Why is MY time more important than yours?
5 tips on how to be more prompt and present
Anyone who knows me understands I like to be on time. Perhaps it’s because I started my career in the military where the saying goes, “If you are on time, you are late!”? Or perhaps it’s because one of my core values is Respect and valuing others’ time as your own is a sure sign of that.
But perhaps most importantly, as a leader if I choose to be continually late I am confident that behavior will trickle down to everyone on the team and you end up with employees in far more chaos than they need to be. In these crazy times people need predictability wherever we can find it–being on time is one small way you can work to provide that.
I feel that as a society being late has become acceptable, which I find incredibly frustrating. Sure, you often get ‘Sorry’ and perhaps a cursory explanation but then it’s like it didn’t happen. Do we actually believe that our time is more important? Are we completely unable to manage our most precious asset–time? I’d like to suggest that if we all make a concerted effort we can get the flywheel going back in the right direction.? Do you agree??
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Are we completely unable to manage our most precious asset–time?
Don’t get me wrong–I certainly am not always on time. But I make it a mission to try.? When I am not going to arrive on time I always inform the others. If I have enough advance notice I offer to reschedule.? I am even known to tell people there is a risk I might be late if I see ‘danger’ on the calendar that I can’t avoid.??
Let me offer a few personal tips on how to be more prompt–everyone around you will thank you:?
What ideas do you have?
Experienced B2B Content Marketing Leader - Winner of the 2023 MarketingProfs B2B Humanitarian Award
2 年Oh, Jackie. I feel this. I have ADHD and have struggled with punctuality my whole life. I always feel like I have time to do "one more thing" before the meeting or the trip or whatever. I'm working on it! One thing that is working for me is building travel time into meetings that require travel and setting alarms FOR EVERYTHING. It helps!
Senior Director, Customer Success at Cooleaf
2 年You’ll appreciate this Jackie Yeaney, but as a product of competitive soccer, I ran far too many sprints in my youth for being minutes late to games and practice. Needless to say, one of the only things I hate/fear more than tardiness is the thought of endless wind sprints! I get really firm about communicating hard stops at the beginning of calls and am absolutely comfortable with ending meetings early, but leaving space for those who might have remaining questions/needs. I also block the first hour of every day to get through open Items,emails, high priority needs…for me personally my mornings are chaotic with three little kids to get up and out the door and I find myself protective of that transition time to effectively plan/prioritize/knock out my to do list so my day is set up for success. It still gets booked over when needed, but I find my anxiety around time much worse on those days…so best for everyone on my team to keep it free ??
Demand Generation, Field and Partner Marketing
2 年Have the mindset to be early to meetings. Showing up at 10:58 for a 11:00a is a great chance to connect with colleagues and transition your attention to the meeting agenda.
Author, "The Strategy of Story". Consultant, Strategic and Organizational Communications.
2 年When people run late, it can make that meeting bleed into your next and then it's a train wreck. So when someone is late I simply say, I still need to end at xx time as I have another commitment and I want to respect the time. And then I sign off at the appointed time. Most of these meetings could be short phone calls...and I feel, pre-pandemic, they mostly were.
Senior Software Developer at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
2 年Love these, i started blocking out time in my calender for both family things and also actual blocks of time to get work done. As you say, its easier to have a chunk of time to actually do things rathet then the inbetween meeting time.