When I’m Ready

The shift starts at 8:00 a.m. It’s Friday, at 8:17 a.m., and perpetually unpunctual Perry saunters in for the day, late again for the fourth of five days this week. You wrote him up for this ongoing issue last week, and he just couldn’t come up with any reasons why it continues to happen. He looked at you like you had two heads when you asked if he had any ideas how they could fix the issue. It just doesn’t seem to sink in that reporting for work on time is important—to the company and coworkers. You are ready to throw your hands in the air and scream.

When I was in my early teenage years, I wanted a lot of clothes. My parents wisely said that anything that I wanted beyond a certain budget would need to come out of my pocketbook. Those were the years when girls had to take “home economics” classes, and since I had completed my basic sewing class, I decided I would sew some easy summer clothes for myself. I wanted those clothes quickly and didn’t really care about the quality. Let’s just say that this process caused my mother to throw her hands in the air and scream when I insisted on taking shortcuts that were not in keeping with her standards for a seamstress. In my late twenties, my tastes changed. I didn’t just want simple clothes; I wanted wonderfully tailored, well-crafted garments. I took a tailoring course, much to my mother’s surprise. Using a designer pattern and difficult fabric, I crafted a double-breasted pant suit. I loved the process, the detail, and of course, the satisfaction of creating something myself. I looked pretty snazzy, too, even if I do say so myself, and beamed at every compliment!

So, what changed in me that I went from needing immediate gratification, like my teenage self, to embracing a process that required far more from me and delayed satisfaction? As I’ve reflected on this question, I realized that the years that lapsed between those two ages, of course, allowed maturing to take place. But I also realized I was finally ready to accept a new challenge related to something meaningful to me. This has led me to believe that behavior change comes only when a person is ready to embrace it, and when the change brings them value.

This brings me back to perpetually unpunctual Perry. Whether an employee’s issue is attendance, like Perry, or some other area that needs improvement, we often become frustrated that they just can’t seem to get it together and follow the rules or meet the job requirements. Perhaps they just don’t see the value in the rule or requirements. It is not meaningful to them. HR and managers need to take the initiative to understand what contributes to creating value for the employee. What motivates them? Why did they take the job? What did they hope to get out of work? What keeps them coming back?

Understanding employees' motivations and what creates value for them can help HR and managers craft conversations tailored to meaningful solutions to issues, not just a recitation of the policies and rules. I think you will be surprised at the results!