What Is Your Time Management Reputation?

October 13, 2010 By 5 Comments

You are only going to be 5 minutes late to that meeting.

You’ll just sneak in.

That report is going to be a little late.

No one will notice.

Right…?

Wrong. It’s not that simple.

You have a time management reputation, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

What is yours? And what does it say about you?

Are You In Denial?

Everyone has a time management reputation…

  • What do others say about your punctuality?
  • What do they think about your reliability?
  • Do they believe in your ability to deliver on schedule?

Many people who are constantly late think it is not a big deal. They think they will just do it better next time.

But, it is a big deal.

Your professional reputation rides on your behavior and actions much more than you may think.

It’s Always the Same People

When starting a meeting recently, there were two people missing. The organizer asked who was missing. Someone quickly answered. The whole room groaned.

Why? Because it was the same two people who are always late. (Is it you?)

The same is often true of deliverables, projects, and reports. It is almost always the same people who fail to meet deadlines.

Many of these individuals do not take much worry in their lack of productivity, punctuality, and performance. However, their behavior precedes them…

  • Do you think these individuals will be counted on for important tasks?
  • Do you think they will advance into areas of greater responsibility?
  • Do you think they will be considered a top performer?

What’s Yours?

Before you blow off that deadline, or show up late to that next meeting, consider what your behavior is saying about you and your performance.

Actions often speak louder than words, and your time management may have colleagues and friends saying uncomplimentary things about you.

Be proud of your punctuality and reliability. Take pride in your time management reputation and what it says about you.

What does your time management reputation say about you?

Related Posts:

The Person Who Can’t Keep Appointments

Why You Will Be Late To The Meeting

Why Don’t You Finish Early?

Filed Under: Time Management
  • Aaron

    Do you think these individuals will be counted on for important tasks?
    Do you think they will advance into areas of greater responsibility?
    Do you think they will be considered a top performer?

    Your questions are good ones…but the issue I most often run into is that the one who is perpetually late IS the knowledge expert or top performer who is already being asked to work on all of the important projects. They tend to be the ‘creative’ types who have created a situation where management has learned to deal with their eccentricity because management is convinced that without their input to the project, it will not be successful. I am not saying that what they deliver is not exceptional. I am though saying that making everyone else wait on them is selfish and rude. So, your time management reputation alone will not be the ticket to bigger and better assignments. You might also want to become that knowledge expert and to pay attention to your career path by managing upwards if you want the bigger and better assignments.

    • http://twitter.com/Zen_Ken Ken Britz

      That I agree with. If the person who is late is a key player, it’s likely the meeting is waiting for him/her. With that you’ll have to bend around them, especially if they are a superstar in their job.

      Then again, it might be best to go back to your original question ‘Why are you having this meeting?’

  • http://twitter.com/d_a_keldsen David A. Keldsen/Dak

    Great inspiration piece. I regularly use the ‘the only way to be on time is to be early’ when coaching and leading teams…and this story is a terrific elaboration of that theme.

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