How to be Punctual
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If your working hours are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; this means that your have to reach work, with minimum fifteen minutes ahead of time. This is to start your work at 9:00 am sharp. Then leave fifteen minutes after, in order to wrap up the day. This will be done, by avoiding the last minute call, which is counted a time robber, and to consider when you will leave not when you will reach.
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Another example is not to waste too much time, in socializing with colleagues, during the working hours. So try to avoid all the private personal talks. Also if you avoided gossiping; you will save not only time, but also your personal pride. Mind your break time, and do not exceed, as this is counted as abusing public property.
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Schedule your To-Do-list; ahead of time, as to avoid any time robbers.
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Design your dialogue, before giving any phone call, as to avoid time to drop through your fingers, without achieving the call target.
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Punctuality is also counted in how you organize your talk, as to speak precisely, persuasively, positively and powerfully, as to get the job done and have fun as well as achieving the goal of any business talk in the shortest time and to avoid repeating yourself.
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It is to be ready with more than a contingency plan, as to avoid any stop shooters, in your life or business passage. This is also through your awareness in calculating your results, through different mile stones, as well, as your sense of flexibility and your ability to keep your optimism and enthusiasm.
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Do not waste time in blaming, but know how to deal with some issues and people as thin air. This is also will be done, if you stop building assumptions, expectations and avoid jumping into conclusions, nor stereotyping and double check if the message is received and do not assume that it is received or understood. In this case you have to build your ability to phrase and rephrase as to make it simple. Mind also any barriers of communication. While sending any message, build on more than one sense of your receiver, for example, it has to be written to be seen, as well heard to use the listening sense, and if possible others, do not hesitate to work on.
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Punctuality is too much embedded in choosing how to step in public or general conversations. For examples never, to speak sex or politics, and avoid religious subjects, if you are in a social gathering or business one. If one of your attendees is a foreigner, either all to use his language or assure that any of the others, will translate. So the way you are taking care of all the tips and bits, to make a successfully communication, is counted punctuality.
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If you are traveling abroad, for a business or personal trip, the way you are gathering information, about the new culture you will be exposed to; is also counted punctuality. As you do not count of chance or coincidence in you way of dealing or acting. Everything is built upon knowledge and information. This is also clear, in the source of information you choose, to add to your experience. Do not count on what people say only, but go browsing through different sites as well as books and encyclopedias.
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Punctuality is clear, in your art of asking the right question, at the right time, to the right person, at the right situation. So it shows how much you are fitting either in the subject, or group. Also another side of punctuality is revealed, when you say “I do not know” rather than being a “KNOW IT ALL” character.
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When you avoid and compose being sarcastic or ironical, and saving humanity of others and their pride, show your high sense of punctuality. This is because you counted the reactions, or might be impulsive reactions of others, which consequently, if not calculated, this will lead to scratching your pride and humanity as well.
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The way you are composing your manners, nerves, stress, frustrations, as to be always a courage source to others; it is a signal of punctuality, as it is one of the tools of keeping a precious networking relations.
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The ability to fish people doing something right, not only fishing mistakes, is a positive sense of punctuality, which reflect your honesty and fairness. Also this relies, on awarding and punishing, and choosing the right award as well as the appropriate punishment, depending on the situation.
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Your ability to remember and recall, dates, people and incidents is also a high sense of punctuality. It shows how much you do have a historical sense, as well as talent of documentation. This reflects how you will be punctual and precise in giving facts and incidents. All these are internally motivated by your honesty and frankness.
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When you consider that life is managed and not cured, and then to turn to be flexible and you come an easy person to deal with, is also a high sense of punctuality. This relies in your strong faith to GOD and acceptance. Consequently you turn to find out your potentiality and you love what in hand.
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Punctuality lies in your ability to be a multi-task oriented person; and a clear example of this are “WOMEN/MOTHERS”. Women take care of themselves, parents, kids, husbands, home (cleanliness, budget, cooking, washing etc.) in addition to career care, academic care, working on increasing family income, beside social committee activities and taking care of all the social family relations and compliments on behalf on her husband, kids and other family members. This is in addition of bringing up a newly born creature until turning to be of a social presence; starting from scheduling breast feeding or bottle feeding, school homework, sports, music and others, to build him/her up, physically, mentally, spiritually and morally. All in addition of taking care to be a role model, which lies in practicing what is preached to kids or others. To wrap up, if punctuality is alternated, so could be replace by the word “WOMEN”.
To sum up; we will find that punctuality lies in the following:
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Self respect
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Respect to others
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Saving pride
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Saving humanity
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Life philosophy
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Life concept
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Putting goals
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Planning for achieving
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Ready to alternative plans
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Open to opponents
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Respect resistance
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Open learners
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Open to different ideas
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Optimism and enthusiasm
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Honesty and fairness
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Accepting reality
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Faith into GOD
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Creative
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Love and loyalty
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Others ……
So punctuality is not only relevant to time, but it is LIFE STYLE.
Ghada Salah Gomaa
Business Etiquette & Protocol Consultant