Meetings, meetings, meetings. We all know how important it is to be on time for a meeting. The last thing you want is to be late – holding everyone up, making people repeat things you missed, appearing unprepared and disorganized, etc.
But do you know how much you stand to gain by being 5 minutes early?
Meeting People
Don’t underestimate this. It gives you a chance to become acquainted with more people in the organization and to interact with people you might not normally get a chance to talk to. What a networking opportunity! Find out about them while you can. Have some questions in your pocket to break the ice; How long have you been with the company?
- What do you do?
- What’s going on in your area?
- What does <your department> do?
- How do you like working there?
You will be amazed how many contacts you can make or how much more you can learn about the people you already know.
Preparation
Physical – Now you have a chance to get a seat – if it’s a presentation you can sit where you can see well, make good eye contact with the team, and be a part of the meeting. Maybe just have a few minutes to get comfortable, put your phone on vibrate, etc.
Mental – You also have a chance to settle yourself mentally – look at the agenda, think about your position on the key topics, or just clear your mind to focus effectively.
Make this your mantra;
“5 minutes early is on time. On time is late. Late is unacceptable.”– Eric Jerome Dickey
Doing the little things right – or maybe just a little better than others can make quite a difference. And there is a lot more you probably never even thought of!
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