Instructions
Look at yourself through the eyes of others. From the outside, your lateness looks like you are a completely disorganized person who does not respect other people and values your own time more than the time of others. The impression is not very positive. But you can fix it if you take charge of yourself. Review your habits. Identify your own weaknesses and try to improve them.
Learn to manage time. Perhaps you just don't know how to prioritize your tasks. Every day, review your tasks and highlight the main ones. This way you won’t miss out on anything significant or be late for an important meeting. In addition, you need to realistically assess the situation. Maybe you incorrectly determine the time interval that this or that activity will take you away. Don't fool yourself. To get your bearings correctly, measure the time with a stopwatch.
Prepare in advance. If you're running late because you're having trouble getting ready quickly for work or a meeting, prepare everything you might need the night before. For example, you can iron the clothes you need, check the condition of the shoes you plan to wear the next day, or pack your bag. Think about what you will eat for breakfast so as not to get lost in thought for long minutes when there is a complete shortage of time resources. Put your house keys in a visible place so you don't have to waste a lot of time looking for them at the last minute.
Review your habits. Become a more collected and organized person. You may be surprised, but punctuality can sometimes be tied to neatness and being accustomed to order. If there is chaos around you, you will find it difficult to gather your thoughts. In addition, chaos is very relaxing, and your movements become lazy and leisurely. Transform from a languid melancholic into a busy, lively person, and you will do everything on time.
Think about contingencies. If you are going to an important meeting, make sure you have enough time in case of traffic jams, delays and queues. Allow half an hour and you will be calm. In the event of force majeure, you will either arrive on time or be delayed just a little, which can also be an acceptable norm.
Learn from your mistakes. Think about how many times your lack of punctuality has let you down. Count how many people you have ruined relationships with, how many friends perceive you as unnecessary, unserious and unreliable, how many chances you have missed because you were late. If you don’t want to blush like a schoolboy when you appear, wait to be scolded, and come up with excuses, pull yourself together and try to do everything on time.
Hello, our dear readers! Irina and Igor are in touch again. How often are you late? Do you know how long the journey will take you? How much time do you need to go to the store? The answers to all these questions determine whether punctuality is inherent in you or whether this is a new word in your vocabulary.
Meanwhile, punctuality plays one of the most important roles in building a career. Today in our article we want to talk about how to become punctual.
Types of people according to punctuality
To begin with, let's decide what type of punctuality person you consider yourself to be:
- "Uncollectedness". If all your friends and acquaintances have long been accustomed to the fact that being half an hour late is a common thing for you, then you can safely be classified as a disorganized person. In case you are late, you already have about a couple of hundred different excuses ready. And if your friends and relatives have long been accustomed to this arrangement of affairs, and simply come to the meeting a little later, then this does not bring anything good for your business relationship
- "Harmony". Even if such people are late, there is always a logical explanation for this. In addition, people in this category are always able to adequately assess the time they have available, estimate travel time and leave themselves a few more minutes for unforeseen circumstances. And also, such people, as a rule, know how to find time for rest, and if something does not fit into their schedule due to force majeure circumstances, they will not waste precious rest time on this task, but will simply postpone things to the next day
- "Accuracy". Such people plan their day to the smallest detail, all steps, tasks and meetings are placed in a diary, and every minute counts. For such people, being late is a sign of bad taste, because waiting time can be spent on more worthwhile things. As a rule, such people, in their attempts to do as much as possible, completely forget about rest time or time aimed only at themselves. Meanwhile, this is very important, since every person needs recovery time
Why do you need to be punctual?
Why is it so important to be punctual? The first thing I want to mention when answering this question is respect.
By being punctual, you let the person know that you respect him, his time and his desires. It doesn’t matter at all what you have planned: a business meeting or a date. There is an opinion that being a little late gives importance to a business person, but in fact, it is nothing more than a manifestation of disrespect for other people's needs.
