TIME MANAGEMENT
prepared—and that he comes prepared—by
letting him know ahead of time the agenda for
the meeting, so he can consolidate his thinking
before you meet. You can gently remind him
about the meeting by asking, “Is there anything
else I can prepare to make the two o’clock meet-
ing run more smoothly?” If your boss is still late
to your meeting, at least being prepared might
speed up your discussion and ensure that the
meeting is productive and ends on time.
When you are on time, you are also setting
an example for your staff. Don’t assume your
people know how to be punctual. Remind them
that starting and ending meetings promptly
is important and that restarting meetings for
late arrivals wastes everybody’s time. It’s also
disrespectful of those who showed up on time.
Ensuring that your subordinates are routinely
punctual reduces time-wasting throughout
your department.
Setting an example of good time management
and respect for other people’s time is critical.
Start by explaining why and how you value your
time. Remember that the way you protect and
make the most effective possible use of your
time—and theirs—sets a standard for those
under you. If you consistently demonstrate the
behavior you want your employees to adopt,
your example will be effective.
The same thing is true with your peers.
Although you lack the institutional power to
effect changes in how your coworkers manage
their time, you can encourage them to be on
time to meetings and appointments, especially