Business Education

Punctuality vs. Performance: When Your Top Talent Routinely Shows Up Tardy

Very few things are as frustrating as a brilliant employee who consistently arrives late. They might be your team’s top performer, a “rock star” who delivers exceptional results and drives innovation. Yet, their chronic tardiness can erode team morale, breed resentment, and challenge the very core of your company culture. (Plus, it irritates you to no end and makes you question your authority.) What’s more, dealing with such an odd situation takes considerable forethought, though having a conversation must also be timely.

How to Handle a Chronically Late Rock Star Employee Without Killing Morale

When your star performer shows up late—again—and just as the phones are lighting up or a key delivery’s gone sideways, it’s more than frustrating. It’s a gut punch to consistency and team morale. But firing your most talented person might not be the smart play, and letting lateness slide sets a dangerous precedent. So what’s a small business owner to do?

Here’s how to keep your business running smoothly while managing this delicate dance.

Separate Performance From Behavior

First, acknowledge the truth: this employee delivers exceptional results. But chronic lateness isn’t a personality quirk—it’s a behavior that affects your bottom line. Be clear with yourself and the employee that performance and punctuality are two separate metrics.

Dig Into the Timing Pattern

Don’t just track that they’re late—track when and why. Are they consistently late on Monday mornings or during high-stress periods? Is something happening at home, or are they simply disorganized? A little pattern recognition can guide your response.

Consider asking: “I’ve noticed you’re often late right when things heat up—what’s happening around that time that’s throwing off your schedule?”

This invites honesty without confrontation.

Have a Candid (but Constructive) Conversation

Schedule a private sit-down. Skip the sarcasm and go for substance. Express appreciation for their contributions, but be firm about the impact of their lateness.

Start with something like this: “Your work is invaluable, but when you’re late—especially at crunch time—it disrupts the whole team. I want to find a solution that works for both of us.”

Keep the tone collaborative, not disciplinary—unless they’ve crossed into repeat-offender territory despite multiple warnings.

Offer Flexibility With Guardrails

Sometimes, flexibility works better than rigidity. If the employee’s best work happens midday, consider adjusting their hours—but make critical times non-negotiable.

For example: “You can start at 10 most days, but you must be here by 8:30 on delivery mornings. That’s a deal-breaker.”

This provides autonomy while emphasizing accountability.

Tie Punctuality to Advancement

If the employee has ambitions—more pay, leadership roles—link those directly to reliability.

Try explaining: “Being great at your job isn’t just about output. If you’re aiming to lead, people need to trust you’ll show up when it counts.”

It reframes punctuality as a leadership quality, not a chore.

Set Team-Wide Expectations

Even if this employee is your superstar, the rest of your crew is watching. Make sure your attendance policies are clear and consistently applied, while still allowing for individual nuances.

Otherwise, you risk resentment, whispers, and a gradual erosion of trust.

Final Thought

Dealing with a rock star who has a chronically late rhythm isn’t easy, but neither is finding someone with their spark. If they’re willing to grow, and you’re eager to guide, the payoff can be a win-win for everyone.

Want to Accomplish More?

Do you want your company to grow faster and earn more while spending more time with your family doing everything you started your business to do?

We can make that dream a reality. Give us 30 minutes, and we will show you how to get your life back. Skeptical? Good! Put us to the test.

You can call us for your free appointment at 480-636-1720, or, if you prefer, send us an email. You can also visit us at Waters Business Consulting Group to learn more about us and the services we offer.

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Clever Strategies Small Business Owners Can Use to Pay Off Paralyzing Debt

November 6, 2025 No Comments

Starting, growing, or navigating a small business through an expansion or lean sales period can present several challenges. Not the least of which is racking up significant company debt. These balances add up fast, and before you know it, they’re eating well into your profit, and possibly, erasing your income altogether.