In addition, in a business environment, punctuality means the following:
- A person is collected, he does not get scattered about unnecessary trifles, but knows how to clearly plan
- A punctual person is characterized by foresight, especially if he allows a little more time for a particular meeting, anticipating force majeure circumstances
- A person is rational, he values his own and other people’s time, and does not intend to waste it
- Such a person is not afraid to entrust the completion of any task, since his punctuality will not allow him to delay the completion time
For career growth, this is one of the most important qualities that you should develop if you do not have it.
If you understand that you still need to work on your punctuality, then our advice will come in handy for you.
Here are the areas you need to work in:
- . Determine in the evening what tasks you need to do the next day. It is better if you make a plan for the whole week, gradually making only small adjustments with the transfer of individual tasks. This approach saves you a lot of time, because you don’t have to think about what to do next
- If it is difficult for you to immediately estimate how long this or that action will take you, then get yourself a time diary where you will note how much time it took you to complete this or that task. Gradually you will learn to evaluate your time capabilities
- When writing down the time of a meeting, subtract five minutes from it. Strive to arrive at the time you indicated in your diary, so you will have five minutes left for all unforeseen circumstances. The same advice can be applied to waking up. If you want to get up at 7.00, set the alarm clock for 5 minutes, leave them for your “morning workout”
- As for the morning, think through your wardrobe in advance in the evening. This rule can save a lot of your time getting ready in the morning. The same rule may apply to the route of movement.
- There are ten minutes left before the exit, and you decide to “climb” into social media. networks to “kill” this time. But now half an hour has passed, and you are trying to get ready headlong so as not to be late. Make yourself a rule: it’s better to leave ten minutes early than waste it on “time wasters”
- Ask your friends to move your watch forward 10 or 15 minutes without you noticing. Then, focusing on your watch, you will stop being late for this time
All these tips are not that difficult to implement, the main thing is that you have the motivation to implement them.
Time management techniques can also help you “make friends” over time, which you can learn through the following video courses:
- “The Master of Time – highly productive time management according to the system of Evgeniy Popov”
- “Time management, or how to increase your efficiency”
What about your punctuality? How do you feel about other people being late? Share with us in the comments. See you soon!
Best regards, Irina and Igor
Guzel Zakaryan, Deputy General Director, Business Protocol Agency, Moscow
- Punctuality at work: etiquette standards in force in different countries
Punctuality at work- requirement of competitive business. By ignoring the rules of etiquette regarding time, you risk your reputation in the business environment, harmonious relationships with partners, clients and employees (see. ). So, if you are late for negotiations, you can immediately lose a contract, a client or a customer.
To avoid problems, keep the following in mind:
1. When planning your time, assume that you must be there five minutes before the appointed time.
2. If you arrived earlier, wait near the meeting point.
3. If you are late, call before the meeting is supposed to start and, without explaining the reasons (no one is interested in knowing the reasons for your lateness), warn your partner and ask, if possible, to reschedule the meeting.
Punctuality at work: standards in force in different countries
In European countries, such as Germany, Great Britain and Sweden, punctuality at work is highly valued.
I remember one German who recommended that our colleagues, after each telephone conversation, write an email message to the person with whom the dialogue had just taken place, so that everything said in the smallest detail would be confirmed in writing by both participants in the conversation.
In London, it is not recommended to schedule negotiations at 17:00. Five o'clock is the time for tea, beloved in England. By the way, a similar rule applies in Spain: during siesta (from 14:00 to 16:00) business meetings are not scheduled and negotiations are not conducted. In France they prefer not to start negotiations and meetings before 11:00 Swedes like to plan things in advance, so they usually agree on business meetings in advance.
Americans are very mobile. “Time is money” is the motto of their life. If you send an email to an unfamiliar company at the address listed on the website, you can be sure that you will receive a response the next day. The Chinese, on the contrary, make decisions slowly, think everything over carefully, believing that negotiations and meetings are only a path to interaction and an opportunity to collect information.
