A reader wrote recently, "No matter how hard I try, I always seem to be late. Maybe I am a poor judge of time. Getting to work by exactly 8:30 seems almost impossible. I will be a few minutes late to a meeting, and am often rushing to meet deadlines. Why does this keep happening despite my best intentions?"

What You Can Do

1. Your internal clock, that facility that provides you with time-related information, is set a little fast. You underestimate how long it will take you to. . . drive there, review that, gather the information, pack, etc. The easiest way to remedy the situation is not to try to reset your clock. Learn, rather, how far "off" it is, then add ten or fifteen minutes to whatever your internal estimate says.
2. Even though you run habitually late does not mean that things cannot change. Teach yourself to think differently. Begin to see yourself as someone on time instead of thinking/feeling/saying, "my parents were like this, too. . ." or "Oh, late again. Well, they will expect me to be late anyway." New messages that counteract this are very useful. Think of a person you like and respect who is on time. What does he or she do? Imitate that.
3. Although it is tempting, do not do that "one last thing" before you walk out the door. If the telephone rings, let the machine answer it. Walking out the door at 7:30 means just that. It does not mean looking for the keys, locating the sunglasses, or brushing your teeth after a meal. Those things take time--not just "one minute" as you may think.
4. Start eliminating some of the excess tasks and responsibilities from your life. Being late can be a way of rebelling--a way of saying, "Oh yeah, you can make me attend, but not participate or be on time." If you have too much to do, begin to cut back. Volunteer less, skip a season, and say "no" more often--even to little things.
5. Be aware of grandiose thinking, such as believing that you can: squeeze thirty appointments into a day, do all the fundraising for that special event in four hours, or arrive at Chicago O'Hare airport on Friday afternoon at 3:30, get your luggage, and be in downtown for a 4:30 meeting. If you are a chronic over-booker or over-extender, estimate the time that each item on your to-do list will take. Then add it up. Remember to add 20% extra for the unexpected. If you are already over ten hours, you can get help or consider other strategies.

If You Are the Manager

Occasional tardiness is understandable, but when you are faced with chronic tardiness, that behavior has some undesirable effects on operations and service, not to mention other staff members. Here are some suggestions to turn around that behavior.

1. Clarify the rules. Remind all employees about the importance of promptness and the policy about tardiness. Make sure that everyone on staff has a copy of the written attendance policy. Speak to the latecomer in private about his or her tardiness.
2. Explore the causes. Sometimes it is a scheduling problem, for example, with day care or public transportation. There might be other causes, such as an illness in the family. The lateness is not always an indication of disinterest, boredom or rebellion.
3. Search for accommodation. Is flex time an option? Often, staggered working hours can be a way to retain a valuable employee. Within reason, try to create schedules that accommodate individual needs. Is there training available that would be helpful--say, on planning or setting priorities?
4. Explain the consequences. Make clear that being late creates a burden on others. Caution the employee about the inevitable results of continued tardiness. Will there be written warnings, pay docking, or suspensions? A verbal discussion followed by a written warning also helps make things clear. Documenting the lateness and every discussion about the problem is important. It can be critical in the event of future disputes or, in the worst case, litigation. However, with clear rules, the problem will, hopefully, never get that far.