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KEEP TO TIME Else others wait endlessly. It is not a question of efficiency but priority

Sai Divya a process consultant with a software company says, “Punctuality is a matter of discipline and is ingrained right from childhood by one’s parents and the education system. Much depends on upbringing. It is a tool with which to brand yourself. As a trainer it is extremely important for me to be on time.”

However people in certain types of jobs reason that time is not always in their hands but controlled largely by those they serve.

Suresh K. Nair who manufactures water and waste-water treatment plants explains, “My time is decided by clients. Supposing I go to a meeting expecting it to finish in half-an-hour it may stretch for longer for a variety of reasons and then the second one gets delayed. People also work late hours. If I have something lined up with the family for the evening there is a 50-50 chance that I will make it. But for the first meeting of the day I am invariably on time. As far as business meetings go, women are more punctual. Zuhair, a business development manager in an auto ancillary says, “In our line of work we find very few women and most of them tend to stick to deadlines. At work I have to make an effort to be on time. This is because of the way I structure my day and my tendency to bite off more than I can chew.”

But if one had to take a pick – who is more punctual men or women?

Joel a HR professional replies, “I would say men are more punctual not because I am a man but since a lot of leaders happen to be men and leaders can’t afford to miss time cues. In actual experience there are exceptions. As far as timelines at work go men delegate jobs and expect the task to be done. Women like to see work completed with their participation and would prefer things to be done their way.However, I won’t say women aren’t time conscious. They are in today’s corporate world. The point is women also have to grapple with other priorities such as family, marriage, babies etc. ”

Ravishankar who heads corporate communications in a company that is into blood cell preservation observes, “I have seen habitual late comers among women. They are usually freshers from college who are into a job and are not used to the work routine. But then like in any other debate there is the view that punctuality is not a gender thing at all and more of a personality trait.”

Lalitha a PR professional in a private consultancy says: “I don’t like to keep others waiting and I don’t like to be kept waiting. If I am running late I inform the person well ahead so that he would be prepared and expect the same – I would rather go early to a meeting than arrive late. I manage my time at the beginning of the day and provide enough time cushion between meetings.”

When it comes to keeping time at social functions it is a different ballgame. Points out Zuhair, “For a casual get together when a guy says 6 p.m. it means 6.10 p.m. When women say 6 p.m. they probably mean 7 p.m.

Women are a little worse off because they need time to get decked up. Also they tend to optimistically estimate commute time (traffic being unpredictable) whereas men are better at factoring in things like these.” The fact that people arrive late even for occasions like a wedding is sad. “A friend might ask if you can give him a lift or do him a favour and pick up a gift. We tend to take on more,” adds Zuhair.

And how punctual people are (men and women included) is also a sign of how much you matter to them and vice versa. “On the personal front if people are important guests they tend to make it on time or else they keep the person waiting which is not fair,” says Lalitha. With that, it is time for a wrap.

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