Pam Stevenson
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Everyone is occasionally late for one reason or another, but there's only one cause when it comes to chronic tardiness, says
Pam Stevenson, CVPM, owner of Veterinary Results Management in Durham, N.C.
"It's a choice," she says. And one that doesn't honor employees' commitments. When employees accepted their positions, they
agreed to arrive on time. Since the underlying problem is a broken promise, the solution lies in a renewal or renegotiation
of their commitment.
"As leaders, we must create and maintain a practice culture where agreements are kept," Stevenson says. So in a full team
meeting, define tardiness and clearly state what is an acceptable number of late arrivals per month. Then ask each team member
to sign a statement of commitment to punctuality.
"A truly committed person will not have unplanned lateness more than once a month," Stevenson says. But if someone continues
to be late, and a schedule change doesn't help, it's time for that person to leave your team.
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