Working Over Time

Once an assistant arrives in the hallowed halls of senior management, she most likely will notice a personality difference in her bosses.  Vice presidents and above tend to expect special treatment.  If they need office supplies, specific instructions will usually accompany the request.  For example, even something so basic as a highlighting pen can become an issue for discussion.

“I need the fine tipped highlighter that’s the width and length of a pencil.  I can’t use the other kind.  Make sure it’s yellow, that’s the only color I can work with.”

Once a new VP called me into his office and informed me that the color of his wastebasket clashed with the furniture.  He dispatched me immediately to locate a replacement wastebasket of the appropriate hue.  As I ruffled through the pages of the office supply catalog, searching for the only true-colored bin that could hold his trash, I couldn’t help but wonder what possible difference the color of a wastebasket makes.  I mean, it’s for garbage!  My incomprehension of the importance of this issue is probably one reason why assistants can rarely qualify as executives.

Some executives have a tendency to throw temper tantrums.  These dramatic demonstrations are somewhat less frequent at manager or director levels, at least in my experience.  I’m sure that the extreme stress of maintaining their astronomical salary and bonus structures occasionally puts the big shots over the edge.  Still, I find furious outbursts by bosses comical in the extreme, even when the venom is directed at me.  I worked for one VP whose angry outbursts were quite startling to behold.  Employees would literally scurry for cover when the performance began.  It was a gruesome sight and sound.  He would curse like a sailor, yell at the top of his lungs, slam doors, and generally make an executive fool of himself.  He tended to do this most often with the timid administrative types who were least likely to speak up either in objection to his behavior or in their own defense.  In short, he was a bully.  I could only think to myself, as he ranted and raved, “Oh, grow up!” and internally shake my head.  Such bosses are ridiculous characters, regardless of their level or station, and they should not be accorded the respect they hope to threaten out of employees.

At times I have had to struggle not to giggle as a manager huffs and puffs.  That would be a silly thing for an assistant to do, and that knowledge always kept my face straight (I think).  There was one occasion when I was being thoroughly dressed down in a VP’s office.  I let the steam blow full force for a few minutes, then I stood and said calmly, “Why don’t we talk more when you’re feeling better?”  I then turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind me.

Not only did I hear nothing more on whatever topic had turned him livid (I must confess that I’ve forgotten what it was), I actually kept my job.  In fact, the VP brought me flowers the next day.  He walked up to my desk, handed me the flowers, and said, “I’m sorry you were having a bad day yesterday.”  To which I replied, “Oh, my day was fine, thanks, but I didn’t think yours was going very well.”  Then I thanked him very much for the flowers, which really were lovely.  Not another word or war whoop was devoted to the forgotten incident.

This VP’s hair trigger temper was legend in the company, and others continued to suffer from it.  I had one or two more encounters, much milder than the first.  I suppose that leaving the scene of the tantrum, thus depriving the boss of both power and audience, has a way of sucking the dramatic steam out of such performances.

Of course, working for a high-ranking executive has its benefits.  Even we administrative types make more money at this level.  But just as the bosses pay for their prestige in extra pressures, long hours, and heavy work demands, so do we.

Usually we do so without the perks of bonuses or stock options, and certainly without private parking spaces.  But we’re usually content with what we have, especially if we are fortunate enough to have a good boss...at any level of management.

We assistants all have our war stories about demanding and egocentric bosses.  If that description sounds redundant, please accept my apologies for overstating the obvious.  Now, of course, let’s acknowledge up front that we all have our favorite bosses, one of the Really Good Bosses (RGB) who were sweethearts to work for; if we’re fortunate, we’re working for one such treasure today.  But most of us labor under varying degrees of insufferable in our dealings with the boss, especially those bosses of the executive ilk.

What with everything going on in my personal life over the years, I often had difficulty understanding the enormous importance attached by executives to the most mundane matters.

I’ve mentioned many areas of special treatment, like the VP with an eye