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andream
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« on: May 24, 2004, 09:02:13 am » |
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When are personal errands just too frequent or too personal? And where do you draw the line? Are you asked to pick up dry cleaning, walk the dog, arrange for the cute kid of bossie to go on his school trip…
Or is your employer more business like, and seldom requests that you perform personal errands?
Do Tell…
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Cozwaz
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« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2004, 09:29:54 am » |
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My boss is also the owner of the company and during the 11 months I have worked with him I have never had to do any personal errands for him. He very much keeps his personal and business lifes separate, and vary rarely does he talk about his personal life in the office either. It seems to work well. At the end of the day he has me to assist him with work, and at home he has his wife and family.
Coz
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gee4
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« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2004, 09:57:27 am » |
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Yeah same here - my boss conducts himself in a business-like and professional manner and I prefer not to have to run personal errands. I find it changes a relationship with your boss and I don't like being that personal with someone. However it all depends how long you have both worked together and know each other and whether your boss wants you to be involved in his personal life.
G
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raindance
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« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2004, 01:31:09 pm » |
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Current bossie never requests that I do personal errands.
Raindance
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peana
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« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2004, 02:22:32 pm » |
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Not heaps of personal errands, but I have had to wait in his flat for the plumber to arrive (he lives close to the office). He regularly asks me to withdraw money from cash machines for him, despite admitting he wouldn't trust his own son with the PIN code! Other than that I've just booked the occasional restaurant / theatre trip for him and his wife / friends.
One odd one was work related - going to his flat to remove the cables from his plasma screen TV to bring them to the office so that we could screen the world cup for staff (IT couldn't find the correct leads)!
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joysmile60
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« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2004, 04:01:02 pm » |
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I've never been asked to do anything objectionable. Former boss would ask me to research rental car prices for his vacations, and send overnight packages to his son; not a big deal because I work for an overnight delivery company. The only thing my present boss has asked me to do is pick up a gift certificate for the local mall for his wife for Mother's Day, and only because I told him I was on my way there to pick one up for my own mother. And if I'm running out to pick up lunch, I'll ask if he wants anything; not really an errand, just being courteous!
:)60
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hgray
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« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2004, 04:28:56 pm » |
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I don't get asked to do anything I would object to.
I normally get asked to source & book flights / car rental etc. for his holidays, but apart from that it's business only.
I've worked for him for 10.5 years so I don't mind when he asks - which he always does never assumes!
Helen
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donnap99
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« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2004, 06:33:17 pm » |
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I, too, have never been asked to do anything objectionable. There was once a sometime regular errand I would run for an old boss, but I was always at liberty to say no. This task was to pick up lunch for him - only on extraordinary days when he could not get away. Always the same place, always the same order. I would have done it anyway, but he always gave me a $20 bill and told me to get lunch for myself for the trouble. When I first started and didn't get myself lunch the first few times, he would actually bring in some snack or candy the following day. I figured out eventually that it would save him the trouble of bringing something in if I would just get myself lunch, so I did. That made him happy. :-) DonnaP99 |
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jahdra
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« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2004, 02:31:09 am » |
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My bossies keep it mostly business. Occasionally, one of them will ask me to check fares for a family trip, but they book the trips themselves. Or their wife does!
I once had a bossie who had me exchange his theater tickets, get his watch battery replaced, pick up lunch, those sorts of small errands, but he usually gave me his extra theater tickets and bought me lunch if I picked it up for him, so we were even.
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sobriquetnic
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« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2004, 07:13:34 am » |
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My boss seems to get almost embarassed if he asks me to do a personal errand - and that has only happened twice! He is very professional and knows that I am there to assist with his working life.
Having said that, he does confide in me at times in relation to his personal life. Whilst, like G said, you have to keep things on as professional a level as you can, he feels he needs to keep me in the picture in order to explain some of his moods!
All the best,
Nicola.
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peacelily54
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Posts: 30
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Hmmm, only 1 boss beats all the rest. Wonderful guy, very bright and very busy. Among the personal things I've done for him:
1. Run home and get the extra car keys from his wife because he left the Mercedes running in the company garage with the doors locked.
2. Go to his home at lunch and let the doggies out so they they "do their thing".
3. Be contact for him while he and his wife are on vacation, business trip, etc. His mom is in a nursing home in another state and I would screen the calls and relay the message to him..in all fairness, most calls didn't need to be passed along. His mom had Alzheimer's and didn't remember that he had recently visited.
4. Daughter was in college near my home and sick with the flu. He asked if I would go to the pharmacy and get a prescription and deliver it to her.
There are many more but those are a few of the best!
Current boss keeps personal and professional separate.
Once in a while the situation is such that they really do need a hand - stuff happens, and I am truly glad to be of help.
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Jackie G
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Interesting thread this. I don't actually have a problem with most of the things mentioned and have probably done most of them at one time or another - not the dogs though! Simply because I've never worked for anyone who had one! If your title of 'Personal Assistant' doesn't mean just that, then I don't see how you can be that. I also can't see how a boss can totally separate business and personal life - it just can't be done. Depending on the level of your boss, it's almost nigh impossible to separate the two and that's where a good PA comes into their own because really, my view is that you do whatever needs doing to get the boss to wherever they need to be/do/have at that particular time. A friend who posts here sometimes had a boss who had 2 homes and she regularly tracked things like his tux because it was no good being in the southern home if it was needed at a do in the north and vice versa - I think he eventually got two because it was easier, but she liaised regularly with his wife on stuff like that. If she reads this, no doubt she may post something later... Jackie www.iqps.org
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bethalize
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I used to be dead against doing personal stuff, but then I though: 'I expect my company to be supportive in MY work/life balance, surely my boss has the same right as I do?". There is a significant difference, however, between doing things occasionaly or even often and all the time.
Bethalize
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gee4
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I disagree Jackie - an employer hires you as a PA to be that manager's personal assistant in a "working environment". I do not apply for jobs thinking oh yes I'll get to do all my bosses personal errands. I am employed to work and provide a service to my boss, his managers and the business in a professional company. I am not his maid nor his wife nor his personal shopper.
Some may argue that I am wrong but I do draw the line at personal matters.
(0.5p's worth)
G
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galaxyblue
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Posts: 38
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I haven't 'as yet'
I always offer to get his lunch when I pop out but he likes to go out himself.
A PA at my old job did most of the organising for her bosses wedding !!!!
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes"
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