There's a sweet spot between being on time and being late and I want to hone in on how much expectation plays a part and why it's "cool" to be a little late. My yoga class for example begins at 7am sharp. The rule and therefore expectation is that the doors close at 7, so you have to get there early or right on time to make it. What actually happens is doors close around 7:03 and class begins at 7:05. This is a little annoying for those that made the effort to come in early and get settled for a 7am start, but it gives a little breathing room to those that happen to be running a little late due to circumstances out of their control. The class starts fashionably late. It finds the sweet spot, 7:03, not annoying the early birds too much and giving the late comers a chance to get there.
The reason I'm focusing on the timing is because 7:03 wouldn't be the sweet spot if everyone knew about it. Meaning if everyone were told the doors close at 7:03, expectations would change and so would the sweet spot. Even if you explained the reason for closing the doors at 7:03, people would understand and then continue to adjust their actions to a sweet spot a little after 7:03. Knowing we have the option allows for a little moral hazard.
The sweet spot can't be known. It just happens. At least for those "cool" enough to let it happen.
What makes the yoga teacher cool is not being too strict and closing the doors at 7am sharp and not being too haphazard and closing the doors too late. This kind of time leniency happens often, when you're catching a bus, running to a meeting, going to a dinner. There will always be people who arrive on time for the sake of punctuality and those that will arrive late because they didn't time it right. The sweet spot is somewhere between the two and what makes it possible is the choice of the guest or the host to take it easy and arrive or start a little after when they're "supposed" to.
This is what makes being fashionably late so cool.
The reason I'm focusing on the timing is because 7:03 wouldn't be the sweet spot if everyone knew about it. Meaning if everyone were told the doors close at 7:03, expectations would change and so would the sweet spot. Even if you explained the reason for closing the doors at 7:03, people would understand and then continue to adjust their actions to a sweet spot a little after 7:03. Knowing we have the option allows for a little moral hazard.
The sweet spot can't be known. It just happens. At least for those "cool" enough to let it happen.
What makes the yoga teacher cool is not being too strict and closing the doors at 7am sharp and not being too haphazard and closing the doors too late. This kind of time leniency happens often, when you're catching a bus, running to a meeting, going to a dinner. There will always be people who arrive on time for the sake of punctuality and those that will arrive late because they didn't time it right. The sweet spot is somewhere between the two and what makes it possible is the choice of the guest or the host to take it easy and arrive or start a little after when they're "supposed" to.
This is what makes being fashionably late so cool.