My opinion:
He's young and needs guidance. He will not see the world the same way as you do, and he still has growing up to do. I would take him to one side - perhaps take him on a pickup with you, then stop for a coffee and a chat. You need to try and make him understand where you are coming from without making him feel guilty. I have found that it often works better if you tell someone younger that you really respect the hard work they do and that they are a very important part of the team. Go on to say that if they show up late things don't work as smoothly as they should and that you count on them being there to help make things work well.
Try this approach first. Praise and recognition go a long way. I certainly know when I was his age you would have gotten nowhere fast if you had simply had a go at me.
The other thing, and this is just a thought and not in any way meant to say one way or other how you run your business, but how often do you thank people for doing a great job? I ask because my first management position was a very steep learning curve for me, and when I found out I wasn't saying thank you enough or giving people enough praise, it was a complete shock to me. I thought I was being very reasonable, but everyone else thought I was really hard going.
It was a shock to me to find that out!
As I said, none of that was said to reflect on you or the way you go about your business - it was just some stuff I learned the hard way.
Originally Posted by wayne
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