(photo source: Linkedln)
事緣，我昨天在香港籌辦一個活動，我做了充足的事前準備，聘請了足夠的人手，所有事情在活動前已辦得妥妥當當，就連活動前夕的佈置準備也做得非常完美，最後，卻因為一位大人物的遲到而令到整個事情差點搞砸。
Yesterday, I was holding an event. I had a full preparation. I hired enough man power. Everything was done well before the event, and even the set up was done on time. Finally, the event nearly screwed up because of the late of a celebrity.
這位大人物本來在一星期前跟我說他來不了，我失望的同時，亦只有更改整個活動的流程，配合他的缺席，誰知在活動的前一天，他說他能來了，我連忙重新更改活動流程，以迎接他的出席。我即時向他發送地址，附近的停車場，還安排了一個比活動早30分鐘的集合時間。到了活動當天的下午二時，也是這位大人物理應到達會場的時間，他打電話給我：「我最遲可以幾點到？」「我們的活動下午二時三十分開始。」我回答說。「我知活動二時三十分開始，那我最遲可以幾點到？」我頓時呆了一呆，不懂回答。理應我該回答他最遲應在二時三十分到達吧，但他這一句的意思很明顯是二時三十分不能到達，但活動二時三十分就要開始了，那我該回答什麼？他好像察覺到我呆了，就說道：「我大約三時到達吧，再見。」就掛上了電話。
A week before, the celebrity told me that he couldn’t arrive. I felt disappointed but rearranged all the rundown to suit his absence. And then a day before the event, he said he could come. I changed the rundown again to welcome his presence. I sent him the address, the nearest car park and told him a call time 30 mins before the event started. I told him to arrive at 2pm. So at 2pm, he called me, “When is the latest time I can come?” “Our event starts at 2:30pm” I answered. “I know that the event starts at 2:30pm. I am asking when is the latest time I can come.” I was stunned and couldn’t answer. Should I tell him he should arrive by 2:30pm? But obviously, he couldn’t. And the event started at 2:30pm! What should I answer? Seems he noticed I was stunned and said, “I should arrive at around 3pm. See you.”
故事繼續之前，我先說說我平日看待遲到的態度，我對遲到有三個「很」：很怕別人遲到，很怕自己遲到，很少自己遲到。我是一個很怕計劃被打亂的人，而遲到，就是最容易打亂計劃的一個因素，我往往對同事們的遲到感到憤怒，因為她們打亂了我的工作日程與計劃。我自己亦很少遲到，這不單是因害怕計劃被打亂的原因，同時也是對約會者的一個尊重，我總是會比約會或集合時間早15至30分鐘到達，這些時間都是留給突發事情發生的緩衝時間。至於那「很少」的遲到，是留給那些我不太尊重的活動的，如上班……哈哈。
Before the story continue, let me talk about my view to lateness. Three main point: I am afraid of others to be late, I am afraid of being late, and I seldom be late. I am very afraid of a plan being disrupted. And lateness, is one of the main factor to disrupt a plan. I always feel mad of my colleague being late of work because they disrupt my daily plan. I seldom be late, not only because of disrupting my plan, but also to show my respect to everybody. I was always 15 mins to 30 mins early than the call time.
以上是我對日常活動「遲到」的看法，我還記得我常跟同事說：「10個人的會議，你遲到了5分鐘，就有9個人要等你5分鐘，你足足浪費了我們45分鐘的時間。」我總是很重視身邊朋友和工作伙伴日常的遲到問題。但到了重要時間，就如我昨天籌辦的活動，我對於任何的遲到都卻異常冷靜。
It is my view to lateness. I always like to say to my colleagues, “In a meeting of 10 people, if you are late for 5 mins, it means 9 people have to waiting for you for 5 mins. You are wasting total 45 mins!” I am always concern of the problem of lateness in my daily work and life. But during some important moment, like the event I was holding, I felt calm about it.
