How do you solve a problem like ET?
So I sent him the below love note yesterday and just left a voice mail today. The last sign of life I have had from him was on June 28. June 28. Our two month anniversary of not communicating (or rather, his not responding to my attempts to communicate) passed two days ago. When is too much to take?
posted by Abby at 4:29 PM
3 Comments:
You already told me once why you can't go sit in his office and smile relentlessly at him until he finishes, but I don't remember why. Make an appointment? Through his secretary? Start asking his peers if he is out of town, or if something is wrong since you can't reach him? Start with his bosses, asking sweetly if there is someone else who can sign, since you can't reach the person?
The problem is that he has become a professor at a school in the Bay area. So to go sit in his office involves getting on a plane or a very long drive (in a car other than my own, since mine is about to die). I do have a mole at this new school of his, and she has told me that he has switched offices but has been emailing his class, etc.
So there have been points in this 2 month period where he would have a legitimate reason not to respond immediately, but absolutely no good excuse (except that he is more important than me--an excuse I have no patience with, for obvious reasons) to not acknowledge my repeated attempts to contact him.
He hasn't done the work he needs to give you feedback, and he feels bad about it and is avoiding you until he can do it, which is never because he is moving and starting classes. (I mean, that's how it would be for me, 'cause I am a HUGE avoider.)
You gotta make avoiding the problem less pleasant than solving it. Step up the phone calls (which themselves are always, always sweet and friendly) and make noise in his new department (innocently asking his secretary if there are good times to catch him) until you are a big enough pain in the ass that it is worth his time to do the work that will make you two square.
Or, figure out the work-around. Is there anyone else who can sign for the honoraria? I mean, if ET got hit by a bus, the dean would sign it, no? Relentlessly sweet, but mostly relentless.
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