If you are late:
Do not over apologize: Enough time has been wasted so there is no need to go overboard with excuses or with apology. A quick simply apology will suffice. For instance, if you walk into a meeting a few minutes late simply smile and say, “My apologies, there was an accident on the expressway. Let’s get right down to business we lost enough time.” Most will be forgiving and respect you for not sounding like a student telling his teacher a dog ate his homework.
Do not make a habit out of it: We are all busy. We all have obligations. Everything seems to be time sensitive these days. It is hard to meet all the obligations. Keep in mind I said “we”. So when you make a habit out of being late due to your obligations and your busy schedule you are showing disrespect for the busy lives of others. If you make a habit out of this behavior you run the risk of no longer being contacted by business associates or clients.
Meet it head on: Keep on hand the cell numbers of those you are meeting. If you find you are running late call then as soon as possible to make adjustments. Most will appreciate this as it will give them the opportunity to reschedule or get work done before you can meet. Also, try not to schedule meetings on especially busy days or days where you have to squeeze it in. If you must explain that to the person you are meeting first.
If you are left waiting:
Be gracious: Allow for reasonable excuses as long as it does not become habit forming. Get over it. We have all been late and if this is not a habit from this person there is no reason to hold it against him.
Meet it head on: Simply say “I understand being late. Here is my number. Next time just give me a call so I can make adjustments on my end.” If this is someone who is habitually late you will need to address it or your frustration will simply grow. Start off by saying, “I understand being late but it seems you have difficulty keeping to a schedule. Is there a better time to meet? Is there a better way to meet?” Allow the person to explain a bit or understand you are serious. If it continues you must explain that late meetings will result in a loss of business.