Everyone values punctuality differently. For me, I like to start every engagement I commit to on the dot.
I understand that others don’t value punctuality as highly, and that’s perfectly ok.
Though something curious keeps happening with ongoing engagements at QLA.
At the start of our engagements I don’t tell people I’ll call on the dot. I just simply call at the scheduled time we’ve agreed to. If they answer, that’s great. And if they don’t answer and call back a little later or need to reschedule, that’s great too. I’m completely flexible and assure them that rescheduling is never a problem.
But something shifts as the engagements progress, and it’s happened far too often to be a coincidence.
Over time, people start calling me on the dot because they want to be first. (And in some instances, it actually becomes a game to see who starts the call).
It’s fascinating when this happens, especially for those that don’t value punctuality as highly as me.
When you are clear on your values and you show people consistently (rather than telling them), it’s amazing the effect it can have on those around you.
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