Ask HN: How will you handle a team member who always comes late and leaves early? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How will you handle a team member who always comes late and leaves early?

#31

Post by meteor » Thu, Aug 06, 2015, 3:05 AM UTC

toyg wrote: post #30

meteor wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Usually, the tasks we have takes weeks or sometimes months to achieve. I think the best approach would be to break down these tasks and track them on weekly/daily basis.

I would support that, but weekly only. Daily meetings are typical micromanagement and waste more time and morale than they gain. Just have a frank chat on the lines of "dude, i hate to say this but we are not delivering. We have to change our ways a bit. Here's a list of things I need in the next two months: you have to nail one each week. I don't care which one, just give me one each week. I ask you because I trust…

That's great piece of advice. Appreciate that.

Re: Ask HN: How will you handle a team member who always comes late and leaves early?

#32

Post by xyz124 » Thu, Aug 06, 2015, 7:24 AM UTC

How long has he been in the company? Is he a new member or is there a track record of delivering/not delivering stuff?

Re: Ask HN: How will you handle a team member who always comes late and leaves early?

#33

Post by zhte415 » Thu, Aug 06, 2015, 10:35 AM UTC

I am more interested in how so many people can complete their tasks and manage their time so perfectly everything is done by 6pm and can be picked up at 9am the next day with no hitches.

Amazing time managers, with perfect foresight and judgment abilities.

Re: Ask HN: How will you handle a team member who always comes late and leaves early?

#34

Post by lcmatt » Thu, Aug 06, 2015, 2:38 PM UTC

zhte415 wrote: post #33

I am more interested in how so many people can complete their tasks and manage their time so perfectly everything is done by 6pm and can be picked up at 9am the next day with no hitches. Amazing time managers, with perfect foresight and judgment abilities.

Not really.

My job finishes at 5.30pm, an hour or so before I'll start winding up any bigger jobs ready to pick them up in the morning.

Anyone who's consistently having to work overtime are unable to manage their time correctly.

Re: Ask HN: How will you handle a team member who always comes late and leaves early?

#35

Post by zhte415 » Thu, Aug 06, 2015, 3:11 PM UTC

lcmatt wrote: post #34

zhte415 wrote: post #33

I am more interested in how so many people can complete their tasks and manage their time so perfectly everything is done by 6pm and can be picked up at 9am the next day with no hitches. Amazing time managers, with perfect foresight and judgment abilities.

Not really. My job finishes at 5.30pm, an hour or so before I'll start winding up any bigger jobs ready to pick them up in the morning. Anyone who's consistently having to work overtime are unable to manage their time correctly.

Perhaps a different angle.

If done at 4pm, just leave, do something else, volunteer a project. No need to be seen to put in 'required hours;. Delivery is important. If anyone sticks around for required hours they're being dishonest with their team about their capacity.

For overtime, a good manager depends on honesty of their staff to gauge their capacity. A staff member that sticks around until required time doing nothing but pretending they are doing tasks is being dishonest about their capacity.