I had a meeting in the city yesterday, right in the middle of the central business district in the boardroom of a major company I'm trying to win as a client. It's been a lengthy process and moves at glacial speed, although with these large multi-nationals that's how it is. I arrived in the city early knowing I'd need to find a park and make my way to the tower of steel and glass that is the company's State office and being late wasn't an option for me.
I arrived, checked in through security on ground level, made my way up to the dizzying heights of their offices at the top of the building and made myself known to the receptionist who indicated the people I was meeting with would not be long. I sat in the opulently-appointed waiting area and looked at my watch; I was five minutes early. Perfect.
Fifteen minutes later I was still waiting.
Twenty five minutes I was still waiting.
At forty five minutes after the meeting was initially set to begin someone came along and escorted me to the boardroom. Yes, I was annoyed, but in situations like that one needs to quell that feeling and move on unperturbed or the outcome is sure to be effected.
In my job function I have one main goal; drive revenue upward. There's many other things beneath that which help towards securing that goal of course and one of them is productivity which I'll break down into the smaller element of punctuality for the purpose of this post.
No matter the stage a deal may be at, being punctual is critical to its success. Being at the meeting on time, doing what one said one will do by the appointed deadline or time-parameters, even being at work on time all come into play and can help set one up for success. It's something I've always held in high importance, probably due to the fact my mother was perpetually late, and it's worked well for me. It's one of the most valuable tips I could offer to those looking to improve their productivity and overall effectiveness.
There's a few reasons I believe punctuality to be one of the core values a person can have professionally, and they translate to one's personal life also. But here's the list when applied to a professional environment:
Respect: Being punctual shows respect for clients, colleagues and others we deal with in business. I felt very irritated and unimportant due to the tardiness of those I was meeting yesterday; sure, they may have had their reasons, but that's not the point. Being punctual shows you care about and value others people's time and that will help build trust, promote a team-environment and will convey the message that deadlines can, and will, be met.
Professional and detail-oriented: Being prepared is my thing; Arriving ready to perform, controlling the room - seating positions, computers, data-projectors, my notes, refreshments, my professional and personal presentation and a myriad of other things all helps win business. Being punctual is critical to ensuring these things and more are arranged and under control. Busting through the boardroom doors a minute late, dishevelled and ill-prepared isn't a good thing.
Dependable: The ability to arrive on time, (on time means early) conveys dependability. The preparation as above, being a cool and collected person leaves people feeling like they are in good hands. People want to deal with winners, not the bumbling buffoon who is continually late and ill-prepared. Having a reputation of dependability can help make one the go-to-guy or girl and that's the person a winner wants to be.
Organised: Being organised leads to punctuality. This means, having a place for everything and everything in its place, be it a computer file or physical files. Being organised in my working life begins at home where I ensure things are wrapped up at the end of one day and set up for the next. I work from a home office and my corporate office and I apply the same principles to both. Being organised saves time, stress and forgetfulness, and mitigates risk. Systems and procedures are important in this process, as is discipline.
Reputation: I believe a person's professional reputation is incredibly important, and not just for others, but for the individual themselves. Building and maintaining a good reputation is amazing for confidence levels and that can pay dividends in moments when one has to do difficult things; present in a corporate boardroom, speak in front of large groups or socialise at events. Having a good reputation buys a lot of credit and having a bad one will most certainly place one on the back foot.
There are so many elements that need to come together in business and I believe punctuality is one of the most important.
I know we're in a society where it seems kind of cool to be easy-going and quirky which can make tardiness seem ok, but in my role, most business situations, its not ok to be late. Being punctual helps me drive revenue upwards and I believe the benefits of punctuality extends to one's personal life also. Being late to your first date with someone you really like and want to be with isn't likely to endear you to that person or move things forward well; a gentleman would be there early in fact, just to ensure he was there before the girl; it's called manners. Tardiness, especially continual tardiness, says a lot about a person and in my opinion it says nothing good.
I wonder what you folks feel about the subject of punctuality. Do you feel it's a valid thing to expect in business and do you think it helps place one in a better position overall or do you feel it is not important? Are you on time or late in your professional career or personal life and what effects does either have in both aspects of your life? Feel free to comment below.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp
The image in this post is my own.