Keeping time or punctuality is the acceptable thing to do in personal and business life and shows good character. To not do so gives the impression that you are disorganized, rude, uncaring and would rather be doing something else. To avoid giving a poor impression
- Keep a record of your tasks, for the day, the week, the month, the year. Then check your calendar the first half hour of your work day and jot down what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. At the end of the day check your calendar again for the remaining week and in particular for the following day.
- Use your alarm. If you have an appointment at 12 am. Set your alarm for 11am and start preparing for that appointment as soon as the alarm goes off. You either start clearing your desk, showing the person in front of you the door or making sure you have all the papers you need before going off or accepting the next appointment.
- Use a map. Some places are in an area you have never been, so check on the map where they are. Is the next appointment near to you, far off in another part of town or in an area known for congestion? Orient yourself and prepare for any delays by mapping out the area in advance in your head.
- Start off early. If the scheduled time is 8, arrive with a quarter of an hour to spare. To check how you present, if you have carried the correct material, and are relaxed and not panting, sweating or indeed at the right address.
- Apologize, apologize, and apologize. As soon as you realize you will be late for a meeting, call and say that you will be late and apologize. Apologize again when you get to the appointment and when the meeting is over, apologize again.
- There is no such thing as African time or western time. Time is time and the only time you can refer to it as a region or indeed a people is when you have to speak with someone in a different time zone, therefore, Brazilian time, Cambodian time or Swiss time.
