Is It Acceptable?...

[gee4]

Four weeks ago I relocated with my boss and team to our new office, one floor above where I have been for the past couple of months.

People are much easier to manage as I can see who is in and out and we also have our own meeting room which everyone books through me.

However a couple of issues have arisen where the room has been pre-booked and my boss has come along and bumped individuals out for his own purposes.  Now I understand that happens from time to time but today's particular meeting was not in his diary.

I was off on Friday so when I came in this morning and checked the room booking diary for the week, I noticed my boss had his name down for an afternoon slot today even though someone else already had it booked.  What makes me mad is I had to inform A.N. Other that they had to find an alternative room because "our" boss had it booked.  What has made me even more angry is that my boss went to a 1pm meeting, is not due back to 3pm and therefore the room is now free....grr!

I asked him this morning if he required the room all afternoon and he told me yes.  So how on earth do I keep everyone happy if this sort of thing occurs?

[Jackie G]

If he is able to pull rank on the room use, I'm not sure there's that much you can do.  I have one room bookable under me and do ask people to rearrange if required for something that involves my boss - it's kind of accepted and I try to do it in extremis only.  That room is currently being used for training and that supersedes everything.

Ask your boss to clarify exactly what he needs the room for and when.  Does he understand that other people book it and sometimes he just isn't in there first?  Does he have his own room / another room he can use?

[gee4]

We have only been in this office 4 weeks and he's done it a few times now.  When I asked him this morning if he required it all afternoon he said yes as I said.

He doesn't have another office and knows rightly that others use it.  The meeting room is for the department and I understand he can pull rank, but it also makes me look stupid if he has it booked and then doesn't use it and it is sitting empty.

[msmarieh]

I have faced this situation at work many times and I well understand your frustration. A couple of thoughts.

1) It doesn't make you look stupid when he books it and no shows. Other employees know darn well it is the boss and not us that does it. It does however put you in a very difficult position and it's certainly not pleasant, so I can see why it bothers you so.

2) I would try having a gentle conversation with him, explaining that you are sure he doesn't mean to be disrespectful to his employees when he boots them from a conference room unnecessarily and that you would like to try to reduce this to emergency only situations and is there anything he can suggest so that you are both accommodated? (Is there actually no other conference room available or does he just believe that the room in his area is his 24/7 no matter what?)

3) Unfortunately if he is the boss and he does have the rank to do it, there's not much you can do about it if he insists on continuing to do it. Just give a gentle apology to those that get bumped and explain that there is nothing you can do about it.

Sorry you are facing this situation.

[gee4]

I think he believes the room is his when he wants.  It's not the only meeting room in the company, but it is the only meeting room in our building which he seems to have labelled his.

Granted I have access to his diary and usually know where he is but I had nothing in his diary from 1-3pm.  He may have wanted to use the room as a back up, but a group who were due to be in there all day were shipped out.

Thanks for understanding, it is just so frustrating.

[Cathy S]

Don't know if it would make a difference but do you display a 'timetable' on the door clearly showing the bookings each day?

Psychologically it is easier to claim rights to the space if the space appears to be free - so if the booking diary is kept at your desk/PC he can 'turn a blind eye' when it suits. 

Previously I have created a laminated A4 sheet with the week printed on it in 1 hour blocks and provide a wipe off dry marker to put in the bookings and stuck both the sheet and the pen on the meeting room door.

Good luck

Cathy

[gee4]

That's what I implemented when I started with this company in the first building I was in.  A spare office was being used as a meeting room but it wasn't on our room booking system, so I created a blank sheet for the week with time slots so everyone could book themselves.

I don't think it would make much difference in this case Cathy - my boss seems to have claimed his territory.  Anyone could clearly see the time slot was booked out in the desk diary I have for this meeting room.  He even put a large asterisk beside his initials so that said it all to me.

[officepa]

Gee, I had this situation only last week and no doubt it will happen again and again and again  

Our meeting room is for anyone who wants to book it but if the top banana wants it, he gets it.  If I point out there is already a meeting going on in there he simply says "move them out".  As Marie says, he does have rank to do it and in my case the people you are asking to move do realise that orders came from above.  Very annoying but it happens.

It also creates another job for me as the people being moved out then expect me to find them a room - not always an easy task.

In a previous job we had a timetable on the door and although others took notice of this, bossie did not.

Very frustrating but I suppose they are used to getting their own way and this won't change.  Rank has its pleasures  

[gee4]

Well it seems the answer to my questions is yes, it is acceptable.

Like you Cathy, it's then up to me to find another room for those that have been moved out. 

Thank heavens I'm not the only one who faces this.

[peaches2160]

Gee - he is the boss and pulls rank.  I have had occassion to have to bump people from rooms for my bosses meetings.  We usually work together - I will just reserve another room for them. 

[gee4]

Peaches,

It's quite hard to explain to someone who has had a meeting room booked 2 weeks in advance that suddenly their boss has bumped them out, without giving them notice or even telling them.  It's like they expect me to prevent this from happening.

There's not much choice in meeting rooms in the rest of the company when this sort of thing happens at short notice.  You are lucky to be able to find an alternative meeting room.

[msmarieh]

I guess I would say, I don't consider it acceptable, but unfortunately it is accepted.