#207 The Power of Punctuality: Transforming Lives and Teams w/Pastor Scott Turner

Ever wondered how a simple habit like punctuality can transform your personal and professional life? Hear from Pastor Scott Turner, co-lead pastor at CityChurch in Bartlesville, as he shares touching stories about his father's influence on his values and time management skills. Pastor Scott highlights how punctuality goes beyond being a mere habit; it's a testament to respect and reliability. By valuing others' time, you're not only building stronger relationships but also reinforcing your own character. This episode offers tangible insights into how consistently being on time can set you apart and make a meaningful difference in your daily interactions.

Shifting our focus to the workplace, we explore how punctuality—or the lack thereof—affects team dynamics and overall culture. Learn practical strategies for addressing tardiness, from confronting the lost time directly with latecomers to employing creative meeting times that catch attention. Discover why chronic lateness can erode respect and commitment within a team, leading to a decline in morale. With real-world parallels to professional sports teams, we emphasize the critical role of leaders in modeling punctuality and setting the standard for accountability. Tune in to understand how these principles can help foster a more positive and productive environment.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Importance of Being Punctual
• 11:56 Punctuality's Impact on Team Dynamics

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

On today's episode we chat with Pastor Scott Turner about the importance of punctuality. We'll explore what being on time says about you whether it's a sign of respect, reliability or simply good planning and what it says about your attitude towards those around you.

Speaker 2: 0:16

Welcome to the Scott Townsend Show brought to you by Dietzelman Productions.

Speaker 1: 0:22

Hey, this is Scott Townsend. Welcome back to the Scott scott townsend show. And today I have with me pastor scott turner, co-lead pastor with mary turner, his wife at city church here in bartlesville, and I invited him on the show today to discuss, uh have a discussion about what it means to be on time. Someone told me that you're you're big on being on time. I don't know what that is. That's why I've got you on the show so you can explain it. But those out there listening I've noticed that in a job working, one of the biggest deals, it seems, is people just being on time, showing up on time. If you're supposed to be at work at noon, it's always noon one or 12.02. So, anyway, there's a lot of ways to combat that, so I'm just going to turn it over to you. What is the big deal with being on time?

Speaker 3: 1:21

Yeah, good question. And hey, it's fun to be here with another Scott Great name, by the way. So, yeah, I had a dad who definitely was a little bit of a time Nazi. So he was a real estate developer and so I think he was very much aware of contractors and subcontractors being on time and getting done in a timely manner. Maybe that's another conversation, but so I just grew up with a dad that basically it was maybe some of your listeners did as well. He was like, hey, if you're not five minutes early, you're late. That was just standard practice and so it just kind of was ingrained in me as a kid, you know, and so that's probably the genesis of it. And then you know being involved in with people and in a professional environment and ministry, you know, it's something that I've carried into, this, and maybe I become the time Nazi it's very possible.

Speaker 3: 2:36

But I do see the value of being on time for many different reasons. I think the first one that comes to mind is it just shows value to the person that you're meeting, whether it's something that's casual or something that's more formal. It says to that person you matter, I care about you, I respect you, I value your time, so I'm going to be here on time. And then the opposite is true. If I'm late, habitually tardy, I mean everybody's going to be late. You're going to hit, you know, maybe not. You know, maybe it's not Bartlesville traffic. There's not a whole lot of that, but you know, sometimes you get caught behind an ambulance or you know something beyond your control. That's all right. I mean that stuff happens to everybody and that's not that's. I mean that stuff happens to everybody and that's not that's. I don't. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about kind of the habitual tardy vibe, uh, and then the showing up either with, uh, just pretending like you're not late and not never saying anything, or nobody notices.

Speaker 3: 3:40

Yeah, hey, nobody will notice, uh. Or breaking out the 101 excuses, which is incredibly lame, you know. And blaming everything else. Hey, nobody will notice. Or breaking out the 101 excuses, which is incredibly lame, you know, blaming everything else. So you know, I've just seen it where it shows value. You value the other person and you know to me, that's the main thing that I'm showing you, that you matter to me, that I care about you and I care about whatever event we're both involved in.

Speaker 1: 4:07

So what does it say about you?

Speaker 3: 4:10

Um, yeah, I think I think that brings up another good point. Um, I think it. It it says about me that I care about my reputation, uh, I punctuality uh is a form of of who I am. It's a, it's an outflow, a visible reality of who I am, and so if I'm on on time, ahead of time, it shows that I care about myself. I care about, um, you know uh, the perception that others have uh about me, not in some weird way or competitive way, just in a. You know you can trust me because I'm here with the little things, so you can trust me on the little things, which means down the road, hey, hand me a medium sized thing to a big thing and you know that I'm good. I'm good for it. I'll be here, I'm in your corner.

