How to Minimize Tardiness in the Workplace

Have you ever experienced being late for your business presentation? How about being late from your class if you are a student, or worst about being late for a dinner date with your loved one? Well, I guess you’re not so happy with what happens next. Your boss might be mad at you for showing up late. Your teacher might scold you for coming late on the examination day. Lastly, you might be having a hard time explaining to your girlfriend or boyfriend why you are late for an hour and the only reason you can give is the mind-blowing traffic jam on the highway - good for you if he/she believes that stereotyped explanation.

Most of us went through the same situations described above not unless you’re very much particular with the time and you don’t want to be late in every single event. But, if you are one of those who keep on beating the time, you’re in the right place! Keep reading this article to know more why you should end up that stressful habit of tardiness.

Tardiness is due to a person’s lack of discipline and commitment. Sometimes it is inevitable due to circumstances that are beyond our control. These include the emergencies and untoward accidents that we encounter as we go to our respective destinations. With these unfavorable situations, your scheduled appointments will be compromised simply because you got stuck and can’t come there on time as expected.

Tardiness can create a negative impression. Others perceive you as unprofessional individual. Often times, tardiness is considered as a form of misconduct. A person who comes in late is said to have undesirable behavior towards his work, his colleagues and bosses. This would further suggest that there is an underlying personal issue that needs to be figured out.

The undesirable habit of being late can also make things complicated. It can ruin your reputation and above all, can be a reason for the cancellation of a job promotion that you’ve been longing for. Whether we like it or not, some employers prefer to give promotions to the employees who have stunning perfect attendance that comes along with a clean tardiness record. Employers believe that workers who always come on time deserve a reward for their great dedication and self discipline. Aside from the outstanding performance in their job, they can be viewed as a role model to their subordinates because he/she values the importance of quality time.

Being late can also provide a lot of stress. When you're late, you are always in a hurry towards your office hoping to catch up and beat the time. Instead of winning the situation, the habit of tardiness is starting to play a trick on you. As you go along, you will feel uncomfortable, get irritated and really anxious about being late - these are the symptoms of simple stress. As we all know, stress is hazardous to human health. This can give you indirect health complications in the future if you keep doing the same thing everyday. Honestly, the effect of being late can be really serious and it should not be taken for granted. I remember one time, I felt so nervous because I am afraid of the idea that someone will be mad at me for being late. I can really hear my heartbeat that time, and it got faster and faster when I looked at my watch as I went along my way. Maybe I was just so stressed and tensed that time. I really felt bad and experienced headaches and some dizziness.

You’ve been suffering from the consequences of being late. You now have a slimmer chance for promotion, been scolded by your boss, and been bullied by your colleagues. These things all happen because of your own fault. Suddenly you will realize this and start blaming yourself. Then what happens next? You will fall into a big despair, frustration and disappointment. You will become lonely and develop unhealthy disposition towards your work. You stress yourself out, trying to prove that you can compensate the time that had been lost due to tardiness, only to find out that it's already late and you can do nothing about it.

Now that you know the undesirable effects of tardiness, I would like to share with you 4 tips to overcome lateness in the workplace.

1. Try to use an alarm clock

Most people arrive late on their offices because they failed to wake up early in the morning- earlier than their time in. If you have the same problem, why not use an alarm clock to help you get up on time? Just be sure to set the alarm properly before going to bed at night or else, you'll end up tardy the next day.

2. Avoid heavy traffic

Find some alternative routes which has lesser traffic. Be aware of the busy streets and try to avoid them. Remember, heavy traffic brings a lot of stress so you better get away from it!

3. Getting ahead of time

This is the most important tip I can give as it effectively lessens the tardiness at work. You should train yourself to be ahead of the scheduled time. Try arriving at your office 15 to 20 minutes earlier. So, if you are required to work at 8:00 o'clock in the morning, then you must be there on or before 7:45 AM. Make it a habit and you'll see improvements within few weeks!

4. Self discipline is important

Be committed to yourself when you want to break the habit of tardiness. You must exert efforts in finding ways to stop you from being late. Don't procrastinate on the important things to be done. Prioritize your work and remember that time is valuable.