SQLLawman

“What You Tolerate, You Encourage”  I am getting really fed up with meetings, web conferences, teleconferences, board meetings, etc. that can’t seem to start on time.  If you want to have a meeting at 10:30, start the meeting at 10:30.  I have attended one to many web conferences that start 10 minutes late, then don’t have time for Q&A at the end because the presenter wants to “respect everyone’s time”.  Hello! what about the 10 minutes you wasted waiting for those who don’t have enough respect for your time to show up on schedule?  Why punish the punctual?  If you start on time, those who are late and don’t want to miss anything might try harder next time.  I once worked for a company where the VP would call a meeting.  When the meeting time arrived, he locked the door.  If you weren’t there you missed the meeting.  I don’t know of anyone who was late more than once.  That worked for me.  Have we become such a wishy-washy society that we are afraid we will offend those who don’t have basic respect for the meeting organizer?  I will not get onto me soap box about respect, just look out the car window as you drive down any road and you will see how much we “respect our planet and each other.”  I’m tired of it.  If you are putting together a meeting and you want to be respectful of the time of someone who may be exiting another meeting, schedule the meeting for 5 minutes ofter the hour, then everyone will know when you plan to start.  The punctual will be there on time, as usual.  Yes, I know things come up and occasionally you have to be late.  But is that the fault of everyone else?  Be late, if that works for you.  But don’t expect me to wait on you.  just remember – the world is run by those who show up.  If you get there behind me who has a better chance of determining the direction?  So take a stand.  Start your meeting on time.  It will catch a few people off guard, but maybe we can bring a little respect back into our world.