QUOTING THE FAMOUS

Marilyn Monroe

SUCCESS & PUNCTUALITY

“I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time, and it has made a man of me."

 - Lord Nelson

 

"I have been on a calendar, but never on time."

- Marilyn Monroe

   

George Bernard Shaw

     WHO’S WISER?

     "Better never, than late."

     - George Bernard Shaw

      "If you're there before it's over,
       you're on time."

     - James J. Walker

Do Deadlines Drive Punctuality?

I usually pride myself for being punctual, so today, I thought I’d analyse the situation a little more in depth. I took a moment to think about the actual reason why I’m punctual at work or college. Is it entirely because of the culture I belong to? Or, is it my upbringing?

While that does contribute to a certain extent, I believe that a DEADLINE is the actual reason that governs my punctuality trait.

No deadline     ----->        No Stress     ----->          No Output

What drives your punctuality at work/college? Do you rely on deadlines too? Do you wait till the last day to study for a test or work on an assignment only when the due date is near? OR, do you do your homework daily?

Punctuality traits around the world

I tried looking at the different punctuality traits* among people coming from different parts of the world. The general perception (among a few that caught my interest) seems to be as given below

PUNCTUAL	UNPUNCTUAL
Japanese	Indians
Chinese	Italians
Chileans	Moroccans
Dutch	Indonesians

I feel the above traits are very well summarised in the below website. All you need to do is click on the country your interested in and it pops up the time and the business punctuality traits of the people of that nation. J

Punctuality around the world

I found that interesting.... What about you?

Punctuality comments on the Web that caught my eye.

‘Punctuality could be considered the Achille's heel of many Italians and the further south you go the less importance is placed on being on time.’

It is inadvisable to expect punctuality in India. Therefore, it is advisable not to schedule too many appointments in one day. Always be prepared for lengthy delays when dealing with the government.

...being on time every time, is the first step towards building trust and reliability in Japan. This is true both in business as well as personal relationships.

Chinese think punctuality is a virtue and try to practice it especially in the business world. Chinese usually tend to come a bit earlier to show their earnestness. And it would not be regarded as being late if you come within 10 minutes.

I created the Punctuality table with references from below sites. They include the quote extracts too.

http://www.everyculture.com/

http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Chile.html

http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa031901b.htm

http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/feb/21japan.htm

http://www.asiatravelinfo.com/india/doingbusiness.asp

http://www.insideitaly.it/italian/Punctuality.php

*Disclaimer: I accept there are exceptions and not everybody can be type casted with the traits of his/her fellow citizens!