We all know the expression “Latino time.” We joke about it because we've lived it. Tell everyone the family gathering starts at 6 p.m., and there is a reasonable chance somebody interprets that as the time they should start thinking about getting ready.
And “Latino time” doesn't discriminate based on education or professional status. The blue collar worker can fall into it. So can the corporate executive. So can the person with a PhD. Degrees, titles and income do not necessarily make any of us immune from cultural habits we have laughed about for generations.
There is nothing wrong with recognizing the humor in our own culture. But there is also value in asking whether some habits belong in our professional lives.
When it comes to professional networking, being on time is not simply about punctuality. It is about maximizing opportunity.
Consider a networking event scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Arriving at 7:30 does not merely make you 90 minutes late. It means you voluntarily gave up half of the available networking window.
By then, introductions have already happened. People have established conversations. Business cards and contact information may already have been exchanged. Some attendees may be preparing to leave. The room you enter at 7:30 is not necessarily the same professional opportunity that existed at 6.
There is also evidence that lateness influences how people perceive professional performance. Research published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes examined lateness across eight experiments and 10 supplemental studies involving 6,982 participants. Researchers found that work submitted late could be evaluated as lower quality even when lateness was independent of the actual quality of the work, with perceptions of the worker's competence helping explain the effect.
A networking reception is obviously different from submitting work against a deadline. But the broader professional lesson is worth considering: time communicates something about us.
There is another advantage to arriving when an event begins that is rarely discussed. Early networking can often be easier networking.
The room is less crowded. People are still arriving. Conversations have not yet solidified into groups. Organizers, speakers, sponsors and other attendees may be more accessible. Instead of trying to insert yourself into a circle of six people midway through a conversation, you may find yourself starting a conversation naturally with one or two people as everyone settles into the room.
For someone who finds networking intimidating, arriving early may actually make the experience considerably easier.
That is particularly relevant this Friday.
The 18th Annual ¡Viva La Hispanidad! Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff Celebration begins at 6 p.m. Friday, September 11, at I|O Godfrey Roofscape. If you are attending because you want to expand your professional network, meet people outside your industry, reconnect with colleagues, increase your visibility or simply become more connected to Chicago's Latino professional community, then give yourself the full opportunity.
Treat 6 p.m. as the beginning of the networking experience, not the time to leave the office, start getting dressed or begin making your way downtown.
We can continue laughing about “Latino time” at the family gathering. We can understand where the expression comes from without allowing it to dictate how we approach professional opportunities.
Because when you have made the investment to attend an event, being on time is ultimately an investment in yourself.
Be there when the doors open. Meet the people who arrive early. Watch the room develop. Make the introductions. Start the conversations.
If you're going to be in the room, give yourself the full benefit of being in the room.
Sources
- Fang, D., & Maglio, S. J. (2024). On time or on thin ice: How deadline violations negatively affect perceived work quality and worker evaluations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 185, 104365.
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