Anyone who has spent time in the workforce has probably experienced the issue of people showing up late to meetings. It might be the one person creeping into the back of the room 5 minutes after the meeting has started, the multiple “pings” of latecomers to the videoconference, or a room full of people waiting for the meeting to start because a key person hasn’t showed up yet.
Starting—and attending—meetings on time is surprisingly difficult in virtually every organization. After all, the tardiness of American schoolchildren is rarely tolerated throughout their formative years in K–12 education. Yet such tardiness is extremely pervasive in the professional world, where one would think the stakes are higher.
When considering the importance of setting and keeping meeting start dates as scheduled, here are some important points.
Respect for Colleagues
Being tardy is extremely disrespectful, regardless of who’s meeting it is or who’s involved. The lack of respect—real or perceived—can ultimately have major negative long-term impacts on morale, engagement, and turnover.
Everyone’s Late Is a Little Different
In some companies, people might say, “I know I’m always a few minutes late, but that’s the norm here.” The problem with that is everyone’s “late” is a little different. Some might think it’s fine to show up 5 minutes late, while others think 10 or 15 minutes is OK, which means there will always be an amount of time when some people are ready to begin and some aren’t.
The Snowball Effect
Another problem with tolerating tardiness is that it tends to snowball. What starts as tolerance for people showing up 5 minutes late soon expands to greater and greater grace periods. Moreover, when meetings start 5 minutes late, they may very well run 5 minutes late, which is particularly true for shorter meetings. For those who have back-to-back meetings, this means they’ll be late for their next one, perpetuating the cycle.
Is It Ever Excusable?
Of course, there are times when someone simply can’t make a meeting on time. A prior critical meeting may have run late, or a personal emergency may have come up. In such situations, it’s incumbent upon the individual to inform the meeting organizer. If he or she is going to be more than 5 or 10 minutes late and his or her presence is necessary, it may make sense to postpone the meeting to a later time.
Showing up on time should be an expectation in all work settings. After all, time is money. The amount of time spent waiting for tardy colleagues can lead to major losses in productivity, which directly impacts the bottom line.
The next time you’re in charge of a meeting, start it on time—no matter who may be missing!
The post Why It’s Important to Start Your Meetings on Time appeared first on HR Daily Advisor.