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Truth 15. Promptness Matters: Begin and End Meetings on Time
A middle-aged, Chinese executive is due at a meeting in
Beijing. Delayed by a traffic jam, he repeatedly looks with
concern at his watch. Finally, he jumps out of his taxi and
runs the last few blocks, dodging pedestrians, cars and
bikes. When he arrives at the meeting, sweaty and
disheveled, he is horrified to see he is three minutes late.
Apologizing profusely, he takes his seat.
The meaning of “punctuality” differs enormously in different
parts of the world. For this businessman it was a
requirement to be at his meeting on the dot. For most
Americans, it would be perfectly acceptable to be five or
ten minutes late. Nevertheless, wherever we are in the
world, thinking in terms of the scheduled time for meetings
is a key part of effective performance.
Meetings are important units of time in organizational life.
Unless there’s an unavoidable delay or obstacle, the general
expectation is that meetings will begin and end on time.
Anything else can send a message that someone’s time isn’t
really important.
Now, you may think that you’re pretty much on time to
meetings. But ask yourself: if a meeting is scheduled for 2
p.m., do you aim to be there right at at 2 p.m., or to be at
the location a bit early, calm and composed, ready for a
meeting that starts at 2 p.m.? There is a difference. If you
always try to cut it fine, there’s more likelihood that
something will get in the way, and you’ll actually be late.
Even being five minutes late can not only mean that you miss
out on important information, but also make you less able to
participate. At worst you’ll feel stressed and flustered,
and at best you’ll have no chance to settle yourself and get
your thinking ready to be at your best. Being any later than
10 or 15 minutes can be interpreted as a sign of disrespect,
or even a power play. So resist the temptation to answer one
more phone call or check your email before you leave the
office, however busy you are!
When you are the person running the meeting, you have not
only the responsibility, but also the power, to start and
end on schedule. Don’t be “kind” to others by letting them
come in late. Starting on time shows that you are a
professional and that you and the meeting matter. At the
beginning, you can state when the meeting will end and that
it will have a “hard” finish, which means on the dot. No
matter how great the conversation, ending a meeting on time
is just plain efficient; it focuses minds, and allows people
to keep other commitments. If there is truly more to review,
then the discussion can continue offline, on email, or at
the next meeting. If it is vital to continue that day, you
should indicate, in advance, that extra time is possible. If
you find that you get lost in the discussion, then arrange
for someone to knock at the five minute countdown to remind
you to wind up the meeting.
Beginning and ending meetings on time is an easy and public
way to help shape your reputation as a reliable and in
control professional. Being on time to attend meetings, or
being a bit early, is the best way to shine as an attendee.
Don’t miss the opportunity. |
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