How to Deal with an Absentee Boss
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by Therese Droste
Most of us wish our bosses weren't breathing down our necks every day. Yet if you talk to anyone whose boss is constantly on the road, you'll hear complaints of last-minute phone calls from off-site, changing travel locations and dates, and deadline changes from the field to meet clients' demands. Meanwhile, back at headquarters, other managers feel free to dump work on those admins whose bosses are out.
Communication
Many on-the-road bosses complain they can never get their assistants on the phone when they most need to. A mobile phone is a saviour, but many people turn them off during meetings or in areas with bad reception. Meanwhile, you should be on another call or away from your desk. There are several ways to set up an effective communication system with a gypsy boss:
Make phone calls from your boss a top priority by alerting the receptionist and anyone else who answers phones to page you if you don't answer your line when the boss calls.
If you do miss a call from your boss, agree to have a 10 to 20-minute system for you to call back. That means he'll leave the number where you can reach him within the next 10 to 20 minutes. Or have the boss leave you a time and phone number to call later.
If the above systems fail, get a mobile phone exclusively for communication with your boss. Always keep it with you during business hours and don't give the number to family or friends. This is a constant hotline for your boss's calls.
