I have a magic pill to sell you. It will help you make more money, be happier, look thinner, and have better relationships. It’s a revolutionary new pharmaceutical product called Late-No-More. Just one dose every day will allow you to show up on time, greatly enhancing your life and the lives of those around you.
This is the opening paragraph of an article written by Brent Beshore, a Contributor for Forbes. Got your attention, didn’t it?
Wouldn’t it be great to get a prescription for a pill that promises so much? Truth is, YOU CAN and you can PRESCRIBE IT TO YOURSELF!! It’s all about being wherever you are supposed to be ON TIME.
Wouldn’t it be great to get a prescription for a pill that promises so much? Truth is, YOU CAN and you can PRESCRIBE IT TO YOURSELF!! It’s all about being wherever you are supposed to be ON TIME.
The title of Beshore’s article, 5 Minutes Early Is On Time; On Time Is Late; Late Is Unacceptable, has always been a mantra of mine, with the exception that I believe in 10 minutes early is on time rather than 5.
It doesn’t matter if you’re meeting a friend for lunch, have a client/prospect appointment, or attending a professional/casual event – Punctuality says a lot about you. However, there are several people in the world who consider an appointment time or even a deadline to be merely a suggestion.
Beshore made an excellent point, which I feels says it all.
There’s a reason we set meeting times and deadlines. It allows for a coordination of efforts, minimizes time/effort waste, and helps set expectations. Think of how much would get done if everyone just “chilled out” and “went with the flow?” It would be the definition of inefficiency.
And what irritates me the most is that so many think being late is acceptable or they can smooth it over with an excuse that it was someone else’s fault or saying “My bad”, “Really sorry”, “It’s been a crazy day”. This concept is completely foreign to those who were raised strictly and being on time was a must.
In reality, most all excuses are unacceptable. But there will be emergencies or unexpected happenings; however, these should be the exception and not the rule. Plus, we should kindly notify those when we are going to be late and acknowledge how sorry we are for wasting their time.
Beshore shared the following of how being late can be interpreted by others:
Beshore shared the following of how being late can be interpreted by others:
- It’s Disrespectful: Being on time is about respect. It signals that you value and appreciate the other person. If you don’t respect the meeting’s participants, why are you meeting with them in the first place?
- It’s Inconsiderate: Unintentionally being late demonstrates an overall lack of consideration for the lives of others. You just don’t care.
- It’s Incredible: No, not in the good way. When you miss meeting times or deadlines, your credibility takes the trajectory of a lead balloon. If you can’t be counted on to be on time, how could you possibly have credibility around far tougher tasks?
- It’s Unprofitable: Let’s consider a scenario where five people are holding a meeting at 2 p.m. Your sauntering in 10 minutes late just wasted 40 minutes of other peoples’ time. Let’s say the organization bills $200/hour. Are you paying the $133 bill? Someone certainly is.
- It’s Megalomaniacal: While most grow out of this by the age of 8, some genuinely believe they are the center of the universe. I’ve heard people use the nicknames “Galaxy Girl” or “Galaxy Guy” to describe these types.
- It’s a Sign of being Disorganized: If you can’t keep your calendar, what other parts of your life are teetering on the edge of complete disaster? Being late signals at best that you’re barely hanging on and probably not someone I want to associate with.
Parting thoughts by Beshore, “Think of how relaxing your life would be if everyone just did what they said they’d do, when they said they’d do it? A good place to start is with yourself and a great motto is something I was taught as a child: 5 minutes early is on time. On time is late. Late is unacceptable.”
