Virtual Boss, I Can't Reach You

by Hava Lyon | More from this Blogger

13 Apr 2007 03:00 PM

I have come to the conclusion that although there is a lot about working at home that I just absolutely love, there are also some things that drive me crazy. The biggest problem that I've dealt with has been not being able to just pop in and talk to my boss whenever I want to.

At my old bricks and mortar jobs, if I had a question, I could just go into my boss's office and ask. If my boss was in a meeting, then I simply waited until they were done, but I knew when that was happening, and I knew why I couldn't get an answer right away.

With the online world, I am starting to hate that lack of knowledge. I will send work in to be looked over and paid for, and then I don't hear anything back for two days. The work had a deadline--what if my boss (or rather, the owner of the company, since I do all independent contracting work, and therefore I have no boss) didn't get the work? I would now be two days overdue on it. What am I going to do? I have no idea.

I think that since we have become so reliant on e-mail (I don't have the phone numbers of almost anyone I work for, although I could find the numbers if I wanted to, I suppose) you then have to make the transition to the idea that nothing happens as fast as you want it to. One night, I went to bed wound up and grumpy, and I couldn't figure out why at first. Then I realized that I had spent the whole evening haunting my inbox, waiting for news back on three completely separate projects (different companies, different bosses) and by bedtime, none of them had answered. That was frustrating. I couldn't do anything on any of the projects until I heard more, and so I was at a standstill. I am not the most patient person you've ever met, and this kind of sit-and-wait just about kills me off.

The one thing that I do allow myself to do is write them again if I haven't heard back from them in two business days. I don't reply to an old e-mail; I always start a new one, because in my mind, the old one might get lost easier in cyberspace (one of those strange superstitions I have.) If they don't respond within another two business days, then I have to decide if it is something to really get wrapped up in and worried about, or if I should just let it go. Luckily, I usually don't have to make that choice, because I've usually heard back by that point. Usually, but not always.

Does anyone else struggle with having multiple "cyberbosses" or am I alone in this one? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Learn more about Hava Lyon

Hello, my name is Hava or Havs (depending on my mood and yours!) I am a freelance writer who writes for several blogs, both paid ones such as this one, and personal blogs.

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