What would you do - no call on conference call

All companies are different - depends on the culture itself. She is some one at 3 levels above him, but at a level where if he were here, and had a question, could just walk into her office and ask. Not at the level in a sense that has the god-like mistique - that is what I would consider two more above her. That is where the god-like mistique begins.

At one company I worked at I was friends with one of these SVP type levels. It was smaller company when I first worked there - here I was some one at one level below the bottom feeder level and I reported directly to the VP - just because of the size there were not all those layers. We would regularly go out drinking with this SVP and he even came to my wedding. Any way as the group grew - we took alot of the work in house that used to be outsourced. Other employees were amazed that I talked regularly with this SVP - I'd be like Joe - he's great to go party with.

nah - not CA - It is TX and he is actually originally from east coast -

I call it a conference call simply because I do not want to call from my desk as I want to talk freely and not be overheard - for confidentiality purposes. We exist in cubeland where only VP and above have offices (and these are higher level VPs than other companies - my company doesn't give out officer titles freely like some)

I think that would have been the best way for him to handle it.

As several of us have noted, the particular corporate culture will have an effect on how you'd handle something like this. At the last company I was at, it wouldn't have been a problem to tell an SVP that I had a previous appt. Here, that would not go over at all.

Ah, yes. I remember a thread about the cubes. I also agree that the employee should have sent a e-mail explaining the situation.

If this is the first time this has happened, I would not be too hard on him. He was in a difficult situation and probably felt uncomfortable with the 3rd level up. He could, however, have indicated that he had an appointment with you immediately after the call.

That may have prompted an earlier end to that call.

I'm over it now - partly because I get over things quickly, partly because I vented here and partly because I have even bigger issues today.

Ah the life of corporate america (s*cks)