General Director speaks
Arman Sargsyan, General Director of LM Oil Company, Yerevan
I always try to be punctual and demand the same from my employees, so I can confidently say that today I have created an office that works like clockwork. Our working day officially starts at 9:30 and ends at 18:00.
In the morning, I often come to work half an hour earlier, because at this time I can calmly do something important, while no one distracts me with calls and questions. I’m almost always the last one to leave work, and sometimes I stay up late because I’m trying to do everything necessary, and my responsibilities are much broader than those of any company employee. Of course, it happens that I am late, but these delays are not cyclical; only the secretary who coordinates my schedule knows about them.
Lack of punctuality in private life leads to dissatisfaction and misunderstandings. Being late for a business meeting can have more serious consequences - business etiquette does not allow such liberties. Learn to plan your time and be respectful of other people's.
"Accuracy - the politeness of kings…". These words are attributed to King Louis XVIII of France. True, they have different meanings, but the most likely is the following: the king could not show his politeness in any other way except by being precise and punctual. After all, he is the “highest” person in the state, therefore he does not bow to anyone, does not stand up when someone enters his chambers - everyone shows signs of attention, respect and politeness to him. Punctuality for him is a way to express his courtesy and respect.
Punctuality is one of the indispensable commandments of etiquette, which is a set of rules on how to behave in the presence of other people. It is believed that the classical rules of etiquette were formed in France, and the word “” itself (from the word “label”), meaning “demeanor,” is of French origin. At the receptions of the French King Louis XIV, guests were given cards with instructions on how guests should and should not behave.
However, general principles of behavior, for example, during diplomatic ceremonies, already existed in ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, India, and China. In Russia, the rules of behavior in public places were first set out in Domostroy.
There are several types of etiquette: diplomatic, state, civil, business, etc. But in any of them, punctuality is at the forefront.
Punctuality of a business person
A business person's day is scheduled minute by minute, so being late for a business meeting and making yourself wait is unacceptable.
“Time is money,” wrote the American politician in “Advice to a Young Merchant.” The meaning of this phrase is that the one who lost time lost the money that could have been earned during this time. Spending it wisely means saving money.
This principle guides modern businessmen who perceive people who do not value other people’s time as disorganized, dispensable - people who cannot be trusted and relied on. Those who are late for business meetings lose clients, contracts, customers and lose their reputation as a reliable partner.
The rules of business etiquette differ significantly in different countries. As for punctuality, for example, in Japan and China, where punctuality is a symbol of virtue, being late is not allowed at all and is considered an insult.
Being late for a business meeting is also not allowed in Germany, Sweden, and Great Britain - punctual people are highly valued here. In other Western countries, the time you can afford to be late is limited to 15 minutes.
American psychologist Edward Hall called a delay of 5 minutes insignificant, a delay of 15 - acceptable when the latecomer is allowed to apologize, a delay of 20-30 minutes - causing a feeling of slight resentment among those waiting, a delay of 40 - rude and more than 40 minutes - offensive.
Punctuality is freely used in Latin America, Spain, and countries professing Islam. Here people are not in a hurry, and a delay of 40 minutes is considered insignificant.
Why are people late?
The imagination of latecomers who come up with a good reason that could justify them is sometimes limitless: there is a sick child, an acute toothache, an accident on the way to work, or a broken door lock.
But, as a rule, there is only one reason: we overslept and didn’t have time to get ready because of another force majeure: the child doesn’t remember where he threw his school backpack, the husband doesn’t remember the car keys, and we ourselves have a broken lock on our jacket. The next day, something new, but “from the same opera.” And all this is due to the inability to organize. It is unlikely that it will be possible to re-educate such people: they were late, are late and will be late. True, they can hardly count on being taken seriously and achieving career growth.
