Putting
aside the cultural claim that Guyanese are never expected to be on time; when you are late, what does it say about you?
Basically that your time is more important than the other persons. Now you may be quite willing to admit that is the case in many circumstances, but the person or people waiting on you are going to hear that sentiment loud and clear and their opinion of you will be formed accordingly.
Everyone is late now and then, of course, but there are many who habitually arrive after an event has started or after the designated time for meeting someone; never seeming to even leave the house until after the time they’re supposed to have arrived at their destination. It is likely that if you are not that person, you certainly know that person!
Most of us, although certainly not enough of us, recognise the significance of the need to be on time for professional arrangements, as well as social ones. The consequences of tardiness in the work place are obviously more detrimental than being late for a social gathering, but there is usually a trend in people’s tendencies to organise themselves efficiently enough to turn up on time. The fact there is generally an acceptance of the importance of professional punctuality that does not always carry over into the social arena is a statement about the worth placed on the people we are meeting, and the statement is not always an admirable one when we fail to adhere to arrangements.
Indeed we live in a busy time where many of us are juggling a hundred things each day, but what it comes down to is priorities. Whatever we are doing that we fail to stop in order to be on time must be accepted as a priority above where we are supposed to be. When we chose to continue with our current activity despite the effect it will have on pre-arranged meetings, we are making a decision about the level of importance of each option. Indeed, most times we make the call based on real need, but there are many who fail to weigh up options and arrogantly dismiss the worth of others’ time.
When exploring the possible reasons behind unnecessary tardiness, one avenue of thought is the enjoyment of the attention gained from making an entrance and eagerly describing to an assembled group the reasons for the detainment on this occasion. Perhaps the late entrance ensures a needy person is noticed.
There is also the possibility that such people are simply indifferent to the effects of making others wait for them, whether through an egotistical standpoint where they are caught up in their own needs and preferences and fail to take on the perspective of others, or through genuinely underestimating the value of their presence. Putting aside unforeseen occurrences, the bottom line is that those who are persistently late are unable or unwilling to take steps to avoid being late. Are they incapable of checking the clock ever so often, particularly when they know there’s a deadline approaching, unable to estimate how much time they’ll need to get wherever they’re going and thus what time they’ll need to leave where they are, and incapable of gauging what they have time to finish doing, setting a deadline and adjusting behaviour accordingly?
From a professional perspective, if they are incapable, who would chose to employ them? Who would want to rely on someone with such a lack of discipline? Time is money in the world of business and the cost of tardiness to the economy is huge. Missed opportunities, missed deadlines, lost contracts, lost customers, disrupted schedules and general poor productivity are all consequences of poor timekeeping. If they are simply unwilling, this is a great indicator of character. As a friend it may be accepted as a flaw that can be compensated for, but the time will come when a missed movie, a lost dinner reservation or a wasted ticket becomes annoying.
So the next time you decide not to get up on time, hasten your pace, adjust your day to ensure you are on time for that meeting/arrangement, consider that the person you are to meet did get up, did hasten and did adjust and is now waiting on you, wasting their precious time. Consider that and make an effort to take responsibility to honour your commitments. We can all excuse unavoidable delays, especially if accompanied by a courtesy phone call where possible, but inconsiderate behaviour is becoming tiring.
