When Your Boss Surprises You, Here's What To Do
Vice President Dick Cheney surprised both Iraqi and U.S. personnel in Baghdad yesterday when he made an unannounced visit. The Vice President stopped in Iraq just days before the fifth anniversary of the war and spoke at a news conference with U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus, who is the top commander in Iraq.
The trip to Iraq’s capital was just the first stop on Cheney’s nine-day tour of the Middle East which will also include visits to Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, the Palestinian territories, Turkey and Oman. Cheney’s visit came during an apparent upsurge in violence since January, however U.S. military commanders say that it is not a trend and attacks are actually down 60% from the middle of last year. The second in command gave President Bush’s decision to send 30,000 troops to the war zone credit for the overall reduction in violence.
While most Americans are not carrying out jobs in the war torn Middle East nor will they ever be visited by the vice president of the United States, anyone could have a surprise visit from a boss or supervisor and it is important to be prepared. Jennifer Thompson, a career consultant at Strategic Futures Consulting Group, Inc. in Alexandria, Va., says, “first things first, people should be sure to understand their work environment and be cognizant of if they have a boss that would make a surprise visit.”
Most experts agree that no matter what, it is important to have a list of your recent accomplishments ready at a moments notice, just in case a supervisor drops by to see how things are going. Syndee Feuer, a certified career coach at Career Tactics in Jupiter, Fla., says that employees should always keep track of projects that they are working on, along with a status update on each. Irene Marshall, the president of Tools for Transition in Fremont, Calif., says “It is really good for career management if once a quarter you put together everything that you have done. That way you have the information and details about what you’ve accomplished is at your fingertips.”
