Why I Hate Being Late
(and what it has taught me about good communication)
When you work in graphic design, deadlines matter – whether it’s a brochure heading to print, a website launch, or marketing materials for an event, timing is everything.
And that’s probably why I’ve always had a strong personal rule:
I hate being late.
But recently, while studying a marketing course and thinking about core values – both ours and our customers’ – I started wondering why punctuality matters so much to me.
It turns out, it’s about much more than just time.
Understanding Personal Values in Business
In marketing, we often talk about values – the principles that guide how we behave, communicate and build relationships.
Values shape everything from:
They also influence who we naturally work well with – for example, some people place high value on honesty, creativity, attention to detail, organisation, communication or reliability.
And these values inevitably show up in our work.
My Personal Value: Timekeeping
For me, one of those values has always been punctuality.
I genuinely dislike being late.
Up until having a child, I was never late. Or rarely late. If I was late, it would be for a very good, out-of-my-control, reason. I prided myself on my punctuality. Then along came parenthood and one of the hardest truths I’ve discovered – you have no control over the time (or anything).
You might think you’re completely organised and have all the angles covered, and then all of a sudden the small human in your care really, really has to look at that dandelion, or feel the wall, or put their coat on themselves (“I can do it myself!”) without help, or fills their nappy, or HAS to say goodbye to ALL the teddies, and the cat, and the table and….
You get it.
My carefully planned timekeeping suddenly became… flexible. My ability to always be on time, often with contingency in my pocket, was gone. This became a hard pill to swallow, and to be honest I struggle with not being able to ‘just leave the house’ even now (will I ever get used to it?).
What Theatre Taught Me About Timing
So where has my need to always be on time come from? Why am I obsessed with punctuality?
I think back to find the source of it all – maybe the grammar school I went to? Punctuality was pretty important, we had coursework that had to be handed in on time, and lateness was frowned upon generally. But did this work ethic manifest itself then? Perhaps. University? I think if anything punctuality lapsed a bit as it was a lot more relaxed than my grammar school!
Maybe it was after university – when I was working in a graphic design studio as an artworker, I also worked in theatre as a sound technician. (I have no idea how, but I was young and had the energy!). I learnt a lot about time and time keeping in those days.
In theatre, timing is absolutely critical.
If a sound cue is late, the illusion breaks.
If an actor misses their entrance, the scene falls apart.
If a crew member isn’t ready, the whole production is affected.
The stage manager has to cue every moment with precision to keep the audience immersed in the story.
That experience taught me something important:
Small delays can have a big impact. Teamwork and communication is everything.
And that mindset has stayed with me throughout my career and as I have grown as a graphic designer.
In all the years I worked as an artworker (before social media, when advertising in the national press was what it was all about), we never missed an ad deadline. We flew a bit close to the wind sometimes, but we always made it.
And the brochures got to print. We did a lot of marketing brochures for overseas property exhibitions, when the boat would actually sail, when a shipping date WAS a shipping date, and the boxes of print had to be on it or they would miss the exhibition – we always made it. Somehow. With teamwork, due dilligence, lots of coffee and a wing and a prayer, we made it.
Is Being Late Really the Problem?
Back to the now and my ponderings about time keeping (while I wait for my 6 year old to do up her zip “I can do it myself!!”). The more I think about it, the more I realise something.
It’s not actually lateness itself that bothers me most.
It’s what lateness can sometimes feel like.
Being late can unintentionally send a message that:
Of course, that isn’t always true. People simply have different priorities and values. But I hate the idea of one of my clients feeling this way (I hate feeling this way) and it did make me realise that the real value I care about might actually be something else.
The Value That Matters Most: Communication
If there’s one thing I prioritise in my design work and my process, it’s communication.
Deadlines sometimes shift. Projects evolve. Life happens. But good communication prevents small issues from becoming big problems.
For example, if I think a deadline might be tight, I let clients know early.
If I receive a message, I try to acknowledge it quickly.
If plans change, I communicate clearly.
Because ultimately, communication shows respect.
It reassures clients that their project matters and that they’re not being left wondering what’s going on.
How This Shapes My Work With Clients
Running a graphic design business means juggling lots of moving parts, it might be a logo design or brand that has to launch at the same time as a website, a poster for an event, a presentation for a talk on a particular day – not to mention managing multiple projects at once, keeping on top of the finances and marketing my own business – the work itself is creative, but the process behind it relies on organisation, timing and communication.
My goal is always simple: Treat clients the way I’d want to be treated.
That means:
Because good design (and good business) is not just about creativity. It’s about trust, reliability and relationships.
Why Values Matter in Marketing and Graphic Design
Understanding values isn’t just useful personally – it’s incredibly powerful in marketing.
Businesses connect best with customers who share similar values.
For example, I’ve often found that clients who work with me share the same values:
When those values align, projects run smoothly and the results are stronger.
Final Thoughts
I still don’t like being late.
But becoming a parent – and running a creative business – has taught me that sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan.
What really matters isn’t perfection.
It’s making sure the people you work with know they’re valued.
And often, something as simple as clear communication can make all the difference.
Do my values align with you? Do you think we could work well together? If you are looking for a graphic designer who prides themselves on communication and punctuality (in addition to being a creative and efficient problem solver), drop me an email and I will, of course, respond pretty quickly!