Time is so valuable. Its what we cherish and crave most, yet what we seem to have the least of. No one would argue how important time is; yet we are quite careless in how we use and abuse it.

Are you guilty of being late for meetings, always with a reasonable excuse in hand? How often do you use the Sorry Im late card? If its often, and are convinced it can't be avoided, I would ask you to take a look at what really prevents you from being on time. Do you need to put more cushion time into getting out of the house in the morning? Prepare things the night before? Find a different route to work? Think of all the people you know that are always on time and be rest assured that this isnt by coincidence, but by choice.

Certainly there are situations that are out of your control, but if youre sorry, more often than not, then your message to your employees screams a whole other story. It actually displays a lack of integrity on your part. It sends the message that people cannot depend on you, because what you say and what you do are two different things. It actually shows up like you just dont care at all. After all, it was you that declared the start time of the meeting, right?

While I am sure that this isnt the case for you at all, this is how it appears, to those waiting for you to show up. In the competitive market we live in, attention to small details can make the difference. If you were trying to choose between two different Internet services, both priced about the same, what other factors would you look at? The first thing you would look at is how they treat you as a customer. When you call, do you get to speak to a person, or are you on hold for a long time, only to end up with a recorded voice? Which one makes you feel confident about their ability to solve problems? Which leads you to believe they will be accountable for the service they provide?

The choice is obvious to most people, because of the value we place on time. Our time is a precious commodity and should not be wasted, whether its waiting for a meeting to start or a person to answer a phone. So the next time you think over-sleeping, stopping for that extra coffee, or trying on that one last outfitdoesnt affect anyone but yourselfthink again, because showing up when you said you would, sends the message loud and clear: It says that you value your time, their time and that yes, you do care.