Just Ask

One of my receptionist has applied for a PhD program. She is a brilliant girl and we are happy that she finally did what she should have done years ago. She realized that there is no real room for growth in my office and since she worked hard for her Master's Degree, she needs to put it to good use. She is now the coordinator of a new drug study that my boss has signed on for. For years we have done the clinical trials for FDA approval. Being coordinator has a lot of responsibility. On February 22, my receptionist has to go to Boston for three days to have an orientation. Yesterda, she received a phone call and when she hung up, I saw her face in her hands and she was crying. It seems that Hofstra had called to say that her interview for the PhD program was February 22. It is a group orientation followed by individual interviews. She had to be at 2 very important meetings at the same time three hundred miles away. I told her to send an email to the chairman of the psychology department stating the problem and asking what she should do. At first she was hesitant, thinking that she did not want to ask for a favor. She took my advice and wrote the email. Within 15 minutes, the chairman answered her. He gave her a choice of three other dates and said that she could miss the group orientation and not to worry. She is very relieved. All she had to do was ask.