that everybody is waiting for him so that it shows how important he is
If your boss is kind, perhaps in the future you can tell her an earlier time so that she will be there on time anyway
If your boss is kind, perhaps in the future you can tell her an earlier time so that she will be there on time anyway
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
27 Apr 16
Work-mates? Sadly, no, but for others I just tell them the time, and plan on them being thirty minutes late.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
26 Apr 16
Stop waiting for her, and maybe after being inconvenienced a few times by everyone else getting on with their lives she'll learn to be more prompt!
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Apr 16
I agree with your feelings about being on time. I can think of a lot of ways to open a person's eyes to this less than respectful way of conducting themselves. But your boss? Do you have a open enough relationship that you could talk to her? If so, I would go to her and with tact and respect I would tell her your concerns. Have other people noticed this and commented on it? Has she lost business because of it? Think of definite instances where this could have/did affect business. If it hasn't then you may end up just looking silly.
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
26 Apr 16
If she is your boss I think any comment would have to be done in a very tactful way, personally I would not risk it! The suggestions below about giving an earlier time are probably your best bet.
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
27 Apr 16
start things without them, go ahead and leave, start the meeting, something
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Apr 16
I have a sister-in-law like this. She is terrible. If she looks like being on time, she'll make a cup of tea seemingly just so she can be late. We were taking a busload of people somewhere once and told her if she wasn't on time, we'd go without her. We meant it and she must have known as she actually turned up on time. Good luck with your friend.
@norcal (4890)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
26 Apr 16
I drive my mom to the grocery store, and she likes to hang out at Starbucks for a while. We usually plan to meet there two hours after I drop her off. After many times of having to wait for her when I arrived on time, now I just come a half hour after our appointed time. Better she waits for me than I have to wait for her.
