How do you deal with a team member who is not a morning person? We have our team meeting and client meetings at 9:30 AM and they always sounds groggy and slow on the phone. It looks very bad in front of the clients. They look like they just woke up too when they occasionally turn their camera on. I don’t think 9:30 AM is unreasonably early but also don’t want to tell people how to manage their personal schedule. Any suggestions will be welcome!

likesmart
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I’ll be honest, I truly don’t think this is negotiable. In any professional setting (but especially with clients), we have a personal responsibility to present professionally, for lack of a better word. I can wholeheartedly say that if a coworker or supervisor brought this to my attention as behavior I was exhibiting, I would take full accountability and adjust

likesmart

Exactly. If it is the time zone of one removed there is no excuse for this to happen repeatedly. If he can't make it look professional for a client call he needs to step it up, or you need to meet without him.

likesmartfunny

As someone who lives on the west coast I laughed out loud at this. We are consistently expected to be bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6am our time EVERY. DAY.

likefunnyhelpful

Took a gamble skipped my 5:30 am meeting this morning and slept in until my 6am. Turns out other team didn’t show up anyways. Hello sleep

funny
Recent IconRecent

Please remember we don’t know what this person is shouldering in their off work hours

likefunnyhelpful

Come on. You work at Accenture. You're just as replaceable as they are. Instead of judging them, maybe try talking with them. I find your comments about their personal responsibilities disrespectful and completely tone deaf. This is why people burn out from that vacuous hole of useless consulting. Check yourself.

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If it’s internal, say a joke about how they sound like they haven’t had their cup of coffee yet. Had that said to me for a 8:30am.

Or in private, tell them you’re a morning person but you understand 9:30am could be on the earlier side for them (white lie but be empathetic) but it’s starting to sound like they just rolled out of bed sometimes and suggest they try to fake enthusiasm if it’s client facing, as hard as it can be.

Also you might just have to live with it a bit

like

If your leadership style is to make jokes as “call outs” rather than opening a 1:1 conversation from a place of concern with someone about their performance…

Yikes.

like

I'm not a morning person, but 9:30am isn't early, if they're really that out of it at 9:30am, not sure what to say...

likesmart

I still don’t think we are clear if the person is “out of it” versus the OP having no empathy. If you read OP’s responses they sound rather vapid “I want them to step it up” etc, without ever specifying what that means in relation to the work. Sounds more to me like a type-A personality, inexperienced, who assumes people not matching their own style aren’t working as hard. This is actually the worst type of stuff because people who do solid work rarely feel the need to fake a smile on a daily call. Then you get this person calling them out or pulling them aside, essentially saying “smile more.” I’ve seen this happen and it’s total BS.

like

I have mixed feelings about his. Part of me would talk to the team member and discuss how they come across, telling them that it's not only hindering your project right now, but may also hinder their professional advancement in the future.

The other part of me would ask "why do we need this person in the meeting"/ "why does this meeting have to be at 9:30". Maybe there are other ways around this. Different people can have very different sleep cycles/habits, so trying to fit everyone into one schedule could prove difficult (even though I do agree 9:30 is reasonable..).

You don't need to tell them how to manage their agenda, so is you can align agenda's together that would be best, but obviously, this comes from two sides. maybe twice a week have the meeting at 11?

likefunny

Are you both operating in the same time zone? If so, 9:30a is not unreasonable.

If on opposite coasts, 9:30a EST can be too early for some folks on the West Coast…

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And then they want you to stay up till 8 pm so you can take a call with China.

like

What if I sound groggy and tired at noon? But it’s not because im tired, that’s just my voice.

likesmart

There’s a great speech in the Rick and Morty episode “Big Trouble in Little Sanchez” that sums it up.

I’m as sympathetic as anyone about the toll the last year has taken on people’s mental health and well being, but expecting someone to be on his game at 0930 is very reasonable.

like

If it bothers you - and clearly it does, say something - just give grace. Talk about the perception is they just woke up/rolled out of bed at 930, but don’t accuse them of that.

Agree 930 is not too early. Also agree with earlier comments that you don’t know what’s going on with them outside of work. I’ve struggled with depression, and wfh and coming down with Covid earlier this year has made it significantly worse. I don’t believe that means my team should suffer/pick up slack/lower their expectations of me. I would however, appreciate the directness of someone compassionately bringing to my attention if I came off unprepared or something similar as I know when I’m in that mental state, I’m not as self aware as I normally am.

like

I hate morning meetings, but anything after 8 am is fair game unless they are working until midnight the whole week.

like

This is the way

like

Do you manage this person? If so, I think it'd be good to let them know how they're being perceived and how it reflects on the team. Not a good look for them or your team.

like

My personal strategy is to appear this way at all times, even if I've had a great night of sleep 😁

funnylike

I’m gonna point out the possible flip side, because a lot of positive reasons why this person might be non functioning in the AM have been addressed. It’s also possible that they are struggling with addiction. Either way I’d keep an open mind but it is 100% fair to address in a 1v1. 9:30 is a very reasonable start time. Even 8-8:30 in our world. Just address directly, let them know that it shows in front of the client. Don’t try to pinpoint why in the chat, just see how they respond. As a young professional it’s their job to figure out how to manage their lifestyle to perform at work and reflect well in front of clients.

Just keep it factual. To the point. If they do good work generally, point that out too, but make it clear that the team is concerned about client perception. Then follow up in a week or two to discuss progress.

This is all assuming you’re their supervisor. Otherwise leave it alone.

likesmart

I wish an Associate would 🤣

Curious if anyone other then yourself feels this is a concern? Do you manage this individual? I’m assuming there are quite a few more senior people who see this individual’s value beyond their appearance and ability to attend a morning meeting.

like

Get your shit together. 9:30 isn’t close to being early.

likeuplifting

Leave me alone OP.

likefunny

930 AM is “not” unreasonably early.

I’ve lived in Western US time zones for seven years, and have worked mostly on projects on the Eastern time zones for much of that period. If the client schedules a call for 9 AM ET and I’m working remotely, I adjust my bed time and wake time accordingly. It’s part of being a professional.

That said, unless you’re the person’s direct supervisor you might not be in a position to say anything. If you are working together much of the time you might be able to express your concern in a private conversation, but otherwise you’re probably overstepping your bounds. Trust me - you’re not the only one who notices.

like

Sometimes it has nothing to do with schedules. I’ve never been a morning person. I’m usually asleep by 10:30-11. I generally can’t fall asleep before then. However even getting up at 7:30am generally, my mind doesn’t shift into gear until around 10:00am. I can do certain things before 10:00 but interacting with other people isn’t really one of them. Reading email, responding to email, reading research, running tests. Basically isolated work are no problem. Intelligent interaction, NOPE never in life. Even when I was in school, morning classes where absolute hell.

Do people just are not morning people, can’t be, and never will be.

like

Did you write this post in the morning?

likefunny

Hate mornings but I can fake at 8am. It’s not hard just sucks

like

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