What's the cost of always being on time?
We’re conditioned to think about the consequences of being late—missing a deadline, holding up a meeting or delaying a project. But Alex Snider, former government strategist and co-founder of the Mindful Fed community, is turning that idea on its head.
On this episode of Fed Thread, he asks fellow civil servants, “What’s the cost of always being on time?”
Snider, author of Sometimes You Should Be Late, challenges one of the most deeply ingrained assumptions in the modern workplace: that moving faster always leads to better outcomes.
“We spend a lot of time thinking about the cost of being late,” he says. “We don’t spend enough time thinking about the cost of being on time.
It’s a perspective that feels especially relevant in the federal workplace, where competing stakeholders, meetings and projects can quickly consume the workday.
In many organizations, responsiveness is rewarded, and some even wear stress like a badge of honor. Employees answer emails within minutes, attend back-to-back meetings with nary a bathroom break and burn the midnight oil to meet deadlines, often without stopping to ask whether every request truly merits the reaction time.
One of the most practical questions Snider encourages feds to ask their colleagues is “When do you actually need this by?”
Simply asking the question often reveals more flexibility than employees assumed was there. And the benefit isn’t only feeling less rushed. Slowing down creates space for deeper thinking, stronger relationships and the moments employees often sacrifice in the name of work that may not have been as urgent as it first appeared.
Snider argues that many professionals have come to equate constant activity with effectiveness. But activity and impact aren’t always the same thing. Instead of automatically reacting to every request, he encourages employees to become more aware of and intentional about how they spend their time and energy.
That doesn’t mean ignoring deadlines or slowing down for the sake of it. Rather, it means recognizing that speed is just one tool for success, and not always the right one. You first have to ask whether the pace matches the importance of the work.
The conversation also explored how artificial intelligence fits into today’s always-on workplace. While AI can draft emails, summarize documents and automate routine tasks, Snider challenged listeners to think differently about the time those efficiencies create.
Instead of using AI simply to do more work, he suggests investing your freed-up time in the things technology can’t replace, like building relationships, brainstorming better questions, exercising your judgment, collaborating creatively with colleagues and enjoying more meaningful work.
Of course, Snider would never argue that slowing down is always the answer. Rather, he challenges federal employees to pause long enough to ask why they’re rushing in the first place and become more intentional about when speed truly serves them.
“The book is called Sometimes You Should Be Late. I have no idea when you should be late,” Snider admits with a smile. “But I think it’s important for you to find out.”
Catch more conversations on podcast platforms, YouTube or on the Fed Thread hub page.
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Alex Witt is host of the Federal News Network podcast Fed Thread, focused on federal employee work, wellness, benefits and finances.