Speaker 1: 5:05

Reliability is what you're talking about there. Absolutely.

Speaker 3: 5:08

That's right, scott. Yeah, reliability, I think you know character is what comes to mind. Like you know, everything we do says something about us. If I'm chronically tardy, you know it. It to me, it's a, to me it's a character flaw or a blind spot and and something that I definitely, I definitely don't. I definitely don't want others to see that in me and if they do, I would hope I'd be humble enough to be able to say yeah, you know, you're right, my words, my bond. So I said I'd be there at noon. I should have been here at noon, my bad.

Speaker 2: 5:54

Thank you for joining me. Scott Townsend Show. We'll be back right after this.

Speaker 1: 5:59

Hey, if you're enjoying the episode, why not share the love? Spread the word with your friends and family and, hey, don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Got something to say I'd love to hear from you? Shoot me an email at scott, at scotttownsendinfo, and let me know why you decided to subscribe. Your feedback means the world to us. What? How do you? How do you treat or not treat? But so you've got a. An employer person, that's uh. Family versus employee is totally different. I don't know what you do with the family members, but employees, let's say, yeah, employee shows up and is is uh late, but not only late but starts to become a habit. And I see a lot of people just turn and look the other way and it just kind of grows. And what's a good way to handle someone who is habitually late as their manager, supervisor, whatever?

Speaker 3: 7:05

Yeah, I think the first thing and I've had several of those conversations like if I didn't care about the person I would just let it go but it really is out of genuine care that you know actually where I sit. I can't really call it an office, it's a makeshift office. We don't really have offices here. But this room that I'm in it's actually on Sundays. It's actually a toddler room. It's where the toddlers hang while the adults are in main service, but it has a couple windows and it actually looks out to the parking lot. And I didn't choose this room, it was just one that was available. But I can pretty much see when people are coming and going and again, I'm not logging that and I'm not some weird dude sitting here, but I'll notice those things and so I've had conversations when I see people flying into the parking lot doing 90 through the parking lot to get here.

Speaker 3: 7:58

You know four minutes late or something, and so I'll let it go a half a dozen times. And then you know, after six, seven times I'll pull them, pull them aside and say listen, first thing is just like is there something going on? You know that, that. You know you can't get here. You know it's not like we're starting at, you know it doesn't matter when your shift starts or whatever, but you know it's 8 30 AM. I mean, this is not, this is not 5 AM. You know, while it's dark out or something. So it's not like it's super early, but it's like. First I just want to kind of understand why what's going on?

Speaker 3: 8:32

you know, because maybe there is a legitimate reason, and actually every once in a while there is you know, I got my kid off at school and then I'm speeding to get over, Okay, well, let's just push your start time back. Not a big deal, Okay, solved. But normally it's not that, normally it's just oh, you know, I was time got away from me or I got distracted or you know, or whatever. And so you know, I just say listen, you know, my expectation for you is that work actually starts at 830, which means that you're here at 825 and you're actually working at 830. You know, and I hold the same standard for myself, so it's not some double standard or something weird or some hypocrisy, and so I'll just have a good conversation.

Speaker 3: 9:16

And it's out of care, it's out of concern for them, it's also out of I want to trust you with bigger things. So let's get these small things, you know, under control. The song is you know, time keeps on ticking, ticking into the future. Or the statement man, time flies by. Yeah, time flies by, but you're the pilot. So you know, yeah, pilot your time well, and just show up a little early and be at work when work actually starts.

Speaker 1: 9:49

Yeah, see, I actually starts. Yeah See, I don't, I uh, yeah, uh, I don't do, I don't do that very well, I don't, I don't show up early. I, I usually try to. I try to slide in right, you know, right as a like Indiana Jones when he slides right under that rock and grabs his hat, you know and you know what you're, you're still on time.

Speaker 3: 10:10

So I, you know, my, my recommendation is always like hey, just be here a few minutes early, you know, and uh, but you know, if you're here, if you're here two seconds early, you're on time.

Speaker 3: 10:19

So I'm not, I'm not gonna, you know, I'm not gonna split hairs or get weird with it, but like for me, um, when I'm other places, you know I do, I like to be early.

