Why timeliness is next to godliness: an entrepreneur's guide to success

Have you ever sat waiting for a meeting to show up?  5 minutes late….10 minutes late…no call, no e-mail?  Of course, we all have.  Under some exigent circumstances these things can be forgiven and we are all guilty of tardiness from time to time.  But what some people don’t understand is the repercussion of persistent tardiness on your business.

Why is your time more important than mine?

This is exactly what I’m thinking if you show up late to a meeting.  It immediately starts you off on the wrong foot, unless, as mentioned above, there is a good excuse.  Ladies and gentleman, traffic, especially in LA, is NOT AN EXCUSE.  You know by now the patterns of your travel, so make sure you give yourself enough time to get to your meeting destination.  I happen to be one of those perpetually early people.  If I am concerned about possibly being late, I may even go to the meeting place hours early if it’s public, or a nearby coffee shop to make certain that I am not late for a meeting.  The bottom line is that if people believe that you are a tardy person, what does that mean for the way you will do business with them?  Why would you give them any negative ammunition when you are trying to make a good first impression?  It always amazes me how many times people fail in this most simple and controllable of tasks.  Here are 5 of my time management rules.  Hopefully they will help those of you who are timing challenged.

5 Steps for timeliness:

1. Show up early and get other work done

2. Set your clock 10 minutes early

3. Have a traffic sensitive navigation system on your phone or in your car

4. Book multiple meetings in a row so you know you will be on time

5. Book meetings close to each other

As the old adage says, you only get one chance to make a first impression.  Make sure you set yourself up for success with your one chance.

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