Conversation Planner · for managers
How to talk to an employee who is always late
Read the approach below, or skip ahead and get a plan written for your own situation.
Plan my conversation — free ↓Why the usual approach fails
Lateness gets handled with jokes, sighs, or a sudden formal warning. None of those tell the person what you actually need or ask what's getting in the way. There is often a real, fixable cause — and you won't hear it if the first serious conversation is a disciplinary one.
How to open
"I want to talk about start times. Over the last two weeks you've come in after 9:00 on six days, and the team has covered the first calls. I want to understand what's going on and agree what we do from here."
Ask before you tell
- "What's making the start of the day hard right now?"
- "What have you already tried?"
- "Is there anything about the schedule itself we should look at?"
What to agree before you leave the room
A start time they commit to out loud, plus what they'll do if they're going to miss it. Review the next ten working days together.
Make it yours — free
Edit the details below to match your situation and get a full five-step COACH plan by email.
Other conversations
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Built on the COACH method by Jon Kludt, Business Coach · Certified EOS Implementer® · thecoachconversation.com