Call if You Are Late!

      One of the key points of a professional is to respect the meeting time of a client, colleague or other professional.  If you are going to be late for a meeting, just a minute, give a call, text or email and tell whomever you are meeting with that you are going to be late.  It could be the train blocks the roadway, a fire truck makes you pull over or any host of other challenges.  It makes no difference what the delay is, you are delayed and your client, customer, colleague is waiting, wondering where you are– all the time thinking “Where are you–why am I waiting?”

      Some folks think that keeping an individual waiting is a sign of “power” or “dominance” over the other individual.  Another way to think about it is that of disrespect and lack of consideration for your colleague.

      There are a whole multitude of reasons why one is late– it really makes no difference what the reason is– what is important is that you are respectful of your colleague/client or other professional and the time that he/she has given to your meeting.  After all, you also thought it important to meet or you would not have scheduled the meeting, right?

       If you are going to be late, irrespective of the reason, notify your meeting partner that you will be late and will arrive as soon as possible.  In that way, your meeting partner knows and understands the delay, and is less likely to be frustrated when the meeting begins.  This should also allow your meeting to be more productive and profitable.