Good Time Management

THE DAILY BITCH

I'm not the best person in the world at keeping time, but I grew up with a simple rule –“it's polite to be 10 minutes late; any more than that and it's rude”.

I have generally (but not always) followed that rule, turning up around 10 minutes late, giving just enough time for my host to get their last minute things prepared, and me not appearing disinterested by being too late.

But lately, I find an increasing number of extreme lateness, something which I feel is getting less and less appropriate. 

Today alone I have had several incidences of people being late. Not 10 minutes, but half an hour or even an hour. It's not about the traffic; it's the lack of planning and lack of respect to other people that causes it.

Clipart: AmpulhetaCopia - BETTO COUTINHO

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My accountant visited today, 40 minutes late. He left his office on time, the traffic was good, but got himself lost. He then thought it was okay to be 40 minutes late whilst he got lost in the neighbourhood - a simple check of a map would have ensured he was not lost, and he wouldn't have wasted 40 minutes of my time, nor pushed the rest of my meetings to be later ... making me look the unprofessional one.

For heaven’s sake, plan.

If you've got time, leave early and be sure. Your lack of planning has a knock-on effect for others, and frankly, the next person who is going to be late for me will simply be told when they arrive to reschedule. I no longer wish to try and squeeze people in just because of their lack of planning