Describe a time when missed or were late for an important meeting/event
Speaking cue card with answers(30 cue)
You should say:
– When it happened
– What happened
– Why you missed/were late for it
– And explain how you felt about this experience
· I am not a very punctual person, but I try to be on time for important meetings and events.
· In fact, I have rarely been late for important meetings.
· But recently, I got late due to an small mistake on my part.
· I mistook the timing for my best friend Ravi’s birthday.
· My friend normally celebrates his birthday in the evenings and the timing is around 7 o clock.
· So, when he set me the birthday e- invite, I didn’t check the time.
· I thought it would be in the evening like previous years.
· However, this time due to some reason he had decided to celebrate in the afternoon.
· He is very close to me and we never miss each other’s birthday.
· The timing of the function was 12 o clock but when I didn’t reach by even 1 o clock, my friend called me and asked me if everything was alright.
· When I said yes, he asked why I wasn’t at the function.
· I took us about 15 secs to clear up the confusion.
· I got ready in such a haste, but I still reached at about 2 o clock as the venue was about 10 kms from my house.
· My friend had refused to cut the cake without me.
· So, everyone was waiting on me.
· I apologised to each and every person there.
· Now, it is a funny story and we laugh every time thinking about it whenever someone is late.
· However, this whole experience brought about a change in me as I now check the timings of events at least 2 times whenever I receive any invite.
Part 3 Follow Up Questions
Are you a punctual person?
I am ashamed to say, but no I am not a very punctual person. I have been trying to be better though. I am kind of laid back when it comes to meetings or appointments but I am trying to change that.
Do you think it important to be on time?
Yes, I think it is important to be on time. I think if we don’t value other people’s time, people won’t value our time as well. It also gives others the feeling that we are not serious about the work we are doing.
Do you always avoid being late?
I try to avoid being late but I do get late sometimes. I have been trying to reduce it by giving myself a 10-15 minute for any unseen circumstances.
Why are people often late for meetings or appointments?
I think people are late for various reasons but the major reason is not getting up on time. Most people are late for morning appointments because they sleep late and thus are unable to get up on time. Sometimes it is also due to unseen events like car breakdown or traffic congestion.
Are people in your country often late for meetings?
Yes, people are often late. We are sadly not known for our punctuality. We are more laid back and happy go lucky kind of people and we don’t give a lot of importance to punctuality.
Do you think people are born with time management skills or they can develop them?
I think time management skills are certainly teachable. The biggest example I can think of is the army. I have had cousins who have become very punctual and disciplined after joining the army. They are not just disciplined in their professional life but also their personal life.
