What would you do - no call on conference call

I can understand prioritizing bosses, but that doesn't excuse him from contacting you. He can interrupt long enough to say "Linkat and I have a call scheduled; let me tell her I'm busy so that she's not waiting on me."

If I were you, I wouldn't wait more than 10 or 15 minutes, though. And I wouldn't let 'em off the hook for the call, and he needs to accommodate your schedule.

I'd also suggest to him that he needs to notify you if he's tied up (preferably by having a co-worker call the conference).

Finally, if the problem is chronic, I would hope that they are in a different time zone and you can move the conference call to a time that's uncomfortable for them....

Yeah - they are in a different time zone. Funny after I heard the phone ring shortly then I received an email saying he was all set or could meet whenever it was convenient. So I finished what I was working on and let him know I was available, but didn't know how long the conference room would be (I had it reserved for an hour - now there was a half hour left). He said he would call in 1 minute.

So I walk over and notice that some one has taken advantage of the empty conference room - since I reserved it I could have booted them out - but decided against it under the circumstances. I sent him another update to call me at a different conference room that had become available - we did finally meet up.

But in any case, I have told individuals above me (and above whoever I was meeting with) that I need to rap this up because I have a conference call/meeting - doesn't matter the level, it is mutual respect for each other's time.

How many people were in this conference call?

Having run into this type of situation, I wonder why the others did not continue with the conference call. It appears that only one participant was unable to participate at that time. Where were the others?

Link - you learned something today: this person does not value YOUR time. (don't tell me he is in CA.)

So - don't be so rigid with scheduling conference calls with him. Apparently he thinks these are more casual than you do.

Just hang loose those days when you expect to CC with him.

CA?
relax about conference calls from someone reporting to you, where you set time aside?
eh?

I wouldn't dream of intentionally keeping my boss waiting like that. (He is also in a different time zone.) I once forgot about a regularly scheduled conference call and was mortified.

If I think another meeting just before my boss' weekly meeting might run long, I ask to reschedule.

It shows a lack of respect for you and for your time, Linkat.

to sully, hang loose?

Perhaps in some work cultures. If so, that should be well established.

so he's on the phone with someone two levels above you, three levels above him?

I'd probably have sent you a quick email at the beginning of the call telling you I'm on the phone with a seriously big boss - and ask to reschedule. I would NOT disrupt an existing call with someone three levels above me. I can afford to somewhat inconvenience someone one level up - my career is not worth annoying someone three levels up.

Of course, some of that is effected by the level the involved people are at. For me, three levels up means SVP or mebbe prez of our national corp (depends which line you're counting through). If three levels up wasn't higher than a senior manager, I might risk it.

I admit to dumbness re corporate culture. What is the lowerling doing talking to a guy three levels up to him with no courtesy call to his supervisor re the stopping of a set conference?

I plead ignorance - I've not worked for a corporation. My father was high up in a few high falutin' places, and also "let go", at least once, as far as I can tell, via mc carthy stuff, or, then again, maybe not. He was made vp at Hughes' last rko place, something like a week before it folded.

Let's say I have a distanced fascination. Not to put all that on Linkat, just explaining, and trying to relate it all to my own work experiences.

In my particular setting, three levels up might contact me to explain some aspects of what I do.

I'm a specialist of a particular type - the only person at a senior level in our company in Canada doing precisely what I do. My direct up-report has a sort of clue about how I'm legislatively mandated to do reserving, the next two levels seriously have no idea (both are U.S. imports doing their career-development tour of duty). Third level up (if s/he has to explain to head office where the #'s are coming from) has to ask me.

If I am pulled into a call/meeting by TPTB, I am really not going to worry tremendously about my immediate up-report. If I can get a courtesy message to her, I will. If not <shrug>.

Amazing. Almost exactly the same senario I used to be in.

K', that makes sense.

Is that what is going on with the report person re Linkat? Or is it California insouciance?

It was a one on one conversation - a way to stay in touch personally with people that report to me at a different site.

Exactly the way I feel.

On the one hand I understand - it can be hard to get this particular person - but even with this person, I've told her - I gotta run, have another call/meeting, etc. So it isn't that she wouldn't be understanding of cutting her off short.

That was the way I felt - I do think he realized it though. I made it clear how busy I was.

There are so many damn levels - but she isn't unreasonable and it isn't some one he has not had regular contact with.

If he did let me know in a quick email that he was working on something with her and it ran over - could he reschedule I wouldn't be so angry - but sitting in a conference room waiting for him to call while I have work up the whazzo and no email (I went back to check - when I went to make sure I gave him the right phone number)

Why a conference call and not just a regular phone call with a one on one conversation? It first seemed that several people would be on the call.