6 Ways To Be A Successful Team Member

1. Show Up On Time.

Don’t laugh; you’d be surprised how many people think less of you because you are chronically late. You would be surprised how many people have been left on the brink of failure because you failed to show up on time. But guess what…..that is not my issue here.

My issue is that lateness is about respect; or lack of it I should say. When you make me wait you are telling me that I don’t matter; I am not important and my time is not as valuable as yours. Screw that!

Years ago I was a member of a Toastmasters group; we met at 8:00 in the morning every other Friday. One member always walked in about twenty minutes late; even on the days she was supposed to facilitate the meeting. Yes, you read that right - twenty minutes. Everyone thought the right thing to do was to wait for Diane - everyone but Rich. Well one day I stood up and said “No, we are not waiting for Diane any longer or ever again. You are not respecting me or anyone else in this room who shows up on time. This is not an isolated incident. We are starting and I am going to fill her role unless someone else wishes to do it.”

Silence. Eerie Silence. As if the Queen had just been dethroned.

We started. She walked in and slipped into a chair with a very obvious uneasy feeling. I ignored her. Her apologies for being late would mean nothing at that point. Come to think of it, not much of what she said had any meaning at that point. Yes, forever branded as being late and unreliable. Not someone I would want on my team. Do you agree?

Tomorrow we’ll do number 2.