Archive for October, 2009
Late people lose out on opportunity.
I don’t understand the mindset in business that it is okay to be late for meetings. Every year, I have 10-20 people who beg, borrow, or steal for a meeting, only to not show up on time, or blow off the meeting entirely. When I call to find out if: their dad/dog died, their car broke down, they contracted a disease, were detained by Homeland Security, etc., they act bewildered on the phone and say, “I must have written it down wrong. When can we reschedule?”
Well dough-hole, you can’t reschedule because you have wasted an hour of my time that I will never get back. I would have preferred to: read a book/have breakfast/go for a long walk on the beach. Anything other than sitting waiting for your disorganized ass to show up. If you can’t be on time, you shouldn’t be in business. IF you are going to be late, for whatever reason, call and let the person know. I lose about 90% of the anger is someone calls, even a minute before the meeting, to let me know that they are stuck in traffic, just run over the neighbourhood paper boy, or run out of gas. But as the clock strikes 10:00, I start looking at my watch. At 10:01 I’m ready to forgive; at 10:05 I start packing up; at 10:15 I’ve written that person off for future meetings. Let’s talk common courtesy. If I have a 10am, I’m circling the place at 930am. If I have never been there before, I’ll even be an hour early and do some paperwork in the car. I don’t want to be that guy that can’t get his shit together, but it seems the punctual club is losing members. Here are things you aren’t likely late for:
- Catching a flight
- A speaking engagement
- A wedding you are participating in
- A court date
- A spa appointment
Maybe I’m wrong, and you
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