Often people are late for work, business or personal meetings due to lack of proper motivation or interest in the subject awaiting them. It is easy to be late to a place where nothing new, interesting or promising awaits. It is easy to be late for an unwanted meeting, which we internally resist and try in every possible way to delay the unpleasant moment.
But it’s unlikely that anyone will willingly be late for an interview that promises a dream job or a meeting with the person of their life.
It’s interesting that some people who like to be late do it unconsciously: the pursuit of time causes an adrenaline rush in them. For them, such races against time are a kind of sport.
There is another category of unpunctual people who are deliberately late. For them, being late serves as a way of self-affirmation, especially if they know that the one who is waiting for them is interested in the meeting and will wait in any case.
Such lateness is a sign of bad taste, because the late person thus tries to impose his own rules of the game on those waiting, wants to show his superiority and disdain for other people’s opinions. Psychologists call being late without a good reason among the methods of manipulating people.
I want to become punctual...
People who believe in astrology think that punctuality depends on the zodiac sign they are born under. According to astrologers, Gemini, Libra, and Pisces are prone to being late, while Capricorns, Sagittarius, Virgo, and Aries are distinguished by punctuality.
Some believe that punctuality is an innate character trait: it is inherited with genes, like eye color, hair color, etc.
But those who claim that punctuality is a character trait that depends on upbringing are right. Parents who are disorganized and always late for the appointed time are unlikely to have any different children.
Let's take a closer look at ourselves - maybe we are also unpunctual? Maybe our friends and colleagues are simply hesitant to directly say that our tardiness bothers them? After all, in this way we show that we value our time more than theirs. And if the answer is positive, then we will try to correct the situation.
1. We study the basics of time management - the science of time management
2. Remember Murphy's law
In order not to be late, you need to do everything on time. Time managers advise adding an extra 25% to the time you plan to spend on completing a task.
Engineer Murphy once remarked that if any trouble can happen, it will definitely happen. Several corollaries have been drawn from this phrase, one of which is: “If any obstacles or hindrances may arise, they will certainly arise. So any case will take longer than we think.” Anyone who tends to be late should move the clocks forward a little.
3. Putting things back in their place
Unexpected obstacles or disturbances can take the form of suddenly lost keys, glasses, documents, tickets, wallet, charger and other little things that you cannot do without and leave the house.
Availability also affects punctuality. A simple example: a tooth hurts very much, the doctor starts seeing you at 9 am. Not only will we not be late, but we will even arrive earlier in the hope that the doctor will arrive earlier. We have motivation.
Often people are late because they do not see interest in the matter, meeting or work. It’s worth asking yourself: “Why do I need this?”, “What will I get in the end?” “I need this because I will have a good time, but if I’m late, my friend will be offended and leave,” “In the end, I will finish the course and will be able to communicate with my friend without intermediaries,” etc.
Are you annoyed by your friends and colleagues being late? Or maybe you yourself are often late for meetings? Lack of punctuality is common to many people. Often being late leads not only to problems at work, but also in life. Of course, who wants to date someone who is constantly late? By lingering for an indefinite amount of time, you show your ignorance. Punctuality is, first of all, a manifestation of human culture. Composure is especially important for business people: despite your professionalism, no employer will tolerate their employees being late.
Here are some practical tips that will help you develop the quality of punctuality:
In some cases, delays occur due to a huge volume of work, while working on which you do not keep track of time. The consequence is another lateness for an important meeting. To stop being late, get yourself a diary in which your daily routine will be written down. Analyze everything for the day, distribute them over time, and perhaps you will find that some task can still be postponed until another day. This will give you a sense of time. You will become more focused.
This is what the army calls the time remaining before any event. Make it a habit to arrive to meetings earlier than scheduled. Just don’t take this advice too seriously - you shouldn’t arrive to the meeting an hour and a half in advance, which will not develop punctuality in you at all. Calculate your time so that you arrive 3-5 minutes before your friend/colleague.