By: Dr. Chris Downs

I’m rarely late for anything. I like to be on time. I guess I have FOMO (fear of missing out). I don’t want to miss anything, and I don’t like others talking about me when I’m not around.

In my business life, the few times I’ve been late were during periods of client crisis, and I was needed more to solve the client issue than get to a scheduled meeting with someone else. But these have been extremely rare.

Over the many years I hired, managed, and fired consultants, a significant part in my evaluation of (prospective or actual) consultants was their penchant for being on time. Managers have little patience for tardy consultants or contractors.

I expected my consultants to be early or at least on time for in-person meetings. I considered their punctuality a sign of respect for me, my team, and my company. Coming in 3 or more minutes late without a compelling reason felt like a message of disrespect. When contracts came to an end, I tended not to consider frequently late consultants for additional work.

You think I was bad? Just wait until I tell you about Carol B.

The Parable of Carol B.

Carol B was one of the Executive Vice Presidents at a company I worked for. She had a well-known habit of locking meeting room doors from the inside at precisely the scheduled start time of meetings she called. The staff and consultants who arrived before that time attended the meeting.

However, the few staff members who were late were locked out! She refused to unlock the door for them. In fact, she ignored them when they knocked and asked those present to remain seated. The tardy staff members missed important information. They were rarely late a second time.

But what about the consultants who hadn’t arrived before Carol B locked the door? They were barred from entry and their contracts were terminated. Yes, you read that right. Carol B fired them!

You see, when Carol B met new consultants she emphasized that meetings with her were characterized by punctuality and brevity. She despised long meetings and insisted they start on time and end early. She warned consultants that if they showed up late, they would no longer be working with us.

Carol B was a woman of her word. I know she fired at least three consultants over the years she was with our company.

You may think Carol B was a horrible person. She was just the opposite. She was a kind, supportive, clear-thinking, brilliant, high-achieving member of our executives. I learned a great deal from her.

But Carol B had two pet peeves: tardiness and long meetings. She didn’t tolerate either nor could she abide people who were late or long-winded. She didn’t hide these peeves from staff or consultants. We all knew the consequences.

I trust you get the point. Clients have limited time for meetings with consultants. Some of them won’t tolerate tardiness even once. Plan ahead. Be prompt, or better yet be early! Who knows when you might run into a Carol B one day.

Have you run into business clients who were sticklers for being on time?

If you’d like more information on the importance of punctuality in a business context, please consider getting a copy of “Solo Consulting: Insider Tips for Success!”

Notice: This blog wholly reflects the views and suggestions of Dr. Chris Downs. Readers’ use of his views or suggestions are wholly the responsibility of the reader as reflected by their actions, reactions thoughts, statements, and behaviors. Dr. Downs accepts no responsibility for readers’ use of his words. Further, this blog contains no intentional or structured therapeutic intent nor is the content designed to harm or improve the psychological state of the reader. Readers are responsible for their own reactions to and/or use of any and all suggestions or advice.