Key Reasons Businesses Experience High Employee Turnover

November 18, 2021 No Comments

High employee turnover is practically normal in some industries. These are mostly entry-level positions, where people only stay for a short time. But, since the global pandemic outbreak and shutdowns, followed by the reopenings, more and more companies have experienced unusual amounts of employee turnover. Although it’s easy to simply blame this abnormality as the source of the problem, there are sometimes underlying issues. It’s just that these remarkably unusual sets of circumstances have finally brought those festering problems to the surface. High Employee Turnover Usually Underscores Underlying Issues High employee turnover may in fact highlight problems within the workplace and not be a reflection of the departing team members themselves. Put another way, it’s not the employees’ faults necessarily, but something in the way the business is run. This isn’t to say it’s always the corporation’s fault, as mentioned above, some industries experience high rates of employee turnover regularly. However, if you’re running a business that does not hire nearly exclusive entry-level workers, and people are quitting after short periods of time, there are probably some good reasons. Companies often thrive based on the talent provided by their employees. Yet, if a company is faced with frequent turnovers, the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations could suffer. Similarly, those companies that maintain a consistent workforce may be able to grow as a result of their employee base performing consistently. Understanding the causes and effects of turnover can help your company develop strategies and policies to increase the odds of keeping the staff members you value. —Houston Chronicle Small Business One of the most difficult things for owners and entrepreneurs alike to see and understand is where their businesses are falling short when it comes to their employees. Ensuring that employees are well taken care of is just as important as serving customers to the best of your abilities. Since employees are the very lifeblood of your business, they should not only be compensated fairly but treated as vital components of your company. 3 Key Reasons Businesses Experience High Employee Turnover Fortunately, high employee turnover usually comes as a result of at least one of three reasons. If any of these are persistent in your business, it’s probably what’s driving your employees to quit after very short tenures. Here are the most common reasons that businesses experience high employee turnover: Compensation. This is the most obvious and is definitely among the top reasons employees don’t stay with their companies. Unfortunately, this doesn’t just apply to hourly workers, but salaried personnel as well. Paying at the bottom of the industry will practically guarantee that new hires become disaffected in short amounts of time and abruptly quit. Paying at the mid to high level of the industry is one of the best ways to avoid this problem, but that might not be applicable to all situations. Businesses already paying well might also consider little perks and incentives outside of pay, such as extra time off, gifts for meeting goals, and other types of incentives. Management. There’s just about nothing worse than bad management. Even people who are compensated very well will not tolerate bad managers for very long. If management does not treat their staff with the respect and professional courtesy they deserve, individuals will simply find other places to go. Bad management not only drives people to leave but also causes them to perform poorly while they’re at the company. So, take a deep look at the management’s style and execution and make changes if necessary. Culture. Company or corporate culture is also a very important factor in employees staying put. Just like bad management, individuals will not tolerate a toxic culture for very long. Even if management treats them well and they are compensated near or at the top of the industry, toxic culture will eventually erode their loyalty and they will leave the company. Although this is one of the most difficult factors to identify, it is essential that businesses foster a positive company culture in order to get the highest level of camaraderie and productivity from employees. What other suggestions do you have for dealing with high employee turnover? Please take a moment to share your personal experiences and relevant thoughts — it could greatly benefit someone else! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

5 Ways Small Businesses can Weather Uncertain Economic Times

January 21, 2020 No Comments

With regular life all but suspended and so much uncertainty, small businesses will most definitely feel the impact. Although most of it will occur in the short term, it could well have long-term impacts, lasting far beyond the next several weeks. That means it’s time to hunker down and get serious about the situation to minimize any potential damage. 5 Ways Small Businesses can Weather Uncertain Economic Times The very first thing to do is to review all expenses. Not just some or the top, but everything. You’ll likely be reminded of at least one that’s either unnecessary or simply too costly to maintain in its current status. In an uncertain economy when every penny counts, even the smallest increase in revenue or reduction in expenses can have an impact on company profitability. The good news is a large-scale company overhaul isn’t necessary. It’s often simple, common sense steps that improve the bottom line, especially for a small business. Q1, 2020 is a good time to step back and look carefully at your business practices. —American Express Then, it’s time to start to reduce discretionary spending. Here again, don’t just settle for around the margins. Instead, think about where you can cut when it comes to discretionary spending. You’ll probably be surprised by how much you’re wasting and don’t even realize it. More Ways of Dealing with an Economic Downturn Of course, those two things won’t do it alone. While reviewing expenses and cutting down on discretionary spending will most certainly help out, you’ll probably be able to do more — a lot more. For instance, you can do the following: Buy more carefully. This is different from discretionary because these entail essentials. Although these things are necessities to run your business, you can probably get away with buying a little less. Doing so across a few or several items will have a cumulative savings effect that will make a real difference. Cut down on extras. Overtime, perks, even benefits are all part of this particular category. (You should be doing this periodically, about once to twice per year, anyway.) Again, you’ll likely be a bit shocked by how much these items are costing you, especially when added-up together. Consider cutting pay. This doesn’t just apply to your employees, but you as the owner, as well. Yes, you. It might be necessary to reduce team member hours, and even take a temporary pay cut yourself. This will not only help you weather the storm, but also, it shows real leadership. Moreover, it sends a clear message that you are part of the solution, rather than part of the larger problem. Innovate. Huddle up with your key employees and leaders and challenge everyone with to come up with 2 or 3 innovative strategies to create or capture new revenue sources that you are currently not generating. Many successful businesses have found way to survive and in some cases developed entirely new services and products that resulted from innovating during difficult times. Necessity is the mother of invention. Plato. What other measures would you suggest? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.