"Sorry, tak balik lagi ni..Orang lain tak datang lagi." Every time I was waiting for him to come and fetch me, this is what I will hear. I am so damn sick of these words. EVERY single time I expect him to come, this will be the most and probably the ONLY reason he’s late. This morning, I was feeling like going over to the store and lecture those kids who never seem to learn to come to work on time.
I am very particular with time. I have some slacks, I’d be lying if I say that I was always on time. But as much as I can, I will try my best to be punctual. People who are not punctual, are either lack of discipline, have bad time management or have no sense of respect to others.
When I have a meeting at 8.30pm, I will try to be there at least 5 minutes earlier. And I expect the others are already at the venue by the time, so that the meeting can start at 8.30pm. If, I happen to be late, I will inform the others, so that the meeting can start and I’ll be joining them. I don’t expect the floor to wait for me. But the reality is a lot different:- Meeting at 8.30pm - 8.30pm: Getting dressed or the better ones will start leaving from their places, getting to the meeting venue. 8.40pm: Finished dressing, leaving home/hostel. 8.45-8.50pm: Reach venue. Seeing no one else is there, or see only 2-3 people. Thinking that they are wasting time waiting there, better off having dinner first. 8.53pm: Dinner at nearby cafe (it’s only a minutes away la - no harm done, can always stop eating and rush back to meeting once someone call us). 9.00pm: only half of the floor is present at the meeting (where is everyone else? call them! We can’t start unless everyone’s here.). friends start calling friends. 9.15pm: people start filling in. chit-chatting, excuses, laughs. 9.20pm: someone says something about starting the meeting, but no one pays attention. 9.30pm: Meeting start after someone shouted "silence". Ever experience this? Chances are, 8 over 10 meetings you are attending are exactly or more or less the same as this. Pathetic isn’t it?
For those who "only started to get dressed/start leaving at the time of the meeting is scheduled", I understand that you were thinking about the lateness of other people. I understand that you have the "why do I have to waste my time waiting for them? I’d better off doing my work a bit and be there when the meeting start." or "I’m so sure that everyone will be late, so why bother?" thoughts floating in your multiple cells of brains (that eventually, you use only for creating reasons and excuses). If 20 people are to attend the meeting, and all 20 people have the same thoughts, what will happen? Do the maths. What? So there’ll be no problem because everyone will arrive at about the same time and the meeting can start then? If this thought happen to cross your mind, you are a creative person who is lack of reasoning / logic ability. Tsk.Tsk. The objective is to start the meeting at 8.30pm. Maybe you did not know that there are some people (as rare as it is), that respect time & can actually come at designated time & place.
To those who "rather not waste time waiting for people and go to do some other things at some other places (e.g. having dinner) while waiting for others to show up", please note that that activities are not waiting. Do you notice that by going to other places, you will consume more times (to and fro)? And what is the matter with you, waiting for someone to call you up when the meeting is about to start? Even PM doesn’t do that! If others can wait, why can’t you? Hungry? You do know that the meeting is at 8.30pm right? Why can’t you have an early dinner? While waiting, you can do some reading, or catching up with others’ life stories, (Or even have a light sandwich or drinks there!) so that you don’t have to start doing it when the meeting is ACTUALLY about to begin.
I realized that some people just do not have a sense of time. Didn’t they realize that if they came up to work later than they should, they are wasting the time of people before them (esp. in shift work). That they are actually stealing other people’s time? And maybe, just maybe, that person have some other appoinment to meet, and he is making others waiting? And the chain goes on. So the responsibility of stealing people’s time is upon that one person who did not care enough to show up on time. Right? I hope that I will never be one of those people who do not know how to respect others.
If, IF something comes up, it’s not that hard to reach up to your phone (which I believe, is just a breath away from you, 24/7) and call that person and tell him/her that you are going to be late. At least, make an effort to come earlier or on time. Time planning is very important. You would hate it if you have to wait, right? So does everyone else.
I enjoy working with a friend of mine, Voon Miaw Thin. I know I can trust her on time. Even if the meeting is located at my place, she managed to come at the exact time. One of my lecturer, whom my friends and I called mama, is very particular about time. During lectures, door will be locked from inside when the class begins, so if you happen to be overslept,don’t mind waking up as well. When my dad said that we will depart from home to any destination planned at certain time, we will leave the house at the exact time (more or less - never later than half and hour), unless there are some unpredictable things happen.
Please don’t be late on appoinments.
