Chronically late people can be frustrating and baffling to anyone stuck waiting for them.
Researchers have tested several strategies that have been found to help people slow to finish their work. One involves predicting how long it will take to get something done based on past experiences. Another is breaking down a task into very detailed steps.
A study published in 2012 in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes found that prompting people to mentally picture a task from the perspective of an outside observer caused them to make more realistic predictions about how long the tasks might take, said Dr. Roger Buehler, the lead author of the study.
The research of Jeff Conte, an associate psychology professor at San Diego State University, has found that there are some personality differences that can contribute to chronic lateness.
Get There on Time
A clinical social worker offers tips to be more punctual:
- Don’t double book. Accept that you can’t be in two places at the same time.
- If you have a morning meeting, have clothes ready the night before and use an alarm without a snooze function.
- Use a calendar to block out meeting times. Include travel and transition time.
- Set a warning alarm on phone for when you need to get ready to leave and another alarm for when you need to get out the door.
- Try to get to a meeting early and reward yourself with coffee or time to relax.
- Consider the cost of being late, remembering any past consequences.
- Visualize yourself being on time, which will increase focus and attention.
- Get enough sleep so that you are thinking clearly.
Source: Lisa Bernstein
A 2003 study, Dr. Conte co-wrote in the journal Human Performance examined 181 subway operators in New York City. The study found that those who preferred multitasking—a concept called polychronicity by psychologists—were more often late to their job.
In Dr. Conte’s research, Type A individuals—those who are fast-paced, achievement-oriented and hostile at times—tend to be more punctual, he said. Type B individuals, who are more laid-back, tend to arrive later. He documented that finding in a 2001 study he co-wrote in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology that included 194 college students.
Across three previous studies, Type A individuals estimated that a minute passed in 58 seconds, compared with 77 seconds for Type B individuals. “So if you have an 18-second gap…that difference can add up over time,” Dr. Conte said.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, February 3, 2015
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