Are you the late Juan dela Cruz?
By Francis J. Kong
(The Philippine Star) Updated March 11, 2012
If you think only cows go through branding, then you’re in for a big surprise. You are a brand, just as I am my own brand and your next-door neighbor is his own brand. Who we really are and what people perceive us to be – our brand – may be two different things, but as the famous line goes, “Perception is reality!”
My clients in the lecture circuit have branded me “Mr. Early”. I don’t show up on time – I always show up in my engagements a bit earlier than expected.
I’ve been featured with well-known personalities who would be late for functions and then seemingly bask in the attention everyone bestows upon their “regal” presence when they do arrive in the venue. These tardy people may deem themselves all-important, but what they don’t know is that people are cursing them behind their back for their tardiness. I don’t want any of that. I’d rather wait than bear the discomfort of having people wait for me. This is why I show up early.
How about you? Do your office mates refer to you already as “the late Juan dela Cruz” even though you’re very much alive? Do the clocks at work always seem to be 15 minutes advance, except when it’s nearing the time to go home?
Your constant tardiness costs your company money, but you need to understand that it actually costs you more. It’s because your reputation is put on the line every time you’re late.
Habitually late people are usually procrastinators who have trouble resisting immediate gratification.
Sometimes, they even enjoy putting something off until the last minute. Such habits become ingrained over time. Chronic lateness is like an illness – it begins with a few symptoms that grow into a full-blown sickness.
Despite the consequences, tardiness is often a difficult habit to break. Battling it takes more than setting the clock 10 minutes advance. That never works. Stop making up excuses, and start managing your time with these helpful tips:
1. Traffic is terrible, so why not simply set out early?
You will never know what may go wrong while you’re off to work or to an appointment. And then there are days when just about e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g goes wrong. But if you’ve set out for work early, you can run behind your schedule and still be on time for the call time.
2. Compute the time it takes to do other tasks.
Travel and traffic are just two things, but what about the time it’ll take for you to secure a parking space? If it’s your first time to go to a location, consider also the time you’ll spend looking for the right address and asking for directions.
3. Better plan the night before.
The clothes you’re going to wear, the shoes you’re going to use, the things you need to bring – if all these were prepared the night before so that all you have to do is just grab them on your way out, you will definitely save a lot of prep time. So stay organized!
4. Let technology serve, not enslave you.
Cell phones, SMS, email. These things make us available to everyone 24 hours a day. Assign only a specific time for checking and returning them. Intermittent opening would take up a lot of your time without you noticing it. You should do the same even in returning clients’ phone calls. Keep in mind that there are more than two countries in this world of ours aside from “Rush-ia” and “Urgent-tina”. Don’t get caught up with long conference calls or last-minute memos.
5. Don’t just stand there… Do something!
When there’s a job for you to do, start it immediately. It’s really rare to find people who actually work best under pressure, so don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re one. Looming deadlines become less bothersome when you start working on the task early enough and when you keep at it until it’s finished.
Every time you make people wait, you are communicating to them that they’re not important to you. You rob them of their precious time. You’re silently announcing to them your arrogance.
Somebody once said, “The trouble with being punctual is that nobody’s there to appreciate it.” That’s not true. Take it from me. People do appreciate punctuality. Even if they don’t, you should appreciate it enough to practice it. Stop being “the late Juan dela Cruz”. Be punctual. It will reflect your character. It will build your brand every day of your life.
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