If there’s one thing my dad used to tell me that aggravated me more than anything else, it was his response whenever I was trying to explain why I was late, or didn’t do my chores, or got a bad grade, or anything else I had done to warrant a lecture. When I asked if I could go hang out with my friends after school, he’d tell me to be home by 5 o’clock so I could get my homework done. We were usually at my buddy’s house a few blocks away, so I was often rushing home along the same route every day, having tried to eek out every last minute of playing before I rushed home. On a good day, I could leave at 4:49 and get home in time. Some days, though, there was a lot of snow on the ground and I couldn’t run so fast; or maybe there was a lot of traffic on Kostner, the one semi-busy street between our houses, and I had to wait a little longer; or Mrs. Allen would stop me to ask how my day was or what grade I was in. On these days, I would be a few minutes late, and my dad would be waiting at the door, with a furrowed brow and look of disappointment.
“What time is it?”
“It’s 5:07”
“And what time were you supposed to be home?”
“I know, I know… 5:00. But it’s not my fault! I left at 4:45, but the snow is really deep and there was a lot of traffic on Kostner and….”
“Ok, that’s your reason. But it’s no excuse! You should have left earlier if you weren’t going to be able to be here by 5.”
Man, that would get me so riled up! What was the big deal anyway? What does a few minutes matter? And how was I supposed to know that it would take me longer to get home? Life is so unfair when you’re a kid!
It turns out, that set me up for success in life in ways that I couldn’t understand as a twelve year old. It’s a phrase that I use when dealing with contractors and students, and I hear his voice in the back of my head every time I’m feeling sorry for myself or start to make excuses. It turns out, that a few minutes usually doesn’t matter in most instances, just like failing to get something done on time is usually excusable in the long run. When deadlines get pushed back time and time again, however, or the budget keeps expanding, or excuses start piling up, it can be the difference between success and failure.
When I agree to meet someone, I calculate the time it’ll take me to get there, try to think of anything that might make me late, then make contingency plans in case these scenarios pop up. Often times, that means I get there early, so I bring a book or plan on responding to emails or something else to fill that time. If nothing gets in my way, I can spend that time being productive or relaxing. If there’s a traffic jam or I need to stop for gas or anything else gets in my way, I can use that built-in time buffer and still arrive on time. In the unusual case that I’m still going to be late, I’ll call and let the person know that I’m running late and why.
Be reliable. Be predictable. Plan for failure so that you’ll succeed. You’ll get more business, keep more friends, make more money, and succeed more if you make an effort to never give an excuse, and just deliver what you promised.