Reliably Late

Being reliable is a reflection of success. Are you smothering your potential by being late? Maybe it’s time to take the clock seriously, as well as yourself.

Better three hours too soon than a minute too late –William Shakespeare

I’m sitting in my office and I can hear the central AC sigh quietly reflecting my disappointment. The clock on the wall shifts from 11:20 to 11:21. Click. I get lost in my thoughts, as my brain flitters from one subject to another. It’s hot outside. The aluminum window expands from the cooler temperature inside and softly creaks as it shifts and settles into its new position. I mimic it and shift my weight from left to right, crossing my ankles under my desk. A muffled laugh filters through my door from the corridor, and I wonder what could be so funny as I flip through my Instagram. It’s cold inside. Click. It’s 11:27 and my appointment is reliably late. He was supposed to come at 11:00, and HE asked for this appointment in a vague phone call a few days ago. My mobile rings and I start chatting with an old friend, and that’s when His Highness decides to arrive.

“‘You’re late,’ I growl, as I point him to sit down across from me without getting off the phone. ‘Parking,’ he mutters sheepishly as I shake my head in disgust.”

“You’re late” I growl, as I point him to sit down across from me without getting off the phone. “Parking” he mutters sheepishly as I shake my head in disgust. Before he makes contact with his seat I tell him to get to the point without any small talk. “I’m looking for an investor” he stutters. “You want money?” I reply with a sneer. “Yes, an investor” he retorts. “I don’t have money” I state angrily without getting off the phone, “thanks for coming”. And that’s how fast the meeting was.

Most of my abrupt behavior was out of annoyance (if you don’t respect my time then I won’t respect yours) and some of it was logic (I can’t invest in someone who is that late for their first meeting that THEY requested), but part of it was also meant as a lesson. How can you be taken seriously by others if you don’t take yourself seriously? An important part of being a businessman is being organized, and HIGHLY organized. You need to organize your time, money, energy, and resources. If you can’t do it, then partner with someone organized, or employ someone.

Organization, like everything else, can be measured easily. I can automatically tell an organized reliable person just from how punctual he is; it’s that simple. Organized people are reliably on time, every time; regardless of traffic, wind, rain, dust, or earthquakes because they know how to manage themselves. Unorganized folks are reliably late no matter what the weather or circumstances.

“Organized people are reliably on time, every time; regardless of traffic, wind, rain, dust, or earthquakes, because they know how to manage themselves.”

Some people blame culture for being late. “ya habibi it’s Arab time what to do?” Or “If I come on time nobody else is there so what’s the point?” Well, the point is that you set an example. The point is that you’re setting your own standards and being professional. The point is that maybe one person is on time, so you are respecting that other person’s time.

I’m almost always the first to a meeting but the boardroom is usually empty. I’m on time for the doctor but the doctor is late. Meetings with government employees, delivery companies, maintenance guys, and many other people are ridiculously late. The system can’t magically solve itself, and we can’t magically be on “English time”, or better yet “German time” with a wave of the wand but I’ll bet if we just improved ourselves a little then one day (maybe in a hundred years) Arab time could be considered one of the best. I won’t hold my breath, but in the meantime, I’ll try to always be on time, keep demanding from people to be there in “English time” and strive all I can to not be late. Especially not reliably late; like my fellow countrymen.

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