Recently, the Houston Business Journal had a great article emphasizing how we should all plan for the unexpected “bumps” in life – and this case, being late to a very important appointment. Laura Laaman, one of the HBJ’s writers, summed it up perfectly:
We’re all human, and we all make mistakes. The best of the best sales people and business people, however, plan for the unexpected. Sure they want to make the most of every minute, but they weigh the upside of spending a few more minutes doing whatever seems important with the downside of possibly being late.
Are you an “on time” person or “fashionably late?,” and what kind of impact does this have on your business?
Sure, unexpected “bumps” in life occur, but at whose cost? In the article’s case study from “The Apprentice,” Mr. Trump fires one of his applicants because they he kept someone waiting.
Is this reasonable? Should the Donald have acted differently?
In this age of “always-on” solutions, perhaps we can’t afford to wait longer than 10 to 15 minutes for our next appointment to show up. Sometimes, however, there are extenuating circumstances.
Perhaps we need to slow down a bit and plan for the unexpected.