Personal Growth

Lateness: Causes and Consequences

As a European, I have been used since a very young age to organizing myself so I arrive at an appointment or any commitment with 10 or 15 minutes to spare. After moving to Mexico, I realized very quickly that most people do not know how to arrive on time. Worse still: they do not want to arrive on time.

In the business world, especially when I was looking for executives to work for me, I offended many people by not accepting candidates who showed up late to the interview. In social settings, I was frustrated more than once by guests arriving late to a party, a meal, or any other event.

Instead of judging right away and blaming a person or a culture, I set out to understand where this widespread national habit comes from, and what consequences it can have for people.

Causes vs. Consequences

Cause	Detail	Consequence
You do not want to arrive early	Many people refuse to arrive early and sit around with nothing to do.	You make someone wait who gave you a specific time for a reason: they may have other things after, or they blocked that window before they have to leave.
They grew up thinking “important people arrive late”	This is a self-esteem issue. It can be fixed easily, but it is usually inherited from parents, and many people treat it as normal.	The need to feel important and respected backfires when you make a habit of being late. Most people will see you as disrespectful and misaligned in your values, and you will not get what you want by making others wait.
Fear of looking awkward	Many people do not want to be first to an event or meeting because they do not know what to do when they are alone with the host. That is another form of low self-confidence and a sign of an introverted personality.	Arriving late when everyone else is already there can be even harder for an introvert, because all eyes can turn to that person as they walk in and interrupt the meeting looking for a seat.
Time = money	If the host’s time is valuable, so is yours. You would rather arrive late than wait for someone when you could have been producing something for your work.	Especially in business, if you are the one offering something, you will lose the client. If you are the buyer, you may get lower-quality treatment. The point is that if someone gives you a time and you accept it, it should not hurt your own business. You are not afraid to say no and suggest another time or date that works better.
They truly struggle with time	Some people really do have a “disability” with time. They cannot arrive on time no matter how hard they try. They do not hunt for excuses and they feel terrible about being late.	Here the consequence is clear: people cannot trust you. A boss cannot give you tasks or responsibilities that would help you grow professionally, and your friends cannot rely on you to organize any meeting or event. They will leave you out, and you will feel rejected.
The over-polite guest	Some people think only of others. That can work against them because they always fear they are bothering someone. They arrive late because they do not want to show up before the hosts are ready.	The person who invited or called you will think you are disrespecting them, even though you meant to be polite and give them space. If someone says the meeting starts at 4 p.m., arrive so that it can start at 4 p.m.

Why punctuality matters in business

A few months ago we were looking for a commercial executive director. I blocked a full day in the office to meet candidates and interview them myself, because they would report directly to me. We had twelve people scheduled in Mexico City, where traffic is among the heaviest in the country. I had eight interviews in the morning and four in the afternoon.

Of the eight planned for the morning, six arrived late by 5 to 20 minutes and blamed traffic, one arrived exactly on the hour and said he had other commitments and was not sure he would make it, and one arrived 15 minutes early. I only received the last one. Nobody else. Traffic is not an excuse: I never arrived late to an appointment in that city because of traffic, because it is an everyday reality. I know I have to plan my schedule around that inconvenience.

In the afternoon, none of the candidates arrived on time. One never showed up and sent no notice. I did not receive any of them.

The problem for all of these candidates is that in every industry CEOs talk to each other and share recommendations or references. Those names stayed in a file, and if another company asks, the only thing we can say is that we are dealing with someone irresponsible and unprofessional.

You are not important because you arrive late. You are not on time if you arrive at the scheduled hour. You are on time when you arrive at least 10 minutes early. If you accept a time slot, it is because you know you have that window free. Not because you hope you will. — Damien Soitout

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