Train Your Employees to Be on Time
Summary
- If you want to teach someone to be on time, focus on rewarding them when they are on time.
- Especially for younger employees or those in low-paying jobs, positive reinforcement works better than threats.
- People often think they need to warn or punish to enforce punctuality, but this only highlights negative outcomes.
- Instead, spotlight the moments when they do the right thing and quickly acknowledge their good behavior.
- Simple phrases like “Great work for showing up on time” or “Really appreciate you being on time for this meeting” can be effective.
Video
How To Take Action
Implementation Strategies:
I would suggest implementing positive reinforcement to encourage punctuality within your team, especially if you're dealing with younger employees or those in lower-paying roles. Here are some actionable steps:
Acknowledge On-Time Behavior:
- Whenever an employee shows up on time, acknowledge it immediately. Use simple phrases like "Great work for showing up on time today" or "Really appreciate you being on time for this meeting." This quick recognition can boost their morale and reinforce the desired behavior.
Create a Reward System:
- Develop a small, cost-effective reward system. This could be as simple as a shoutout during team meetings or a small token like a coffee gift card for consistent punctuality. The key is to make the employee feel valued without spending much.
Highlight Positive Outcomes:
- Shift the focus from the consequences of being late to the benefits of being punctual. Share stories or examples where being on time led to positive outcomes for the individual or team. This helps create a positive association.
Set Clear Expectations:
- Make sure your team understands what is expected of them regarding punctuality. Clearly communicate the importance of being on time and the positive impact it has on everyone’s workflow.
Lead by Example:
- Model the behavior you wish to see. Consistently be on time yourself. Your behavior sets a standard and influences your team’s habits.
By focusing on these low-cost, high-value actions, you can effectively implement a culture of punctuality and positive reinforcement within your business or personal growth journey.
Full Transcript
thanks for showing up to work on time today if you want to teach somebody to be on time then what you want to do is find the instances when they are on time and quickly reward them for being on time especially when you have somebody that's younger in the workforce or low paying jobs those people often aren't on time people often think I've got to tell them that they're going to get fired I'm going to punish them but what this does is it just creates focus on what they don't want to have happen what you want to do is create focus on what you want to have happen find the moments when they are actually showing up on time and you want to quickly reward them for it great work for showing up on time really appreciate you being on time for this meeting
