Boss in office or out?

[gee4]

Great question Cathy!  I would certainly be interested in exchanging experiences on this.

I too deal with non-office based people, some of whom I have never met, who live AND travel outside the UK and Europe.

I find you build up a different working relationship with this group than you do with those who are office-based.

[JessW]

Cathy, sorry for delay in getting back to you.  Yes I do work for a lot of people (always did!)

Communication is always key, however there can be no one way fits all as each of them is an individual  with some preferring emails, some text messages, some only contact if really necessary and others everything has to be emailed through once a day.

For instance, Head of Department works from home up north and has all her departmental post  scanned and emailed to her.  Outside phone calls are diverted to me and I will then transfer to her (if/as/when she is available), otherwise take a message and email her on her blackberry.  This means that there is a lot of photocopying also as a copy of all the big docs need to be sent to her (postal/courier problems).  She also travels in to the office sometimes which causes problems as clients get confused where she is working on any one day.

On the other hand, have had a boss working from such places as Ireland, Iceland and Puerto Rico.  In PR he used to make a time to call me with 'emergency' stuff, which sometimes meant I would be called on my mobile and take the message over a weekend or evening to do the next day.  He too had his post scanned and emailed to him wherever he was, together with taking messages and emailing him.  phone calls were prohibitively expensive so definitely a no-no.

As for how someone else would do it, it has to be by mutual agreement and what works for both bosses and staff as to what is the best way.  There is no quick answer.

Major problems are travel arrangements/tickets.  Never overestimate ones bosses for naffing things up there - again, all we can do is try, try and try again!

J

[officepa]

Thanks Jess - much appreciated 

I guess different circumstances will mean different forms of communication taking into account time difference, cost, and bascially how the boss prefers to work/operate. I think I was hoping that one size fits all but I really know this is not the case - just hoping.

Had to laugh about your comment on bosses ability for naffing arrangements up!!  They can negotiate the most difficult areas of business life but I still smile when I remember in the past a call from boss upon arriving at Gatwick airport saying his tickets say he should be departing from Heathrow and why did he go to the wrong one?....... . It was almost as if he felt he was transported there without him actually knowing  .