My inspiration this week comes from a great article full of tips from TED talk speakers. The last one states that "If you have thirty minutes, take 25. If you have an hour, take 50." They say that you are respecting your audience when you are conscientious of their time. Whether it is a TED talk you listen to by choice or a routine meeting that you have to attend, finishing early can earn you a lot of respect back! Here's a few reasons why.

1. Get on to the next thing quicker
• We know you are ever so important and are running from one meeting straight to another. And when it is down 3 stories or a virtual meeting that requires 2 different hookups to get connected, travel time exists. After your 8:00 am meeting, all of a sudden you are late to every following meeting that day. Give them time to get where they are going and your audience will thank you.
2. Be succinct
• Ending your assigned time early doesn't mean you ran out of material for your audience. It means you took the time to compose your thoughts in a simple yet effective way. People love when you keep things simple for them to understand and you can get to the point quickly so they can make decisions.
3. What if scenarios
• You know it happens: the projector breaks, there are tons of questions, a surprise dependency comes up. Any project manager or meeting manager knows it is inevitable and you have to be flexible for whatever happens. If you give yourself and your meeting that extra time built in, dealing with mishaps will be tons easier for everyone!