“The habit of being prompt once formed extends to everything—meeting friends, paying debts, going to church, reaching and leaving a place of business, keeping promises, retiring at night and rising in the morning, and, indeed, to every relation and act, however trivial it may seem to observers.”
~William Makepeace Thayer, Tact and Grit, 1882
Punctuality
Time. Punctuality has been called a “homely, but solid virtue.” It is a foundational reflection of a person’s character in our Western culture. When you arrive on time for your engagements it demonstrates preparation, respect, integrity, and enthusiasm, all of which serve to make a positive impression on the people whom you are meeting, especially when they are depending on you! When you have scheduled an appointment or made a commitment, you have essentially made a promise. Being punctual strengthens your character and reveals your integrity and consideration for others.
Lombardi Time
Legendary football Coach Vince Lombardi is well remembered for his unwavering requirement for his players and coaches to not only arrive on time, but to be 15 minutes early. If he told you to be somewhere, and you arrived exactly on time, you were already late!
Arriving Early
“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” ~William Shakespeare
Developing this habit is an excellent way to make a great first impression. The extra minutes will allow you to catch your breath, collect your thoughts, and prepare for your engagement. You can learn a great deal about people by simply observing how they arrive and how they manage their time.
It will also provide you with the flexibility and buffer for possible delays in traffic, getting lost, or taking a wrong turn.
As a professional speaker, it is critical that I arrive early to make sure that everything is ready before my audience arrives. Not only does arriving early give me a chance to make sure the room is set up and my technology is working, but it provides a few minutes for me before I go on stage to breathe, focus, and shift my mindset to rock my talk. It also empowers me with an air of relaxed confidence so that as people arrive I can meet and greet them like a hostess at a party. It is especially wonderful when I can connect, shake hands, and learn names before my programs so that the entire event is more personal, intimate, and engaging. Everyone feels more valued and important since it removes tension to create a friendly experience.
I’m late! I’m late! For a Very Important Date!
“I could never think well of a man’s intellectual or moral character if he was habitually unfaithful to his appointments.” ~Emmons
If you have a tendency to always be late, you’re hurting yourself and harming your reputation. When you are meeting someone for the first time, they are not interested in your “good excuse” for running late. Rather what it tells them about you is that:
- You do not keep your word
- You cannot be depended upon
- You are an incompetent time manager
- You don’t care about their feelings, schedules, or opinions
All of this is completely preventable by your making punctuality and promptness a true priority in your life, both personally and professionally.
Multi-Tasking Mania
In our society it has become common and predictable for people to stay non-stop busy, juggle priorities, and overextend. We schedule things back to back and being late becomes the norm. There are companies that schedule meetings to start at nine, but know that there will be people who will be late. It comes to be acceptable rudeness.
Respecting Other People’s Time
My dear friend Dr. Tina Hallis is a biochemist who worked in the medical research field until she launched her speaking and training business in Positive Psychology. She shared, “When I think about the leaders and managers that I’ve worked for over the years, there is a distinguishing factor between the ones who respect their employees’ time and the ones who don’t. Leaders who are really busy and caring demonstrate greater respect and consideration. Then there are those who act like their time is all that matters, don’t give a second thought to imposing on people’s schedules, make people wait, or let meetings drag on and waste people’s time. This one difference can make or break how people feel about the person and their ability to lead.”
Thankfully I have been very healthy throughout my life. As a result I would usually have only one doctor’s appointment each year for my annual checkup. Even though the appointment would be made months in advance, I would always end up waiting to see the doctor for 1-2 hours in the lobby. I felt that the consistent tardiness was disrespectful, rude, and tiring. After this happened multiple times I became so irritated by the lack of consideration that I simply found another doctor.
Timely Tips for Making a Great Impression
- Be on time!
- If you have a 15 minute appointment, keep it at 15 minutes unless there is mutual agreement to continue
- When beginning a conversation, ask the other person, “Do you have time to speak right now?” If they say no, you can say, “I’ve got some great information for you. What time will work best for you?”
- Start and end your meetings on time and stick to the agenda.
“The Art of First Impressions for Positive Impact” is an upcoming book by Motivational Keynote Speaker and Leadership Trainer Susan Young. Susan runs the speaking and training firm, Susan Young International. She helps organizations leverage the power of change to improve positivity and performance so they may THRIVE, PROSPER & SUCCEED. With a Master’s Degree in Human Performance, she is writing books and a series of tools to help people MOVE FROM TRANSITION TO TRANSFORMATION. As a result of her work, people share how motivated they are to shed what is holding them back and reach a new level of potential to live a life they love. To hire Susan for your next event, please visit www.susancyoung.com.
