Being five minutes early as a core value in practice

Executive overview

Punctuality is not a personal habit — it is a cultural signal. When leaders show up late, they tell the organisation that core values are optional.

The fix is structural: end every meeting five minutes early to create a built-in buffer for the next one. Being five minutes early is the only way to be on time.

The five-minute early rule

• Finish every meeting at 55 minutes past the hour, not on the hour.
• Use the buffer to walk, reset, and start the next call on time.
• Tell customers and suppliers upfront: "We stop five minutes early so we can show up on time."
• Nobody gets a hall pass — the rule applies to the CEO first.

What lateness actually communicates

• Showing up late signals: "My time is more valuable than yours."
• Breaking a core value sends a reverberation that nothing matters.
• CEOs are often unaware how loudly their behaviour sets cultural norms.

The 1-800-GOT-JUNK daily huddle example

• All-employee alarm fired at 10:53 every day — phones down, interviews paused.
• Everyone walked to the huddle area; the first person to arrive led the meeting.
• Huddle started at 10:55 and ended at 11:02 — seven minutes, to the minute.
• Still running 25 years later; the precision built a culture of delivery and respect.