Tardiness, a Display of Disrespect or No Big Deal

Even in prehistoric days when human beings hunted mastodons with stone-tipped wooden spears, a member of the tribe was probably late at some point, to something. Sure, the concept of time was not exactly what it is today, but punctuality – or lack thereof – is not exactly a â€Å"modern† phenomenon. This makes tardiness a very old, very perennial problem. And unless you are some kind of superhero with a knack for being on time, all the time, you have probably been late at some point, to something. But context is everything, right? It’s all right to be late to an informal BBQ, but it’s not OK to be late to a meeting with your boss. It’s acceptable to be late to a baseball game (assuming you’re a spectator), but slightly less acceptable to be late to your own wedding. We’re quite certain of that. And of course, it’s no big deal to be late to class – or is it? Teachers have policies on student tardiness that vary just as much as teaching methods do, with some caring mightily about punctuality, and others not at all. A word of advice: try to know your teachers’ thoughts on the matter prior to attending their first class. But even if you don’t know a particular professor’s policy, assume that they want you in class at the designated time, if not a little before then. A very telling email exchange between a professor and student has recently gone viral and it clearly illustrates two very different viewpoints on timeliness. In 2010, Deadspin published an email composed by Professor Scott Galloway who teaches brand management at NYU’s Stern School. This email has elicited some strong reactions (think feverish applause and stadium-style boos). First, some background: Galloway has a policy on tardiness. Students who are late to class by more than 15 minutes are not allowed into class until after the break. In February of 2010, on the first day of Galloway’s brand strategy class, a student dropped in an hour late. Galloway told him to come back for the next one. The student, interested in three different classes – all offered at the same time – had decided to solve his dilemma by â€Å"sampling† all three classes on the first day. He sampled Galloway’s class last, and hadn’t counted on getting kicked out. Perturbed by Galloway’s reaction, the student sent him an email with an explanation. â€Å"I was unaware of your class policy. I was disappointed that you dismissed me from class considering there is no way I could have been aware of your policy [†¦] it was more probable that my tardiness was due to my desire to sample different classes rather than sheer complacency.† Galloway responded by offering feedback of his own – and cc-ing the rest of his students in the process. The gist of the email (and it’s definitely worth a read) is this: â€Å"get your s** together.† Now, unless you identify as a total slacker, that’s the kind of explicit counsel most of us don’t get – especially while pursuing a masters degree in business. But perhaps that’s why the response to Galloway’s viral message has resonated with so many people. Maybe people need someone to stand on a soapbox every now and then to remind everyone else that etiquette matters – even in the classroom – and to be on time. Galloway elaborated on his pithy (and perhaps refreshingly salty) advice by saying this: â€Å"Getting a good job, working long hours, keeping your skills relevant, navigating the politics of an organization, finding a live/work balancethese are all really hard [†¦]. In contrast, respecting institutions, having manners, demonstrating a level of humilitythese are all (relatively) easy. Get the easy stuff right.† Or, in other words, tardiness throws up a flag of disrespect – and that’s not the kind of flag you want to wave in front of the person who decides your grade or whether or not you get a promotion. When BusinessInsider writer Mariana Simoes contacted Galloway recently to request permission to publish the email, he included in his response that he isgetting an email about every three minutes from people (all over the world) voicing support/anger (about an 8:1 ratio). Galloway’s message continues to strike a nerve. How do some Hult professors handle tardy students? Olaf Groth, Professor of Global Strategy and Economics adopted a policy similar to Galloway’s, but not just because he alone wants to avoid interruptions. Students would come in, walk right in front of me or presenting students – even brushing up against us – to take a seat. I now have the airplane policy. Once door is closed, you cant come in until the break. The good students tend to like it, because they like less disturbances and clear rules of engagement. Adam Carstens, Director of Research and Hult Labs team member, will be teaching a course on Change Management at the San Francisco campus next month. He plans to engage the students themselves on creating the class rule for tardiness. â€Å"I plan to ask the students on the first day of class: what should we do if youre late? Whats a fair punishment? Then Ill set the policy based on their responses. Mark Esposito, Professor of Global Economics and Corporate Social Responsibility, has a rule influenced by Akademische Viertelstunde, which translates to â€Å"academic quarter,† as in a quarter of an hour, or 15 minutes. It’s a policy that many European universities have instituted. â€Å"I have tried several things, from zero tolerance to full tolerance, to partial tolerance. What works for me at the moment is a 15-minute tolerance period at the beginning of the class. After that, if they are late, I enter students as late in the attendance record. So far the disruptions seem to be less than before.† So what is really at the heart of the tardiness issue? We think it’s respect, plain and simple. The NYU student in the aforementioned email exchange makes faulty assumptions that the professor decimates – and rightly so. The student assumes that the professor should be lenient because the student a) didn’t know the professor’s policy before attending the class and b) was not expressing complacency when arriving late for class. To address the first part of the student’s argument, ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. Granted, this isn’t a matter of law, but it is a matter of dismissing the reasoning behind scheduling a start time for a class in the first place. A 10AM class doesn’t start some time between 10AM and noon; it starts at 10AM so that everyone can convene at the same time and work can commence. A student may not know a professor’s policy before class, but why should that mean that it’s OK to be tard y? Assume that it isn’t OK and let the professor say otherwise. To the second point, the student was absolutely displaying complacency. Oxford American dictionary defines complacency as â€Å"a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.† The student put his desire for shopping classes above his respect for the professor’s policy on tardiness. It’s one thing to disagree with it, but it’s another to push back, as if the student’s desires should come first. That the professor asked the student to come to another section is hardly unreasonable. More to the point, the student didn’t take into consideration the professor, the other students, and the effort that they all made to arrive on time. Respect entails thinking of others and the given environment, not just oneself. This applies not only to academia, but also to the workplace and, of course, to weddings. What do you think? Hult Labs would like to hear from you. Should instructors have unwavering rules on tardiness? Does that help or hinder the learning process? If you would like to find out more about Hult’s global business programs,  download a brochure here. Photo courtesy of Marcus McBride. Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog 5 Ways Business Education Will Change In 2017, or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .