Old Secretary: We All Have Our Days

One day, one of my attorneys called me and prefaced our conversation with this comment: “I’m going to apologize up front. I may be a bit testy today.” And I replied, “Okay. I’ll take everything you say with a grain of salt.” We laughed together and then got down to work. What a simple, but thoughtful thing to do! Explain that your day hasn’t been great so far and ask for understanding. While I know, probably better than most, that personal situations can take on a life of their own, people around you don’t understand that unless you tell them. I don’t need details, but cluing me in that today may be a little crazy is crucial. A warning: Not every day can be crazy and coming to my desk with a wild look in your eyes, shrieking, “We’re going to have a terrible day” is not acceptable behavior.

In that same “personal information” vein, I once worked for an associate whose wife called him many, many times a day, to the point where he felt obliged to apologize to me. My years of experience served me well as I explained, “It’s not a problem. I would much rather work for someone whose wife calls all the time than for someone who’s not speaking to her husband! If you’re getting along at home, you’re much easier to work for!” My relationships with spouses and significant others have run the gamut from those who called all the time and never said more to me than “Is so and so there?” to people who asked for (and sometimes received) advice or information that was crucial to their relationship. How can I say this? If your spouse or significant other (or even the person who supervises you) should happen to endear themselves to your secretary, you’d be well advised to get along with her! We can overlook or snoop, keep it quiet or let it slip, confront you or stab you in the back. I believe that most secretaries quietly sit on vast amounts of damaging information for the entire span of their careers; however, I have seen the havoc, both personal and professional, which can be wreaked if a secretary decides to talk. Secretaries know far more than you’d ever imagine and they know it long before you suspect they do (and sometimes even before you do).