being late to Online Meetings

[OpenBook]

For some reason it doesn't bother me when invitees join late to online meetings that I host. But it drives me BANANAS when others schedule a meeting with me, and then they're more than 5 minutes late in starting the meeting. I'm sitting there listening to that stupid muzak feeling like an idiot, and my irritation grows exponentially the longer I wait, until finally I hang up and get on with my day. I always hear from the meeting organizer about halfway into the meeting timeslot, giving some lame excuse.

 

I find it to be rude and disrespectful, like they don't value my time or contributions. Also, it's really hard to take them (not to mention their subsequent meeting requests) seriously after these incidences. I am sorely tempted to "decline" all future meeting requests from them, but I don't have the nerve.

 

What say you? Am I being irrational and unfair here?

[d0nnivain]

Time is money.

 

I give every meeting -- IRL or OL -- 5 minutes (more if every attendee is traveling & i know there is traffic). Beyond that I start on time. It's unprofessional to make the many wait for the few

[OpenBook]

Funnily enough, they only do this in 1-on-1 meetings that they schedule with me. (I'm talking about managers here; if a co-worker did the same thing I would give them a good-natured ribbing the next time I talked to them and let it go.) In other meetings that they schedule with more people, they usually start the online meeting 1-3 minutes late, which is still a little irritating but that doesn't bother me, I can handle it.

 

The thing is, whoever schedules & hosts the meeting is the one who has to start the meeting. An invitee can't start it unless they know the host's password. So (as an invitee) you're just sitting there hanging on the phone waiting for the host to join, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

 

But I like your "time is money" declaration. And you are absolutely right.

[jonsnuh]

It drives me bonkers when these individuals blatantly show poor integrity, self-respect and respect for others. by not being on time for their own meetings. This may not be a rant thread/subforum, but I think it's acceptable for one to expect the same from other people. It's just professionalism.

[OpenBook]

I couldn't agree more!! But I know there are people out there (i.e., some of the managers I've dealt with) who don't see it in the same offended way.

 

Actually I take that back. I have no idea how they feel when somebody else (i.e., one of THEIR managers) does the same thing to them. Maybe it happens to them a lot already, so doing it to me is just a weird way to "pass it on" or "pay it down"? I don't know. I should ask them. I do have a good relationship with them otherwise. Just that one thing drives me NUTS.