At one point in time, we might have shown up for a meeting some minutes late. This could have happened not because we intentionally decided to show up late, but because it might have been due to one reason or the other. The reason might be:
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Overscheduling. You cram too many things to do in one day. Doing this can throw you off balance, you lose track of time and you end up running late for the meeting.
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Unpreparedness. You simply might not be properly prepared for the meeting. You could end up prepping yourself for the meeting only a few minutes before it commences.
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What do I do to avoid running late to meetings again?
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Mark your calendars:
This is the first thing you should do immediately after you find out about a meeting a few days ahead. You should immediately mark the date on your calendars; both on a printed calendar and your phone calendar or use a Google Calendar (some businesses may make use of Calendly). This will constantly remind you of the meeting and will help you get prepared for it ahead of time.
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Set alarms:
On the meeting day, you should set an alarm an hour ahead of the time it is scheduled to commence. For example, if the meeting is scheduled to hold by 3 pm, you could set an alarm for 2 pm. This way, you will be reminded of the meeting an hour ahead, so that you can pause your other engagements and get ready for the meeting.
There is also nothing wrong with setting multiple alarms on the meeting day. It is a way of regularly reminding yourself of the meeting.
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Work with a timekeeper:
This would be a good option for you if you are always occupied and very busy on a normal day. If the meeting has a designated timekeeper, you can stay in contact with the timekeeper and request to be reminded of the meeting as the days go by.
If the meeting has no designated timekeeper, you can work with another meeting attendee just so that you both stay in sync and regularly remind one another of the forthcoming meeting.
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Know the meeting venue:
This is also another aspect of getting ready for the meeting. You should find out the venue designated for the meeting. This will help you know how much time it will take you to get to the location from where you would be on that very meeting day.
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Be Early:
After knowing the meeting venue/location, the next thing to plan is how early you should be at the meeting. Ethically, you should be at the meeting venue at least 15 minutes before the meeting commences. If it is a virtual meeting, you should clock in for the meeting at least 5 minutes before time.
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Conclusion
Some people have made it a habit to always be late to meetings, and they have done this unconsciously. But with these secrets, you can turn around that habitual lateness into being admired by your co-workers for being so punctual to meetings.
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