Prioritize Meeting Punctuality

Tardiness to a meeting is stressful. Stressful to you in that you feel:

• rushed
• frustrated
• unprepared
• uninformed
• time strapped
• worried

However, being late is stressful to other meeting attendees as well. It can imply to them a sign of rudeness or that your time is more valuable/important than theirs (unless a random unforeseen event). They can feel:

• annoyed
• angry
• upset
• exasperated
• time/schedule compromised
• inconvenienced

Meeting punctuality results in:

• increased meeting productivity, participation, clarification and effectiveness
• decreased off-topic interjections
• less side conversations
• reduced interruptions
• greater mutual respect
• better communication and collaboration
• healthier/more positive meeting outcome

Promptness is a lifeskill that if not innate, can certainly be learned and become an everyday practice. For instance:

• Do you have a tendency to over schedule or double book?
  • Decline meeting invites if you truly don’t need to be present and can be copied on meeting notes;
  • Review, streamline, prioritize and purge your meeting calendar on a daily and weekly basis.
• Are you a meeting procrastinator?
  • Set calendar alarms with specific deadlines/guidelines to help prepare yourself for meetings;
  • Read meeting agenda well in advance of meeting;
  • Plan participation ahead of time;
  • Ensure reports, presentations, tasks are finished ahead of schedule, not five minutes before the meeting starts;
  • Review/plan logistics to ensure:
    • ample drive/commute/travel time;
    • time between meetings;
    • client or team calls will be completed well ahead of meeting.
• Do you arrive “just in the nick of time” for meetings?
  • Plan to arrive five to ten minutes early.

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler