You would never be
late for an important business meeting would you?
In some cultures being on time means that you get there
when you can. I have also noticed that in those types of cultures where time is
not so important the poverty level of the people is high. In other words most
of the population is living a bare existence.
We are told that in North America we are privileged. We
are told that North Americans are wealthy. People in less privileged countries
look at us either with disdain or great longing because they cannot understand
why they are so destitute and we are so affluent.
Think about it.
Do you think that how we use our time makes a big
difference?
Why is it that some people cannot seem to get ahead, no
matter how hard they work?
Then when the people from these impoverished situations
come to North America, they are met with a huge cultural shock. Suddenly, they
have to be on time for everything.
If they want to catch the bus for work, they need to
catch the correct one, in order to arrive on time. If they miss that certain
bus, they will be late and if that happens too many times, they will find
themselves unemployed and impoverished
living on the street once again...just like they were in their home country.
Personally, I like to give people the benefit of the
doubt and look to build relationships with all nationalities to see if we can
find ways to collaborate.
I met a fellow from Ghana, who was living here in a city
close to where I live. We had connected on LinkedIn. We saw a possibility for
collaboration, so arranged to meet at a designated restaurant in the city.
Now, I live a one hour drive from the meeting location
and made my way there to meet up in good time. After waiting 20 minutes, I
decided to phone him to see if he was coming.
Guess what I discovered!
He was at work and started asking me to come another 30
minute drive to where he was working to meet with him in a parkade, which was where
he worked.
I had other appointments booked for the rest of the day
and had no time to drive all the way downtown to meet with this man. He was
insulted and said that I should be meeting with him at his convenience and my
inconvenience. I wonder on which page of the book, and which book he was
reading? He was the one who no-showed me!
Is this a cultural thing? Or did he just plan to not show
up from the beginning?
I have a feeling that it was more the cultural thing,
with a touch of his old thinking about the affluence of people in this country.
Sometimes people who come here from more impoverished countries expect people
here to cater to them, because supposedly we have more money than they do.
What do you think was behind his thinking?
What are your feelings about being on time for
appointments and business meetings?
Christine Till
The
Marketing Mentress
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