Our CEO is always late but never sorry. What gives?

Dear Aunty B,

As a boss defender, what do you think about a CEO that turns up late for every meeting? That is what our CEO does without even a sorry.

But if we are late he sarcastically asks us if we have something better to do with our time. Now I know bosses are the boss but why should they be late?

The other day I had three meetings across the day with him and I reckon I lost a good hour of my life hanging around in boardrooms waiting for him to grace us with his presence.

Life’s short

Vic

Dear life’s short,

What? You haven’t got an iPad or phone? You can’t take that into the meeting and keep working until Mr Disorganised Up Himself arrives? You can’t start without him, crossing off some items that you know you don’t need him for?

Of course he is rude.

Of course he considers his time more important than yours. And, yes, it’s a bad use of staff productivity, as well as annoying the hell out of them.

Directly addressing the issue? You have a number of options. Go and have a massive whinge to his PA. Tell him or her to organise the boss better. Get him to do your dirty work. PAs have a marvellous talent for letting the boss know about things that you want him to know about but don’t want to tell him yourself.

Second, ask him to be on time. Simple. Just say this: We have lots of meetings planned today and when you are held up it can throw the whole day out of whack.

Third, start without him. When he arrives tell him you got started without him and quickly fill him in.

Don’t use him as an excuse to slow you down.

Be smart,

Your Aunty B

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