Dear Amy: My boss is away from the office for surgery related to cancer. What is an appropriate response to people who ask where he is? — Assistant
Dear Wondering: Your boss should have covered this with you before he left, but because he didn’t, I’m going to suggest a script that tips toward discretion.
Here you go:
Inquirer: “Where’s Dan?”
You: “He’s out of the office until the 15th. Can I take a message for him or help you with something?”
Inquirer: “Well, where is he?”
You: “He’ll be gone for about two weeks, but I expect him to check in for messages, so I’d be happy to let him know you called.”
The main thing is to be discreet and then to indicate when he’ll be back. You don’t have to answer a question simply because you’re asked, but you may need to practice how to deflect and distract.
Dear Amy: I’m responding to letters in your column about people who are late. I was a person who was always late to family functions and plans with friends. Eventually someone told me that chronic lateness is a sign of aggression. In thinking about it, I realized that this is a way of telling people that you really don’t care enough about them to make the effort to be on time.
I love my family and friends, and I haven’t been late in a long time. — D
Dear D:I agree that chronic lateness seems like a power play — certainly to those of us who are always left waiting.
Arriving late sends the message that the late person is determined to be in charge of the encounter. Chronic lateness is rude. It is also embarrassing for the person left waiting.
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