What does being on time mean?

The Rock It! Co.’s Founder & CEO, Leah Stoudenmire, was recently asked about the important topic of being on time. Something she knows a lot about working in the marketing and event business where everything follows a detailed schedule. If someone or something happens to be late, it causes ripples of chaos.

“Being on time is ingrained into The Rock It! Co.’s culture and our clients, but in the post Covid world, we’ve become accustomed to a leniency in showing up late to meetings, events, and even work,” she said.

However, she stressed being late should be an exception, not a norm. Things happen – traffic, a sick child, the laptop left at home – but the goal is to learn to anticipate and prepare for these moments.

According to Leah, improving time management breaks down to three steps.

– Communication builds trust and goes a long way. With technology at our fingertips – a simple text or phone call in advance can let the other party know the timing issues. No exception if you are able.

– It’s important to tell the truth about your tardiness. It’s not worth risking the circle of trust and getting caught in a lie. The other party will appreciate the truth whether you overslept or ran into traffic.

– If running late is habitual, it can cause unnecessary stress on others and friction in relationships if left unchecked. It’s worth being transparent and having a conversation to explore the root cause and how to avoid it in the future. An open discussion allows for space to learn what would work best for both parties and to find a resolution.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to understanding that people’s time is valuable,” Stoudenmire said. “If you become known as someone who wastes people’s time, then your clients and partners will start to lose trust in your abilities and not be able to rely on you.”