(photo source: Shutterstock)
回到故事當中，我把電話放下，就跟我身邊的戰友說：「我們的活動要遲三十分鐘開始，如果有嘉賓鼓燥，你們就幫忙安排一下吧。」然後我就靜靜坐下，繼續滑手機。下午二時五十分，大人物又打來了：「我在停車場門口塞車了，三時來不了。」「好吧，你盡快。」我靜靜的回答後，跟司儀說：「你安排一些小遊戲，讓氣氛好一點吧，我想他三時十五分應該會到的。」然後我再次靜靜坐下，繼續滑手機，完全無視了身後嘉賓們的不滿 (他們不知我就是活動主辦)。好不容易，大人物三時十五分到了，遲了足足七十五分鐘，我們的活動也終於能開始了，我對司儀說：「把稿盡量簡潔掉，只說重要的。」就讓活動繼續進行，最後，活動比預定的遲了三十分鐘完成。
Come back to the story. I put down my phone and told my colleague, “The event needs to be late for 30 mins, if some guests clamor, try to please them.” Then I sat down and went back to my phone. 2:50pm, the celebrity called me again, “there is traffic jam, I can’t arrive on 3pm.” “ok, do your best.” I answered, and said to the emcee, “Try to say something, hold some little game, I think he will arrive at 3:15pm.” Then I sat down and went back to my phone. Finally, he arrived at 3:15pm, 75 mins late. And we started our event.
活動過後，我開始對自己產生古怪的感覺，平常我明明對日常小事的遲到有那麼大的反應，但每當有重要場合的遲到，我反而處之泰然？這其實已經不是第一次了，到底，我是否重視遲到的問題？我感到自己好像有點精神分裂。可能你們會說，大人物遲到你無可奈何才這樣吧，但其實今天還有幾位員工都遲到了，有一位更遲大到影響了活動運作，但我都是沒有什麼反應。
After the event, I started to feel strange about myself. I always felt mad for my colleagues being late in some little stuffs. But during important situation, why was I always calm? It’s not the first time already, do I really concern about the problem of lateness? I felt as if I had Schizophrenia. You may say it’s because I could do nothing to a celebrity. But I want to say, there were also 3 helpers being late in the event. But I also had no big feeling about it.
回到公司，我無聊的在網上搜查一下關於遲到的文章，其中有一篇很有趣，它說：「近日BBC專題文章引用研究，指出習慣遲到的人其實並非無禮或懶惰，只是「天性如此」，他們大多性格樂觀、喜歡刺激、容易焦慮。」我細想一下自己的性格，樂觀？No, 我很悲觀。喜歡刺激？我挺喜歡的。容易焦慮？是的。看起來，我應該是偏向習慣遲到的人吧！但，我卻是超級守時的人。
Back to office, I searched some articles about lateness on the web. I found something interesting, “The punctually-challenged often share personality characteristics such as optimism, anxiety, or a penchant for thrill-seeking, experts say.” Let me think about it. Optimism? No, I am pessimistic. Anxiety? Yes I am. thrill-seeking? Yes I am also. Seems I should be punctually-challenged. But I am not.
(photo source: pixabay)
然後還有一段：「英國認知行為治療師Harriet Mellotte則表示，較為自卑的人對自己較為挑剔，傾向花費更多時間檢查自己的工作或行為，因此往往未能準時提供報告，亦更易遲到。」嗯……我自知是不折不扣的自卑者，但我沒有很易遲到。噢！我精神分裂了！
One more sentence, “Individuals with low self-esteem are likely to be critical about their abilities which may cause them to take more time to check their work.” I admit that I have low self-esteem. But I am always on time. So I am now really confused. Oh! Schizophrenia.
不過我相信，在未來的一段日子，我仍會保持不遲到的良好習慣。而這個時候，我希望聽聽你們對「遲到」的看法，好讓我了解一下你們如何看待「遲到」，讓我對照一下自己的內心～
But I believe I will still be punctual in the future. And this moment, I want you to share your point and view about that. I want to understand more and discovered myself about the point of “lateness”.
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！
Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
