My retail shop

I firmly believe that if you’re told that a meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:00am, then you should arrive at least 10 minutes early so as to be in your seat and ready for a timely start.
I am tired of arriving on time for a meeting and, along with the other attendees, must sit and wait for those one or two stragglers who don’t have any respect for us and then just wander in without even an, “I’m sorry”, or a “Thank you for waiting”. The meeting facilitator feels the need to draw out the start of the program so the late comers don’t miss anything. WHY?

These late comers have not given any thought to the feelings of others. They are disrespectful of the rest of the group and only care about themselves. These people are attention getters. They look for attention in any way, shape or form. Arriving late puts the spotlight on them and this makes them feel “special’. Special? Not in my book. These latecomers have no sense of time, no respect for others, no organizations skills, and they don’t even care how their tardiness affects others. They are downright RUDE!

Some simple planning would ensure a timely arrival. But, no, that would involve organization, thinking ahead and thinking of others. That wouldn’t get them the undeserved attention and they wouldn’t get the satisfaction that they had enough control and power to hold up a meeting and flout the feelings of others.

People who are consistently late are attention getters. The meeting room is filled with annoyed people who had the decency to arrive on time… some having gone through great lengths to ensure their on-time arrival…and for what? To wait for these rude, “It’s all about me” types who merely want to make their grand entrance in front of a captive audience. Waiting for latecomers only enables these tardy attendees to believe that it is okay to be late and make everyone wait for them. It tells them that they don’t have to think of others, they don’t have to learn to manage their time better, they don’t have to be considerate, and they don’t have to go out of their way.
And how does it make me feel?

Angry, of course!!! I set my alarm, get up early, shower, do my hair & makeup, make my coffee, and have my breakfast. The night before I make sure I have gas in my truck. I leave the house early enough to fight any traffic I might run into and in case I’ve not been to this particular venue before I leave some time for “getting lost”, and parking. I thought, planned and organized.

Oh, and then there are the times when you and your spouse are attending the same event. Your partner is a bit sluggish and you urge them along so you won’t be one of “those” people! “Hurry, hurry, get moving”. Then, BOOM…. You arrive on time and end up having to wait! So, on top of having to deal with the rude and disrespectful latecomer, now you have to listen to the whining of your spouse complaining that you made him/her rush for no reason.

Why are people late?
For some, it’s an expression of power. They make you wait because they think they can and when a meeting is held up because of the latecomer, their behavior is validated.

Many people are “drama queens”. They allow the littlest thing get out of hand…in their own heads. A broken nail turns into major surgery! These diversions to the schedule keeps the drama queen distracted and they lose track of time…therefore late for the meeting you’ve gotten to on time.
Another reason why people are late is their inability to live in reality. Some people believe that they can drive across town in 20 minutes. Never once do they think about traffic, lights, parking and other variables. These individuals cut time too close and they don’t leave time for the unexpected. They lack time management and organizational skills.

Whatever the reason….I still believe that being late is rude and disrespectful. No matter what personality type you are… being late shouldn’t be tolerated when it affects others. I also believe that meetings shouldn’t be held up until the drama queen shows up. Their inappropriate behavior should not be rewarded.

If you can’t be early… at least be on time. It’s not much to ask, it’s common courtesy and respect.

Eydie Stumpf,
Virtual Assistant,
President and Owner,
Eydie’s Office

Eydie is a small business owner in Southern California. She is an active member of the Corona Chamber of Commerce and recent recipient of their Rookie of the Quarter Award. Eydie’s clients range from non-profit organizations to business coaches, and authors.

Tags: being late, hurry up, on time, tardiness

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