Speaker 3: 10:30

Now, truth be told, when Mary and I, my wife and I, are going somewhere and we're at the house and maybe more of a social event or something, I can be the one that be like, that could be close, to be like, oh my gosh, we got to leave. So I mean this happens to all of us, you know we got to leave. So I mean this happens to all of us, you know we just kind of, you know, you get comfortable, you get distracted or you know, a lot of times maybe it's to an event that I'm not super pumped about being at or something, you know, some mundane type of a thing, and so you know, I've got to watch it then, because I can kind of get complacent and and honestly, could, could very easily be, be late, be tardy, you know this is a question that's pretty obvious, but you know what are some of the consequences of consistently being late.

Speaker 3: 11:18

Yeah, again, I think it comes back to maybe we don't see it like this all the time, but when I'm late, the message I'm sending is I'm more important than you. My time is more valuable, so I'm going to kind of come when I want to. I'm sure no one really thinks that through.

Speaker 1: 11:44

But they really are saying that by their actions.

Speaker 3: 11:47

Yeah, it's nonverbal communication, loud and clear, that I'm more important than you, or I don't think this is that important.

Speaker 3: 11:56

might be a more generous way to say it, but I, a lot of times I I don't try to take it personally, but it's kind of like, you know, especially like when the other person has called the meeting, uh, or they've asked for a favor, they ask for time, which is fine, uh, and and uh, okay, it's set, let's do it, and um, and then you know, five minutes goes by, 10 minutes goes by. At 10 minutes that triggers a text from me almost, uh, you know, yeah, yeah, uh, so, and then it's usually like, oh, I'm almost there, I'm almost there. And then 10 minutes later and it's kind of like okay, and so the first thing that I say is I welcome them and say it's good to see you. But then I very quickly say listen, you know, we're 20 minutes into a hour meeting, so you've got 40 minutes, or by this time you've got 39 minutes.

Speaker 3: 12:49

And I have no problem saying that not to be a jerk, but just to be real, like I've got something else that I've already said yes to. So tardiness it's actually robbed you. It's robbed you of you know, of of some of the time that you wanted. So you know, I I don't mean for that to sound prideful and I'm not saying I'm something that you know. Oh, I've got. You know, you're really lucky to meet with me. I'm not saying that at all, but it's like there's consequences and you know, uh, when you're tardy. Uh, I think you've got to be aware of those.

Speaker 1: 13:32

You know, when you're at a. I've often and I've done this once but where I used to work, there was a meeting room and I would lock the door at the time, and those who made it in you know they're golden, and those that didn't quite make it didn't quite make it. They're out of luck. That's kind of a jerky thing to do, but at the same time it also sends a message that this is important, important. I think it's important. That's unfortunate, you don't think it's important, but after you do something like that, then they get the message, or you know, at least you hope they do that. Yeah, next. Yeah, you're probably going to be here on time next time because you don't get locked out no, I love it.

Speaker 3: 14:04

Nothing wrong with that, yeah another thing.

Speaker 1: 14:07

I was, uh, you know.

Speaker 1: 14:09

One other trick that I tried to use is to set a meeting time at a weird time oh yeah so like you're meeting at 7 14, yeah, you know 7 14, and then you say 7 morning and the first first thing they're going to say is 7 14. What you know, I've never had a meeting start at 7 14. So they remember it. You know it's top of mind and, uh, it's just a little weird. It's a little, you know, but it gets people thinking about it and you know. And why does why? Why does the top of the hour, or every 15 minutes, get all the yeah, glory.

Speaker 3: 14:43

Why can't? What about the glory?

Speaker 1: 14:45

yeah, what about 14? What about 37? You know?

Speaker 3: 14:48

what about seven past?

Speaker 1: 14:50

you know yeah we're gonna have dinner at 607 I like it.

Speaker 3: 14:56

Uh, it's clever, I know. Uh, yeah, um, that's interesting. Uh, that could be the solution.

Speaker 1: 15:02

We might have just cracked the code yeah, how do you think it affects team dynamics and workplace culture being? On time or not on time being on time or not on time.

Speaker 3: 15:11

Yeah Well, first, I think anybody that is in a management leadership role has to model it so that there's not a double standard In an environment maybe where someone's kind of clocking in. I think it's important, it's important in every environment. I think it's important. It's important in every environment. But I think when a team member is chronically late, again it sends the message that I don't particularly care much about this team and I don't really care about what we're doing, and that's going to have a negative impact on the culture. It's going to bring some toxic elements in over. Time might not be overnight, but it definitely. It definitely will creep in there. And again, I think that's the with the team dynamic. You know, it's kind of like with sports.

Speaker 3: 16:08

I had coaches that were I mean, they were honest about practice and training and I went on after high school to play some college athletics as well for a couple of years and it got even more intense with that and the protecting of team culture to the point where if you were again, if you were late to practice in high school, you had to run some laps. That was kind of standard when you, if you were late to practice at the collegiate level. You didn't get to practice. They said you're going to sit here and you're now a cheerleader. That was the. That was the mentality. That's what our coach did. I was like I don't want to be a cheerleader. No offense to any male cheerleaders.

Speaker 3: 16:53

I'm not. That's not what I signed up for.

Speaker 3: 16:55

I'm not a good cheerleader and so there was a little bit of humiliation involved, with you just sitting there. You're literally sitting, not even on the bench, you didn't even have a sit, you didn't have a seat on on the bench, you had a seat on the field, and so that was a. That was an eye opener. And I was. I was, I was late once and actually had an incredible excuse, and it didn't matter, I was a cheerleader that day.

Speaker 3: 17:21

So, yes, it impacts team dynamics massively. Again, I think it comes back to the I care about this team, I care about our results, I care about our success, I care about every player on this team and I care about myself and the coach enough to do what's being asked of us. And several of us were on scholarships, and so the other dynamic was the university saw something in us that said, hey, I want you to represent our university and I'm not saying that was always, we were always a great representation to the university, but you know there were, there were other dynamics, and so, yeah, I think it's toxic when team members. It hurts the dynamic, it brings a funky culture and and it's it's harmful.

Speaker 1: 18:10

Yeah, I'm running up on my time here, so I want to make sure that I'm not screwing things up here. Last thing I would like to what would you, what advice would you give to someone out there listening, watching you're struggling, you, you, you realize you, you are late, you're not punctual, I mean, you know what? What would you say to somebody like that, if you're listening to this, what if? And if you want to be on time, what do you got to do?

Speaker 3: 18:39

I'd say this ask yourself this question what's it like to be on the other side of me and think about the other person that's waiting? Five minutes for you, 10 minutes for you, 20 minutes for you? I have a I'll just say we'll keep them anonymous a significant person in my life. It's not my wife and it's no one. It's no one on the staff that I serve on. They're outside of this, but someone I care and love about deeply. They are.

Speaker 3: 19:12

They've been chronically tardy almost my entire life. Yeah, so just decades, decades of chronic tardiness, and I would love to publish the excuses that have come in over the years, year after year, time after time and my heart. I'm not trying to make fun, but what I've had to do is I've had to set the time that we're supposed to meet 15 minutes early, 30 minutes early, and this last time it was to an important event. We were celebrating someone else and I told them 15 minutes early. Not only did they not make it 15 minutes early, which would have been early, not only did they not make it on time, not only were they five, 10, 15 minutes late, they were 21 minutes late. And, yes, I was counting at that point because I was ticked, but I would love for them to answer that question. What's it like to be on the other side of you?

Speaker 1: 20:11

what's it?

Speaker 3: 20:12

like to be on the other side of you Because if you can honestly wrestle with that, it'll change your habits and you'll say I don't want that person to feel the way that I felt and so I'm going to keep my word, I'm going to keep my promise and I'm going to be there. So, gosh, that seems pretty harsh, but I think it's actually kind of a reality check and it's just straight up truth. What is it like to be on the other side of me? And don't just ask that question for being on time man, ask that question for the tone that we speak to each other with, with other other relational dynamics, with other workplace right and team dynamics. I think it's a great question to ask and answer and I ask myself that a lot and it has helped me. I think it helps reveal, reveal blind spots and it helps us get real kind of down to the nitty gritty of like, oh yeah, that that stinks being on the other side of this.

Speaker 3: 21:11

So I'm not going to do that to anybody else.

Speaker 1: 21:13

Right. Well, pastor Scott, it's been great visiting with you about being on time and punctual and and how to what it's like and how to overcome it and what you can do to help others. If anybody wants more information and or reach out to you, how do they, how would they get in touch with you?

Speaker 3: 21:31

Yeah, I guess, um scottturner at citychurchokcom, email me, I I'd love to talk, uh, scottturner at citychurchokcom. But uh, man, I I'd love to help any way I can with anybody.

Speaker 1: 21:50

Sounds awesome. Well, have a great day. Hope, uh, hope, hope the rest of the day goes well for you and thanks for being here man, thanks for having me, scott. So for Scott Turner, this is Scott Townsend. Thanks for watching, listening to the Scott Townsend show. Have a great day, everything's going to be all right and we'll talk to you later.

Speaker 2: 22:09

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